~Differences Between Bareknuckle Punching Opposed To Gloved Punching~

THERE ARE MILITARY PROFESSIONALS WHOM TRAIN IN COMBAT-SPORT METHODS OF BOXING WHILE BELIEVING THAT THEY WILL STRIKE THE SAME WAY BAREKNUCKLE AS ONE DOES WEARING GLOVES~

~During WWI and WWII many military hand-to-hand-combat instructors, like Captain Allan Corstorphin Smith, William Ewart Fairbairn, and Eric Sykes taught that the edge of hand/axe hand strike and palm strike/chin jab, prevalent in the Japanese Jujutsu schools, was a safer and superior method of striking with the empty hands in close combat. However there were other instructors whom taught 'bareknuckle' boxing methods to infantrymen during both world wars, along with grappling methods, as a viable option for close-combat.

~When we say 'bareknuckle' boxing methods, for the purpose of this article, that would include any method of empty hand combat that includes utilizing the hands for striking. Most specifically, that include using the fists for striking in close-combat whether it be English boxing, American rough and tumble, boxe française (also known as French Savate), Thai boxing, Chinese Ving Tsun boxing or the many other schools which utilize the bare knuckle fists as impact weapons.

~Today many military units, particularly western military units, have programs which incorporate various methods of boxing into their close-combat training. Some programs on bases out in the sand box train in western sport based boxing mixed with Brazilian Jiu-jutsu. Some train in Thai boxing mixed with grappling, while some units are even training in Gung-fu based methods.

~Of course the Marine Corp has their MCMAP and the Army has it's MACP while the Army Special Operations have SOCP. But down range some units are actively supplementing their training with individual unit programs which incorporate full contact sparring in sport-based boxing, Muay Thai, gungfu, or kick-boxing with some element of grappling often involved. The 82nd Airborne as well as other units often incorporate some form boxing along with grappling methods into their close-combat training and sparring sessions.

~Contact sparring along the lines of sport-based boxing methods like Western boxing, Thai boxing, American kick-boxing, Savate, or any other school of boxing is great for developing an aggressive spirit in a soldier or marine. In fact, if the goal is merely to foster fighting spirit and impact inoculation with no intention of ever engaging an enemy with lethal intent during a close quarter combat situation than carry-on. 

~ However, if this training is also meant to prepare the fighting man for the method by which he will engage and bring down his adversary in a close-combat situation than something must be said about the difference in how one must deliver a strike using the bare-knuckles as opposed to delivering a strike during sparring with hand protection, like gloves.

~There are some schools of thought which admonish the idea of using the bare-knuckles to strike the hard bony targets of the face and head during a frantic close-combat situation due to the risk of self-injury in the form of a boxer's fracture or busted knuckle. After all if the world heavy weight champion, Mike Tyson, can break his well trained hand in a 1988 street fight against fellow professional boxer Mitch 'Blood' Green than certainly anybody can suffer the same fate. And since professional soldiers are predominantly 'gun slingers' whom fight with weapons and operate sensitive equipment on the battle field, while performing sling-load operations, rappelling, fast-roping, mountaineering, swimming and airborne operations in the field, a badly damaged hand could hinder one's mission capabilities.

~However, there is another school of thought that propagates the use of bareknuckle punching in a close-combat defense situation. And it reflects in the amount of time devoted to their boxing, kickboxing, Thai boxing, etc...

~Ideally all military battles should be fought with weapons, but close-combat training is vital and necessary for when an adversary is able to close distance by surprise or deception before a weapon can be deployed and utilized to eliminate the threat. This has happened at check points while I.D. are being reviewed or when moving through crowds. Sometimes an ally at very close range can turn the tables and become an attacking enemy. Movements through fatal funnels are always potentially a close-combat situation. At any of these times the individual warfighter must fall back on their close-combat training.

~"Train how you will fight." This is a phrase every military personnel in a combat MOS or security MOS has heard and one which has a deep element of truth to it. However, sometimes for the risk of injury one must utilize safety equipment in their training. We utilize MILES gear, blank adapters, blanks, airsoft weapons, paint ball, aluminum knives and other safety gear in training. And yes, some include boxing or MMA gloves into their close combat training and sparring.

~So how does wearing boxing or MMA gloves hinder the development of proper punching technique for bareknuckle striking, in the context of military close-combat? Let's go back to training how we fight.

