Martial Arts Techniques for Law Enforcement. Mike Young

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СКАЧАТЬ discover that the palm heel strike is not difficult to do and can produce a tremendous amount of power. I like the power the palm heel strike generates from both long and short ranges. I have never used my fists in a street fight—only palm heel strikes—and have never lost. Finally, to the general public, the palm heel strike does not look as offensive as a punch with a fist.

      Whatever basic hand strike you decide to use, make sure that you practice the fundamentals so that your hands are an asset and not a liability in a fight. Whether you use your palm or your fist, the basic jab starts from the basic self-defense boxing stance explained in chapter 3.

      The Palm Heel Jab

      First, push off with your rear foot, moving your body weight forward into the strike (see Figs. 32 and 33).

      As your body moves forward, your waist should turn slightly into the strike to add the rotation of your hip to the force of the strike.

      As your waist turns, your upper torso should also turn, adding the power of your shoulder muscles to the strike. Your arm should be extending while your shoulder and upper torso are turning. The heel of your palm should be thrust out toward your intended target like a piston.

      On impact, if you are striking with the heel of your palm, quickly jerk your fingers back, snapping the heel of your palm into your attacker (see Fig. 34).

      Upon completing a palm heel jab, tuck your head into your shoulder to protect against a counterpunch to the vulnerable knockout band on your jaw (see Fig. 35).

      As soon as you’ve delivered the blow, return your hand immediately to its original, “ready” position. Do not get lazy and let your hand drop after the moment of impact, as this habit leaves you vulnerable to a counterstrike over your hand and into your face (see Figs. 36 and 37).

      The Boxer’s Jab

      The same mechanical principles apply in executing a boxer’s jab. The only difference is that you use your fist instead of the heel of your palm (see Fig. 38). The basic fist formation consists of closing all of the fingers tight, then resting the thumb over the closed fingers (see Figs. 39 and 40).

      Some people leave their thumbs dangling when punching. They put themselves at a greater risk of injuring their thumb while executing the punch because their thumb may strike their assailant’s head or hit a bony area or another object (see Fig. 41).

      If you decide to use a fist when you get into a physical altercation, practice closing your open hand into a proper fist as quickly as possible. Do this drill a few times a day, and you will form the habit of making a proper fist automatically when you need to.

      Another very important point about hitting with your fist is that you need to be sure that the bones in your wrist are aligned correctly on impact (see Fig. 42). If the bones are misaligned, your wrist can be severely injured while executing a punch. This is why boxers always wrap their wrists so well—to prevent this kind of injury from happening (see Fig. 43).

      To properly execute a boxer’s jab, start from your basic defensive boxing stance and quickly extend your nongun hand, with a fist formed, parallel to the ground (see Fig. 44). The mechanics of throwing the jab are otherwise identical to the palm heel jab described above. Again, make sure that your chin is tucked into your shoulder to protect your knockout band. Once your arm has made contact, quickly retract it with a pistonlike motion, protecting yourself through the full motion of the punch.

      A properly executed jab is usually all you need to convince a suspect to stop an assault.

      The Cross

      The cross is one of the most powerful and effective hand strikes that you can deliver. It combines raw natural strength with powerful body mechanics to create a very powerful blow.

      The Palm Heel Cross

      From the basic defensive boxing stance, quickly twist your strong-side waist forward toward the suspect and immediately extend your strong-side arm toward the attacker (see Figs. 45 and 46).

      Strike the attacker with the heel of your palm—as with the palm heel jab. Remember to get into the habit of tucking your chin under your extended shoulder to protect your knockout band (see Fig. 47).

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