AOKK Fist and Hand Position
Isshin-Ryu Fist, or Dragon Head Fist, [Tate-tsuki]:
This punch can be used to strike hard target areas like the ribs and chin. The slight bend downward and thumb position locks the wrist to prevent bending. The focus of the strike is with the top two knuckles. This punch can also be used in concert with other strikes to hit pressure points. In bunkai it can also represent a grasp of an attacker’s clothing.
Kyan Sensei and Shimabuku were not the only fighters that believed this fist to be a superior weapon. This fist was also popular with Bruce Lee, and can be found in his Jeet-
Kune-Do (JKD) system. According to Black Belt magazine Volume 45 #9 page 32, Lee discovered that this punch was a favorite technique of Jim Driscoll a professional fighter in the early 20th century when boxing was in its’ infancy, and liked it well enough to incorporate it into Jeet-Kun-Do.
Shuto Hand:
The shuto is used to strike tight and specific targets that cannot be gained with a traditional punch. The striking area is the side of the hand. It applies tremendous force in a very tight area. These target areas are the collarbone, throat, and temple. This strike has many names knife hand, ax hand, or empty hand, and it became the signature of Japanese karate.
The shuto strike can be delivered in an arc for power or thrown straight like a punch except the side of the hand makes impact. This should not be confused with the palm heel or the spear finger strike. The straight method is best for breaking the attacker’s collarbone
Palm Heel:
The palm heel is one of the most powerful strikes in the martial arts. A practitioner may feel more inclined to drive this strike with more force than any other strikes because the trauma to the hand is limited. The strike is made with the padded region or palm of the hand. This is an excellent strike for children because there is less potential for damage to their hands since they’re still growing.
When this strike is thrown to the face the fingers should be spread slightly. This allows the fingers to enter the eyes after the palm has contacted the nose and face. If the fingers are held tightly together, they will be stopped by the bridge of the nose and minimize the collateral damage of the strike. This is a great technique for women’s self-defense.
Spear Finger:
Spear finger strikes are thrown linier. They can be quick in and out, or quick in and grab and pull back. The striking area is the tip of the fingers. To use this technique effectively the fingertips are trained by striking beans then sand and finally small pebbles until the fingertips are callused and desensitized.
Thumb positions can vary depending upon the system. Placing the thumb on top of the hand prevents the thumb from snagging on the opponent’s clothing if the hand enters clothing. The thumb lying flat adds one more pointing weapon and stabilizes the flat hand. It also makes it easier to grasp the clothing as it pulls backwards
Spear Finger: Cont.
Position of the hand can also vary. The first examples above are vertical and this position is mainly used to strike the solar plexus [Xiphoid Process]. In reality the hands would be on the same angle as the rib cage. If you’re striking to an attacker’s throat the hand should be horizontal and palm up. The reaction of the attacker after being struck in the throat is to drop his/her chin. If the hand is horizontal and palm down the finger joints can be hyper extended. When striking to an attacker’s eyes the hand should be horizontal and palm down with the fingers slightly spread. The bridge of the nose will direct the fingers into the opponent’s eyes. Some of the fingers may bend and roll into a ball while the remainders are driven into the eyes. When striking to the eyes the thumb should be placed to the side of the open hand like in the first picture to prevent jamming it.
Bird’s Beak or Chicken Beak:
This is a very specialized fist and is most always to the eyes. The striking area of the hand is the tightly bunched fingers. A blow to the eye with this technique can burst the eye if delivered properly. This blow is difficult to deliver in a fight, so it must be used with surprise like a first attack to be successful. The single finger spear hand is more effective, but the finger in that strike is easily dislocated. In the Bird beak the fingers are tightly bunch and are less likely to be injured.
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Leopard’s Paw:
This is another highly specialized fist. If turned flat it is an excellent fist to strike the throat with. Turned vertical it is in proper alignment to attack the solar plexus. Another target area would be the sternum. This is not a power technique because the hand in this position weakens the wrist. If it is used as a power technique, roll the fingers into a fist after the initial contact and continue to drive forward with the knuckles of the third joint. The thumb position locks the wrist when the Leopard Paw becomes a vertical punch.
Ridge Hand:
The ridge hand is again a specialized fist. The striking area of this fist is the bones on the side of the hand and wrist. This strike can be used horizontally to strike the throat or temple. It can be turned vertically to strike the groin. It takes time for this strike to develop since it is normally thrown in an arc, yet there are karateka that throw it straight like a punch and at the last second roll the fist into a ridge hand and strike the temple or carotid artery. It is mainly used on soft tissue areas. This strike can be thrown palm-up or palm-down. The above application is demonstrating a cross body elbow-lock in kata, so when this technique is observed in kata it may look like a ridge-hand, but it is not always truly a ridge hand strike.
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Nakayubi Ipponken:
Once again this is a very specialized and limited fist. Its main purpose is to attack pressure points. There are pressure points that are difficult to engage, and this is one of the punches that can be used to activate those pressure points. It can also be an effect strike to areas like the temple.
One Knuckle Punch:
This too is a specialized fist that allows the karateka to strike to a small target area with force. The temple, sternum, or behind the ear are excellent target areas for this fist. It too can be used to activate pressure points whether striking or rubbing these points. It is the dominant fist of Uechi-ryu karate.
