Gourt Home::Gourt :: Strike (attack)
A strike (in budo sometimes referred to as atemi, 当て身, "body strike"Arlington Budoshin JuJitsu Dojo. Terminology - A. members.aol.com. URL last accessed on March 4 2006.) is an attack with an inanimate object, such as a weapon, or with a part of the human body intended to cause harm to an opponent. An attack with the hand closed into a fist is called a punch. A strike with the leg or foot is generally called a kick. An attack with the head is called a headbutt.
Strikes are employed in many martial arts, such as karate, boxing and Muay Thai. Most Chinese martial arts also use the fingertips, wrists, forearms, shoulders, back and hips to strike an opponent as well as the more conventional fists, palms, elbows, knees and feet. A few martial arts employ no strikes at all; wrestling for example. In most styles, strikes are complemented by traps, locks (see chin na), footsweeps and grappling.
Punches
Punches are covered by a separate article, see Punch (strike)
Some alternative fist strikes are given below.
Palm strike
A palm is a surface.Whether the hand is open or the fingertips are folded against the bottom knuckles, palm strikes hit with the bottom part of the palm, where the hand meets the wrist. The hand is held perpendicular to the wrist to avoid hitting the softer inner wrist tissue against the target.
Many Chinese martial arts teach the Iron Palm, which in the hands of a trained practitioner, can send a more penetrating shock into the body. This percussive shock can disrupt the nervous system and cause unconsciouness.
The palm strike is useful as it is thrown in a very relaxed manner. The hand can then "adhere" to the opponent which can lead to a control with the hand.
Targets include the face, ears, back of the head, the groin, the kidneys and abdominal cavity.
Palm heel
This strike impacts with the mass of bone at the bottom of the palm. This is a very strong part of the hand, and there is no compression of the bones in the hand on impact.The palm heel is faster because there is no need for any tension in the arm to keep the wrist in alignment. There is less antagonistic muscle contraction and so can be thrown faster. However, there is less range, albeit a few inches, than a punch, and overextension may throw the shoulder out of alignment, thus weakening the overall attack and throwing the practitioner off-balance.
While the palm heel appears innocuous, the average man can achieve a KO within 6-8 inches with it.
The palm heel can be used with the exact same body mechanics as any fist strike. It is simply a matter of opening the hand to the palm heel position. However, because of the nature of the palm heel, it makes it difficult to perform more dexterous punching maneuvers with a palm heel such as an uppercut or a roundhouse punch. Because it is easiest to perform the palm heel as a "sun punch" (vertical punch), it is best suited for straight attacks.
Additionally, the palm strike can be a dangerous move if not hit correctly. If the attack misses, or if the attack is countered, the top part of the palm may be striken instead, resulting in the hand being bent backwards and potentially injuring the wrist. Therefore, the palm heel should only be applied in situations where there is a clear open target.
Targets for the palm heel are the temples, nose, jaw, chin, shoulder (to negate punches), solar plexus, floating ribs, back of the head and neck, spine, coccyx, kidneys, and bladder.
Knife hand
The classic "karate chop". This refers to strikes performed with the lower part of an open hand. Knife-hand strikes are mostly used to strike sensitive pressure points via sweeping techniques like the backhand or the hook.Power comes from the extension of the arm and shoulder and hip rotation. Relaxation is essential.
Targets include the nose, throat, neck, and arms (to cause pain and numbness).
Ridge hand
By tucking the thumb into the palm, a striking surface called the ridge-hand, or reverse knife-hand is formed, extending a few inches along the inside of the hand below the firs knuckle of the first finger. Ridge-hand strikes commonly are delivered with a hooking motion.
Targets include the neck, throat, nose, jaw, and groin.
Hammerfist
A strike with the bottom of the fist, using an action like swinging a hammer, but can also be used horizontally.This strike will not damage the bones of the hands as there is no compression of the knuckles or metacarpals, and there is no leverage to bend the wrist.
All the knife hand targets can be struck with the hammerfist, but it is also good for striking the spine, coccyx, and kidneys of an opponent who is bent over.
Kicks
Kicks are covered by a separate article, see Kick
Knee
For knee strikes, see Knee.Other strikes
The dangers of fist strikes
Knuckle and finger damage
The human hand is made up of several small bones which are unable to withstand heavy impact. If a hard part of the opponent's body is inadvertently struck, or if there is a hard object in the environment, the knuckles could be broken. The metacarpals may splay on impact and break. This will render the hands useless for the duration of the fight.Boxers tape their hand to pad the knuckles, but also to hold the metacarpals together to keep them from splaying. Boxing gloves are designed to protect the knuckles during hard strikes, and not to protect the opponent by somehow "softening" the blow, as is the common misconception.
Many martial artists condition their knuckles to strike hard objects, but this does nothing to strengthen the metacarpals, and can lead to arthritis and loss of mobility later in life.
Wrist damage
The wrist must be kept in proper alignment during a fist strike. If the wrist bends on impact, it can easily be sprained, dislocated or broken. Boxers tape their wrists to reduce wrist flex.Legal implications
Knuckle strikes often open up cuts on the opponent, which can appear very damaging even if it is only superficial.References
"Strike (attack)"