Palm Strike Challenge

**TheMightyMcClaw** · Posted On: 11/15/2011 4:59pm

Originally Posted by WhiteShark

The basic premise is flawed. No one is advocating palm strikes TO THE BODY. Why would you limit the palm strike guy to palming body shots? I say let them throw anything they want to the body and only open hand to the head for the first round. Then if anyone wants a second round let them punch to the head. Though frankly, I'd never participate in the second round due to cutting.

I've seen a couple nutjobs talking about the deadly tiger palm to the floating rib and whatnot, but yeah, I see your point.

**RWaggs** · Posted On: 11/15/2011 5:41pm

I'm in your area. I'm down, though I think that Whiteshark has some points and we should maybe refine the rules a bit.

**TheMightyMcClaw** · Posted On: 11/15/2011 7:55pm

Originally Posted by RWaggs

I'm in your area. I'm down, though I think that Whiteshark has some points and we should maybe refine the rules a bit.

Sounds good; what refinements would you suggest? Allowing body punches by the palm strike contestant?

**RWaggs** · Posted On: 11/16/2011 1:21pm

Originally Posted by TheMightyMcClaw

Sounds good; what refinements would you suggest? Allowing body punches by the palm strike contestant?

Well, that's one option, I suppose. My main concern, like Whiteshark was saying, is that I'm not sure that I really want to take bare knuckle punches to the face when it's my turn to throw palm strikes. Just sounds like a good way to get my face cut up (and I'm a very, very attractive man). I think that the point here was to discover the effectiveness of palms to the face, which I think could still be done with the other person wearing MMA gloves. In fact, I think that the person administering palm strikes could still be limited to just palm strikes to the body as well (this is all for experimentation after all), but I just don't think that the punching person, who's definitely going to have an advantage, should be punching to the face glove-less.

**Permalost** · Posted On: 11/16/2011 3:21pm

Breaking contest?

**RWaggs** · Posted On: 11/17/2011 2:08pm

I'm a musician. I generally don't risk my hands with breaking.

**maofas** · Posted On: 12/30/2011 4:47pm

I use SuperSafe type helmets in my Karate class, so occasionally we do wind up uppercut palm striking to the dome if someone ducks their head down/leans their face forward. I'd imagine that shot, to the nose/face or chin would be a good one. I could also see someone with frail hands/wrists and/or little training using them instead of knuckles, even to the body; aside from that, I don't think I'd use one.

A lot of the good Pancrase shots were less the palm heel strikes that take the place of straight 1-2s, but slaps with the the heel, replacing the hook.

**maofas** · Posted On: 12/30/2011 10:09pm

P.S. If you do this test/challenge, you're going to have to spend a little time practicing with palm strikes on focus mitts, because the angles you need to throw your straight punch replacement palm strike are slightly different than a punch which makes contact with the knuckles. You're bound to feel more awkward doing something you're totally not used to and messing around with on the fly in sparring, which makes for skewed test results.

**MMAMickey** · Posted On: 12/31/2011 8:04am

I'll be interested to see the results of this. On a prima facie basis, punches have both more reach and more chance of reaching their target due to being a smaller object than an open palm.

**mierdadetoro** · Posted On: 12/31/2011 11:25am

You could have a round where the combatants can throw punches with their jab hand and only open hand strikes with their strong hand. That might actually be interesting.