Which hand position is best for a strike? Close-fist, open palm, hammer, knife, or "closed-finger open-palm"?

Question

Based on your experience which is most effective, I know each has it strengths and weaknesses....Thanks in advance for your time!

Answer 1

depends on how you were trained..a closed fist works great..I like to kick my self..get in close and start kicking the shins

Answer 2

What would you use to put a s***w in some wood? A screwdriver. What would you use to cut some wire? Pliers or wire cutters. What would you use to make a hole in wood? A drill.

Sure you could use a screwdriver for all three but its not the best way. Different weapons suit different targets and type of target.

All the weapons you mention have uses but the most immediate instinctively is the fist. Closed fist for soft target strikes, hammer fist for hard target strikes. Open palm/fingers for vital targets and palm heel for face. In Wing Chun you get trained pretty constantly in all (except closed finger) the strikes through massive repetition and drilling.

Hope that helps

Answer 3

It depends on range and target.  A head has about the consistency of a fresh coconut and the body has about the consistency of a bunching bag with two rolls of carpet duct taped around it.  Try hitting those things with different strikes and see where you feel most confident.  I'd practice all of them and keep all of them in your arsenal.  

Unless you're a monk that can shove your hand into hot pebbles 20 minutes a day forget the exotics.  If you really want to throw a single strike knockout, go for the closed fist or the knife (if by knife you mean karate chop).   Palm is good for severely bloodying the nose, closed finger open palm (the paw) could theoretically be a good sucker punch move if your speed and aim were good enough to land it not on the throat.  Hammer fist is a good groin strike if an opponent gets behind you, but throw it anywhere else and your enemy will think your knuckles are hurt and may become even more aggressive with a scent of blood in the air.

Answer 4

It depends on the angle and the target - a strike can mean many things and there are many kinds of strikes for this reason.  Some examples:

Closed Fist: solar plexus, ribs, kidneys (depending on angle), Uppercut or Cross to the Head, lots more - the idea here is penetration - use it when penetrative strikes would be effective.

Open Palm: throat (with webbing between thumb and fore finger), Slap to the Ear (this will rupture the eardrum causing pain and vertigo), lots more

Hammer Fist: kidneys (again depending on angle), groin, femoral artery, back of head, temple, spine, foot, lots more - good when you can hammer down from above (hence the name)

Knife Hand: carotid artery, back of neck, radial nerve, Achilles tendon, temple, lots more - nerves and tendons, not joints

Closed Finger Open Palm: as a heal palm, nose, under the chin (as a strike or a control), with the knuckles, between the lip and nose (this one might damage your hand as well) - upper shots to the face

What's the best?  Can't answer that until there is a situation where I need to choose.  They are all tools - hammers are great... until you need to remove a s***w.  Drills are great... until you need to sharpen a knife.

All of them can be executed safely and be effective.  On the other hand, if joints and bone structure isn't lined up properly, all can cause alot of damage to the striker if not the strikee.  The strikes themselves are neither safe nor unsafe to use, there are however safe ways and unsafe ways to throw them, some being more risky than others in a general sense.

Either way, the best weapon of the human body is the brain - its what makes the decisions and utilizes (or doesn't) the best tool for the job at hand, constantly switching tools as needed.

Answer 5

any palm strike. when you hit with you fist in a street fight you will break your hand. heads are harder than fists

Answer 6

it depends on the situation (i.e. close in, standing, ground) lots of factors. forget the knife. it is not good for anything except bruce lee movies.

Answer 7

all of the above

Answer 8

Depends on your target. You wouldn't throw a spearhand to the temple and you wouldn't throw a closed fist in order to strike between someone's ribs. It all depends on what you're trying to accomplish.

Answer 9

For repeated blows you can beat a hammer fist.  Very little damage to your own hand.