The correct fist?

Question

Is it true that punching someone with a bare fist is a bad idea? I heard that the front part of such a fist is actually pretty fragile, so it doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

So what would be the correct way to punch someone?

Answer 1

As Sifu Frank pointed out, it is hard for beginners and there is an "easy" way to overcome it, hard to soft and soft to hard.

But once you have studied a while and trained properly, the fist is quite strong. The masters did keep using it, right?

Answer 2

We teach beginner to strike with the palm, elbow, heel, and knee.  These areas are the least prone to injury by striking with them.   Once you learn how to punch and align your fist and arm, then you can strike with it without injury.   The gloves that are worn in MMA bouts is only to keep the knuckles from breaking the skin, therefore making the matches less bloody.  All of the force is still applied to your opponent, unlike boxing gloves.

Answer 3

I teach this simple rule. Soft to hard and hard to soft. For bare handed blows to the face i prefer a palm strike. For blows to the body I use a fist.

Knowing how to deliver a correct palm strike to the face and head takes a lot of practice.