Clenching your hand into a fist may seem like an easy thing, but if you don't do it relatively accurately, you may end up damaging your hand when you actually use your fist to strike. Learn the correct technique and practice until it becomes a spontaneous action.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Closing the Hand into a Fist
Step 1. Spread out all four fingers
Keep your hand straight and naturally extend all four fingers. Press them firmly, leaving your thumb relaxed.
- The hand must remain straight as if you were reaching out for a "handshake";
- Squeeze your fingers with just enough pressure to turn them into a solid mass. They don't have to hurt or be rigid, but there shouldn't be any gaps or gaps between them.
Step 2. Curve your fingers
Bend your fingers in the palm of your hand, curving them until the tip of each finger touches its corresponding base.
During this step, you are bending your fingers up to the second joint. The nails must be clearly visible and the thumb must remain relaxed on the side of the hand
Step 3. Curve your bent fingers inward
Continue bending your fingers in the same direction so that your lower knuckles come out, so that the joints of the fingers are folded.
- During this step, you will actually bend the outermost knuckles of your fingers. The nails must partially disappear in the palm of the hand;
- The thumb must remain relaxed.
Step 4. Fold your thumb down so that it goes under the top halves of your index and middle fingers
- The exact position of the thumb is not essential, but it must always be collected together with the other fingers as explained in the previous step;
- If you press the tip of your thumb into the crease of the second knuckle of your index finger, you can minimize the risk of damaging the thumb bones;
- Placing the thumb under the index and middle finger works well and is the most common tactic, but you need to make sure he stays relaxed as you strike. A tense thumb will push the bones at the base of the hand too far down, which could increase the risk of a wrist injury.
Part 2 of 3: Test the Punch
Step 1. Press in the space between one finger and the other
Using the thumb of your free hand, press into the space created by the inner crease of the second knuckles. This test can help you determine how tight your fist is at the moment.
- Make sure you are using your thumb and not your thumbnail;
- You shouldn't be able to press into the gap with your thumb, but the effort shouldn't cause any pain;
- If you can penetrate the space with your thumb, the fist is too relaxed;
- If pressing, the fist causes you considerable pain, the fist is too tight.
Step 2. Slowly clench your fist
A second test you can use to evaluate the strength of the fist is to tighten it more and more gradually. Use this system to get an idea of what a correct punch looks like.
- Clench your fist and place your thumb against the knuckles of your index and middle fingers;
- Just tighten a little. The first two knuckles must be pressed against each other, but the fist must still feel somewhat relaxed. This is the maximum tension you should feel as you strike with your fist.
- Keep tightening until your thumb reaches the knuckle of the ring finger. You must feel the first knuckle of the index finger weakened as the little finger will squeeze inwards in such a way that the knuckle collapses inwards. At this point, the structure of your fist will be too distorted to be effective or safe to use for striking.
Part 3 of 3: Using the Punch
Step 1. Rotate your wrist so that the palm and folded thumb are facing down
The outermost knuckles of the fist should point upwards.
- If you have clenched your fist by reaching out as if you were going to shake someone's hand, you will need to rotate your fist about 90 degrees as you prepare to strike with it.
- Make sure the structure and tension of the fist remain constant as you rotate it.
Step 2. Extend the fist at a right angle
Your wrist should remain straight as you strike so that the front and top of the fist form roughly a right angle.
Your wrist should remain steady and steady as you strike with your fist. If it snaps back or tilts to the side, you could damage your bones and muscles. Continuing to strike with the damaged wrist can cause permanent wrist damage or injury to your hand
Step 3. Clench your fist as you strike
Squeeze your knuckles before and during the moment of impact. Squeeze all the bones of the hand together at the same time.
- By clenching the fist together, the bones can strengthen each other and work as a solid but flexible mass. If your bones hit the target as a cluster of small single bones, they will be more fragile and prone to injury.
- However, avoid over-tightening your hand. If so, the bones in your hand could give way and collapse upon impact. If the shape of the fist is distorted when you squeeze your knuckles together, it could mean that you are squeezing too much.
- Note that you should tighten as close as possible to the moment of impact. Clenching the fist too early can slow down the blow and make it less effective.
Step 4. Rely on your strong knuckles
Ideally, you should hit the target using your two strongest knuckles: your index and middle knuckles.
- Specifically, it is the outer third knuckles of the index and middle fingers that you should focus on using;
- The knuckles of the ring and little fingers are weaker, so you should avoid using them if possible. Doing otherwise may be an ineffective technique, as well as increasing the risk of getting hurt.
- If your fist is formed correctly and you are holding your wrist the right way, it should be relatively easy to hit the target using only the two strongest knuckles.
Step 5. Relax your fist slightly between hits
In between hits, you can relax your fist enough to let your hand muscles rest, but you should never loosen your little finger.
- Do not continue to clench your fist after the moment of impact, especially during a real combat situation. Clenching your fist after hitting can slow your movement and leave you open to counter attacks.
- Relaxing your fist can preserve hand muscles and improve your stamina.
