From Keith Eng, Ni Dan
Wilton Connecticut Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate Club
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Focusing on the punch

This week my workout is focusing on the punch, specifically Jodan-zuki (high punch) and Chudan-zuki (middle punch) and common mistakes, so I thought it appropriate to include it in the TFTW submission. The perfect punch is:

The hand forming a tight fist that resembles a box, the fingers are firm, but not overly contorted with the thumb firmly holding the bottom of the box together. The first two knuckles lead the box through the intended target (not at the intended target). The forearm should be tight from the elbow to the front two knuckles, I envision the punch as a steel weapon that extends beyond my elbow. When the punch fires from the chamber (palm-up), the forearm rubs the torso's sides with only the firm fist and forearm rotating to the palm-down position.

For Jodan-zuki (high punch), the target of the fist should be through just below the nose. For Chudan-zuki (middle punch), the target of the fist should be through the solar-plexus. It is difficult for the practitioner to determine the correct height of the strike without a target as the observed strike is skewed by the perspective of our eyes and the punches often strike too high or too low. If you do not have a target at which to aim, Hanshi has an excellent metaphor for the perceived height of the strike. For the high punch, if there is a drop of oil on the fist, the arm should only be sloped enough for the oil to travel slowly to the shoulder (perceived slope slightly upward). For the middle punch, if there is a drop of oil on the shoulder, the arm should only be sloped enough for the oil to travel slowly to the fist (perceived slope slightly downward) . A sensei, sempai, or mirror can verify if you punch is the proper height.

Arigato,
Keith Eng
Ni Dan
Wilton Connecticut Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate Club