Striking Surfaces of the Fist in Shorin Ryu

[sirdarksol]

In Shorin Ryu Karate, we learn several different ways to strike with the fist, depending on the needs of the moment.

Basic Fist: This one is obvious. Curl your fingers in, then tuck your thumb (not actually inside the fingers, but as far down as you can, to keep it out of the way). The actual striking surface for this fist are the first two knuckles at the base of the fingers. This is a concentrated, but very solid strike. Make sure that the wrist is straight. Angled up or down, it has a tendency to collapse under impact, and can break terribly. Be sure to practice, bareknuckled, on a punching bag or handheld target, just to make sure you are holding your wrist right. You will feel when the strike is right and when you've bent your wrist. Start out slow, then build up your power as you become confident that you are striking right.
This strike can be crushing and bone-breaking, or just really painful, depending on force and target.

Sword Hand: The hand is held mostly straight, with the tips of the fingers curled a bit (just the last joint if you can manage it). This reinforces the hand a bit. Fingers and thumb are held tight for further reinforcement. The outside edge of the hand is the striking surface.
This attack is aimed at somewhat softer targets. The clavicle is the favorite attack, although the side of the neck (immediately under the base of the skull) is another good one. This strike is usually less harmful than the basic punch, and is a good way to more easily control the amount of harm you do. It can, however, cause severe injury, such as broken blood vessels or a snapped collar bone.

Spear Hand: The hand is held almost the same as the Ridge Hand. It is imperative that the fingers are slightly curled. If they aren't they may attempt to collapse backward, and you will break them. The very tips of the fingers are the striking surface.
These attacks must be very precise, and aimed at softer targets, such as the eyes, the throat, immediately below the sternum, the lymph nodes under the arms, etc... Unlike most Shorin Ryu attacks, you don't want to "push through" on the Spear Hand. No matter how soft the target, your opponent's flesh has more strength than your fingers do. Rather, you strike and pull back, following up with another and another and another strike.
The Spear Hand is excellent for causing severe pain without real harm (with the exception of the eyes, which can be permanently damaged by this attack).

Hammer Fist: Fist is held the same as the basic fist, but the striking surface is the bottom of the fist (outside edge.)
This attack is usually vertical, so is really only good for coming down on the clavicles, bridge of the nose, or the top of the skull. It is not as sharp of an impact as the punch is, but can carry a lot of force. Clavicle or nose can break, and the sheer impact can make an opponent think twice.

Back Fist: Again, fist is held the same, and the striking surface is the same as the basic fist, but the attack starts close to the body and rather than pistoning out from the body, moves like a pendulum. Like the hammer fist, this can carry a lot of force to it.
Where the hammer fist strikes horizontal surfaces, the Back Fist strikes vertical surfaces, such as the side of the rib cage, the temples, the side of the neck.

Elbow: Not part of the fist, but it's an arm attack, so I'll count it. The main elbow attack in Shorin Ryu is sort of an uppercut, useful if your opponent is holding you too close for a proper punch. The elbow rises in a straight line, usually connecting with the chin.

There you have it, the Shorin Ryu striking surfaces that I have been taught. There is one more, but it's not taught until the higher belts.
Hope this is helpful.

[chayudo]

Its interesting, thanks. Recognise all the strikes, just slightly different names.

[rodders]

your forgetting the bit between your thumb and finger, use that for striking in the neck

[chayudo]

Throw in palm strike and you've pretty much got ours covered.

[Chapel]

The tips of the second knuckle and fingers are used for striking in Konigun Ninjutsu for Clutch Fist, Spear Hand and Tiger's Eye.

[sirdarksol]

Originally Posted by rodders

your forgetting the bit between your thumb and finger, use that for striking in the neck

Not forgetting it, it's not taught in Kobayashi Shorin Ryu. I can only explain that which I know.

[N.B]

Yeah, we have all of those in Tang Soo Do, plus the two fingered and one fingered strike 'poke them in the eyes!' I don't know when they're taught though.

[Chapel]

Ok, so other arts strike with the finger tips also. Maybe it is ust because I never really conditioned my finger tips at all, but does anyone else just think that striking with your finger tips is just a little dangerous? I always feel like I am going to break my fingers before I really hurt the guy (apart from eye gouges).

[sirdarksol]

Nope, it does feel like you're about to break your fingers. Even striking at soft targets, it hurts. A lot of it, I think, has to do with making sure you're striking just right and not putting too much power into it. I'm not sure, though. Unfortunately, this is one strike that we don't practice against a target in class.

Maybe I'll ask a black belt to help me before or after class, see if they've ever done any striking with their fingers (either in practice or in practical application.)

[chayudo]

I was told you bend your finger very slightly to keep from breaking them, in case you miss the eyes and make contact with solid bone.

[sirdarksol]

Yes, and that is included in the original post. Even striking soft material, such as a foam blocking pad, with fully straightened fingers can severely injure you by hyperextending or breaking a finger.
I have actually struck a target with my fingers slightly curled and it still hurts, unless I barely tap the target.

[rodders]

It depends where you strike.

Soft weapons for hard targets. hard weapons for soft targets. you should all know this

[sirdarksol]

Originally Posted by rodders

It depends where you strike.

Soft weapons for hard targets. hard weapons for soft targets. you should all know this

Also covered in the original post. As I said, what I have discovered (and I think Chapel was talking about), is that striking even a soft target causes pain in the striking fingers. That's what we were trying to figure out. Basically, whether you can avoid this feeling of nearly breaking your fingers without heavy conditioning, which will cause permanent harm to your hand.

[nitanbo]

good post,

In Isshin Ryu we make our basic fist is a bit different then most.

We use a vertical fist with the thumb on top, our punches do not corkscrew when we punch, it starts vertical it ends vertical,

We also use the top of the open hand with the thumb tucked in,mostly called a ridgehand.

As far as striking with the tips of the fingers, try to relax your hands a bit, and let your fingers move into the natural bend of your hand a little upon impact, this seems to help when I do makiwara.



cya
nitanbo