The Science of Power Punching + Videos on Striking Techniques

[Lucas88]

I'm not gonna lie. I'm a natural grappler and have always found the mechanics of boxing difficult to learn.

Personally, I always struggled to apply the shots that I practiced on the pads to actual sparring and found that my kinetic chain was a bit off while other newcomers at the gym would sometimes pick up punching really quickly or otherwise have a natural knack for landing a straight right hand or a left hook in sparring.

Today I was watching some UFC promos and noticed that physiques that can generate otherworldly knockout power are diverse. There are knockout artists with extremely jacked physiques and an obvious preponderance of fast-twitch muscle fibers like Vitor Belfort and Alistair Overeem. Meanwhile, there are likewise knockout artists with skinny physiques like Sean O'Malley. Punching power has to do with much more than simply muscle mass.

So I decided to look for some videos on the science of power punching as well as a few basic instructionals on correct technique. Here are some that I found:


What Makes a Power Puncher? - 5 Factors That Makes a Knockout Artist




The Perfect Punch: Body Rotation Biomechanics




Power with Punches by Trevor Wittman and Justin Gaethje




I really like the last video. Trevor Wittman is an excellent striking coach and demonstrates the correct mechanics for punching which most martial arts gyms don't teach in detail.

Since I want to get back into doing MMA sparring soon, I would like to pay greater attention to the scientific details of striking and incorporate them into my sessions. Now more than ever I'm of the view that it's more important to train smart than it is to train hard.

[Lucas88]

I wanna make this into a general thread on striking techniques for those of us who practice martial arts.

Here are some videos about the basics of kickboxing (the first two by Gabriel Varga) and how to throw low leg kicks (the last one by Sean Fagan):


Back To Basics | Technical Beginner's Guide To Kickboxing




Back To Basics | Kickboxing Intermediate Training Guide




KILL THE LEG: How To Throw A KO Leg Kick (Muay Thai Style)

[Lucas88]

Calf kicks are now a thing in MMA and kickboxing.

You can use them to really kill your opponent's legs, reduce their movement and even finish fights.

@Cornfed, you might want to take a look at these videos. You were skeptical about leg kicks being able to finish an opponent but I think that their effectiveness is demonstrated in the footage.

The first time I saw calf kicks being used effectively in MMA was when a fighter who used to coach me got fcuked up by them in the UFC. His opponent was a wrestler and so he expected the guy to wrestle but instead of using wrestling he came out with calf kicks and totally destroyed my former coach's movement and, by the end of the fight, he was getting dropped by them.

Fast-forward a few years and calf kicks are commonplace in the fight game.

@WilliamSmith
@Pixel--Dude

You guys should take a look at these videos too.


Brutal Calf Kicks Knockouts in MMA Highlights - MMA Fighter




Calf Kicks: Cripple Your Opponent's Leg




Hall Of Famers Show Their Favorite CALF KICK SETUPS | With Ross "Turbo" Levine