Kidney Punch Thoughts

Pondering Kidney Punches

by Keith Pascal

Are you predominantly a horizontal puncher or a vertical puncher? In other words, are your knuckles lined up side-to-side when you punch, or are they stacked on top of each other with the smallest knuckle on the bottom?

If you are predominantly a vertical puncher, you probably feel as though the position offers lots of benefits. True, but that’s not the focus of this article …

I was thinking about all of my punches … wondering when I use a horizontal punch.

When do you use a horizontal punch? Specifically, when do you use a short, horizontal punch that does NOT start from a cradled position at your side?

One of the times that your punch can remain palm down is on a kidney punch. How are your kidney shots?

A lot of the time that you kidney punch, you probably target from the opponent’s side to the rear, above the waist. One hand hits the kidneys, but what about the other?

A useful tip, if you don’t already do it is to grab the back of his or her head by the hair.

One hand grabs the hair and your other hand punches at the opponent’s kidney.

Hmmm, why should you grab the hair some of the time and not at other times? It has something to do with the position of your hands. If your hands are forward, and one happens to be raised to chest level or above then you’re more likely to go for the hair.

When your hand is already close by, grab for … well, an object close by. It makes sense.

Glad we got that out of the way.

Now, let’s see … do you grab the hair and then punch the kidneys, or do you punch and then grab? Or maybe grab and punch at the same time ???

Different Reasons for Different Timings.

If your opponent punches and you pass it, then you might be more likely to punch first and THEN grab.

On the other hand, if you have already executed a technique, and have already grabbed the hair, then you might consider punching the kidney as your opponent tries to wiggle out of your hair grab.

As I said different reasons for different timings.

Where To Go From Here?

Maybe your next step is to figure out what exercise you can practice that makes a hair grab in conjunction with a kidney punch so automatic.

Maybe you could devise more than one exercise to link the two techniques. Kidney punches with hair grabs. Hmm.

Tags: combination move, hair grabs, kidney punches, practical martial arts