Re: Re: (TFT) Scale

["Todd Roseberry" <paleryder1@verizon.net>]

Jay,

Here's a youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIX0zPhnngU

I disagree a little with the test and I'm not sure exactly what it is 
measuring. A good kung-fu punch is effective and, although it appears 
similar to a western jab, it is something quite different both in purpose 
and in execution. A western jab probes the opponent and helps you gauge your 
distance and can be used to set up a power punch. The kung-fu punch is a 
"regular" attack. In Wing Chun, there is no lead hand and both are used the 
same and the punches get their power from speed originating in a relaxed but 
explosive movement at the elbow; various kung fu traditions differ.

The kung fu punch appeared to be weaker than the other punches because it 
delivered fewer pounds of pressure to the test dummy. The real issue isn't 
the power here because all the punches were sufficiently powerful, it's a 
question of effectiveness. Even if a kung-fu punch is less "powerful" than 
reverse punch common to okinawan karate, korean tae kwon do or the boxing 
haymaker, the short-distance kung fu punch will usually get there first and 
is powerful enough to stun or disable an opponent. Additionally, in the time 
it takes to throw the solid karate/tae kwon do reverse punch, the kung-fu 
practitioner could land several of those significantly powerful hits (5+ 
times per second); again, these aren't jabs. So, while the guy is bringing 
on the sledgehammer, I'm hitting him several times with the Louisville 
slugger- THAT will affect the power of the opponent's oncoming punch. 
Fighting, effective fighting, is more than being able to land 
full-body-driven-powerblows. It's about timing, judgment and knowing your 
arts strengths and weaknesses- it's generalship. Often, it's about hitting 
the other guy first; a well-landed blow can create an advantage that can 
determine the outcome of the fight. This, of course, is even more true in 
blade fighting; cutting the other guy first has a huge psychological impact 
on the opponent. Nobody wants to see their lifeblood leaving them. The sight 
alone of their own blood can cause men to run or faint.

My aikijujtsu instructor was also a goju man. He could hit you with a strike 
that looked relatively harmless. It certainly didn't LOOK as powerful as the 
reverse punch in the video, in part because there was little body movement 
by the instructor; it looked effortless. The power of his punch was 
developed through relaxed explosive speed and proper punching technique. 
Even though his body didn't move much, you felt the power! The power 
PENETRATED through you and didn't push. A "push punch" can look powerful but 
doesn't harm the target. This aspect of delivering the hand's 
(fist/palm/edge) kinetic energy is largely a matter of technique and some 
styles focus more on this aspect of delivery. More traditional karate styles 
still train with makiwara and develop this penetrating power. Kung fu 
focuses a great deal on it but the techinque is more difficult to master 
because it does not always rely on large body movements but on relaxed 
explosive power which relies on speed. There's more to the delivery of the 
power than the punch itself. What happens at the end of the punch also has 
an effect on the transfer of energy. If you (body or arm) move backwards 
after striking- sort of being bounced back- then power is not transfered to 
or through the target but is sent back to the puncher; overcoming this is a 
matter of technique. When done correctly, while the target doesn't seem to 
have been hit as hard because it doesn't move, the energy "cuts" through the 
target with a hydrostatic force the causes real damage. This is why I'm not 
sure what was being measured in the video. One way to demonstrate 
hydrostatic waves is with ballistics gel- but I'm not sure how to punch it!

In summary, effective punching in a fight is very difficult to pull off 
especially for the big power punches. It's not the same as hitting a 
stationary target. These punches are slower and require everything to be 
right to deliver the full body power. If your stance is off, you lose the 
effectiveness of addition of body turn and you can be unbalanced by a big 
miss. If the target moves, good luck hitting it with a sledge hammer. While 
I prefer the kung fu punch, it cannot be said that one punch is "better" 
than another. Each has it's own function. It's a matter of judgment and 
skill in executing the correct punch for the occasion. Sorry to be so long 
winded.

Todd

> Nice info!
> Can you tell me anything about the relative force of the strikes? Like are 
> there strikes geared more to gain space rather than do damage?
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