Vertical fist vs normal fist

**VikingPower** · Posted On: 6/22/2006 12:28pm

You can get away with either one.

**ChanceDuBois** · Posted On: 6/22/2006 12:53pm

I know you think that Tom. I used to hit the bag bare fisted or with only light gloves before I started Chinese MA and I did know how to form a tight fist through trial and error. For me I feel the vertical fist has made a difference in hand breaks.

Pirate John, you have your hook punches exactly the wrong way around. I take it you have not trained long? Most boxers throw a tight hook to the jaw using the horizontal fist and a fixed elbow and only a wide looping hook using the vertical fist. Body hooks are thrown with a vertical fist due to the mechanics of the positioning. Shovel hooks are thrown palm up.

I still throw hooks the boxing way because wing chun contributes nothing in this area. Hooks are a real risk to the hands.

PS I'm talking about glove free fights, not training.

**Shaolinz** · Posted On: 6/22/2006 1:16pm

Just a question, how often do you fight bare knuckle?

***WhiteShark*** · Posted On: 6/22/2006 1:25pm

Originally Posted by ChanceDuBois

I used to hit the bag bare fisted or with only light gloves before I started Chinese MA and I did know how to form a tight fist through trial and error. For me I feel the vertical fist has made a difference in hand breaks.

I need to clarify this point. Are you saying that without any training you hit the heavy bag with a palm down fist and broke your hands multiple times? Then the first formal training you recieved was in a vertical fist and you stopped breaking your hands?

**Shaolinz** · Posted On: 6/22/2006 1:34pm

I find it interesting that you've hurt your hand in so many places. All of my bag work and alot of my sparring is done with only 4oz gloves and I've yet to do more then bruise my hand. In fact the only time I've ever hurt my hand was when I was 10yrs old and punched a heavy bag for the first time and didn't hit with my first 2 knuckles at all and jammed 3 fingers. I sense t3h d34dly in you...

**ChanceDuBois** · Posted On: 6/22/2006 1:36pm

No Whiteshark, I trained at a boxing club (Leith Victoria in Edinburgh) and used wraps and gloves habitually. I started hitting the heavy bag with light or no gloves when I started working the doors because I realised I was not forming a proper fist. I broke my hand hitting people in the head, not on a bag.

Shaolinz, I don't fight bare knuckle but when I was a doorman I had to hit guys fairly regularly in order to throw them out of the club. This was done bare handed to start with and I later started wearing leather gloves. I broke my hands several times during this period until I switched to a mostly vertical fist. I also started incorporating slaps.

**Shaolinz** · Posted On: 6/22/2006 1:43pm

I'd recommend hammerfist, elbows and open handed strikes. Unless its a body shot. I just can't use a vertical strike it makes me feel like a Rock Um Sock Um Robot.

**ChanceDuBois** · Posted On: 6/22/2006 1:48pm

Yeh it has its disadvantages (eg chin protection), but its not like you are fighting decent boxers on the doors. Its just idiots with hard heads.

I like a liver hook recently as a stopping blow that is easy on the hands.

**Shaolinz** · Posted On: 6/22/2006 2:26pm

During my brief job as a doorman the only time I had to actually do anything to someone it was just a clinch and some knees to the body and it was over.