Admit it. It sounds pretty basic. After all every martial artist has seen a punch before or at least knows what a proper fist looks like, right? But what allows that 120lb kid to hit harder than the guy with the 18-inch arms? Surely not size. Or even strength.
I’ll give you a hint. Think of a baseball player hitting a ball with a bat. Make a note of his technique. When he swings, notice how he uses his entire body and not just his arms? The same principles apply when punching, whether it’s noticeable or not.
Without getting too scientific and breaking this down into a formula, punching power is simply the transfer of energy. And you NEED a pivoting, weight-shift to achieve true follow-through punching power. It’s no wonder so many people have a confused expression when they’re told that the pivot starts down in the legs. If your weight stays settled on your feet, you’re only punching with a mere fraction of your potential.
Using another analogy, think of a hammer. Of course it hurts when you accidentally tap your finger instead of the nail. But is all that striking force from the head of the hammer? Of course not! That’s why there’s a handle. It’s the leveraging of the weight, or the torque (whichever you prefer), that allows such a variance in striking force. Like a fist, the hammer head is simply the striking end.
So, write this down if you need to. “The arm doesn’t punch, the body does”.
This weight shift allows you to move the energy up through your legs, using your hips to then torque your upper body, extending to your shoulder, and then forcing the energy down through your arm into your fist, to be released upon impact.
Makes sense, doesn’t it? Simple science for the martial arts. The transfer of energy. Only now, you know how to maximize and leverage your punch.