~When we wear hand protection we can throw punches 'to-whom-it-may-concern' while swinging for the fence. If you're American you will get the implication. In other words, we don't have to be so specific in target selection and are capable of putting our full power behind the punch with the added confidence of wearing hand protection. In addition we can pronate our punches aimed at targets located on the human head in the same way that we would pronate our punch when striking the targets of the torso. It seemingly makes a faster punch and with the protection of gloves we don't think twice about delivering the same pronated punch to the head as we do to the torso.

~The main reason for pronating the punch, or twisting the punch, so that it lands with the palm facing downward is that when we strike the targets of the torso our point of impact will be our first two knuckles. The index and middle finger knuckles are a smaller surface area attached to the two thickest metacarpal bones of the hand. This smaller surface area permits deeper penetration into the targets of the human torso such as the liver, solar-plexus, kidneys, and floating ribs. The key words here are deeper penetration.

~Now the problem is that in a bareknuckle situation it isn't prudent to punch the bony surface area of the face using the pronated two-knuckle punch that we use for the targets of the torso. We do not wish to penetrate the bony facial targets in the way that we wish to penetrate the softer torso targets.

~Generally speaking the bones of the face and head are thicker and harder than the delicate metacarpals and knuckles of the human hand. Again, professional heavy weight champion of the world Mike Tyson is a perfect example of why the modern sport-based boxing technique of pronating the punch to the face has it's disadvantages. In physics we learn that when two opposing forces meet the greater force will prevail. 

-Also, the same amount of force being delivered through an impact is also returned back to the object performing the impact. So the weaker of the two structures will be the one to give under the impact. If you could deliver 300psi (pounds-of force-per square inch) through a bareknuckle punch delivered to the face of another human being then the same amount of 'psi' impacting the bones of the face are also impacting the bones and knuckles of your hand. The 'psi' is shared when it is returns back into your hand, after impact upon the bone of the face.

~Let us also consider that, according to many scientific experiments, trained boxers hit with more 'psi' than martial art black belts. So when one uses that amount of force, which one develops through training with hand protection, and applies it to a bareknuckle close-combat situation where one's fists will be brought to bear against the hard bony facial targets we increase the amount of 'psi' being returned to the metacarpals and knuckles of the unprotected fist.

~Now let us examine the fact that a 'sport-based' boxer who trains and fights with gloves will also wrap and secure the wrists to prevent buckling and injury. When the punch is pronated the structural support in the forearm and wrist is weakened as opposed to when a punch is delivered straight, in a vertical manner. To counter the structural integrity issue common with the pronating, twisting, punch of combat-sports, Western ring boxers, Thai boxers, American kick boxers, Savate boxers will reinforce the wrists, as well as the hands.

~When we examine historical bareknuckle boxing methods like fisticuffs, Ving Tsun (Wing Chun), and Okinawan Toudi, among others, we will find that all punches delivered to the bony structure of the face were delivered with the back three knuckles with the fist in a vertical, or often diagonal, position. With this method the middle knuckle is the primary point of impact while the last two knuckles go along for the ride and support the middle knuckle. This method eliminates the common injury to modern fist fighters which is often referred to by orthopedic doctors as the boxer's fracture, dubbed so for being so prevalent among modern day boxers whom use the pronating (twisting) punch when striking head/facial targets. Especially when fighting bareknuckle.

~Old school bareknuckle boxers and Okinawan fighters understood that the pronating (horizontal) or twisting punch is of value when delivering the (penetrating) two-knuckle punch to the targets of the torso. The two knuckle, twisting, punch penetrates between ribs and digs deeper into the torso to damage soft organs. Particularly the liver and kidneys. But when delivering bareknuckle punches to the bony targets of the face/head they always used the vertical, or often diagonal, punch for the superior structural integrity of the fist and the wrist. Wing Chun/Ving Tsun boxers have always used the vertical and diagonal punch because they are a bareknuckle boxing school whose focus is on civilian-self-defense and they are not a competitive 'combat-sport'.

~A simple test one can try at home is to make a fist and place the first two knuckles against the wall, palm facing down, at torso level while applying one's body weight and pressure behind it, as if to push down the wall. This represents a horizontal or pronating punch. Rock the fist back and forth a bit. Now perform the same exercise with the fist at face level, above your shoulders. Notice how the wrist is weaker and the last two knuckles are floating on their own.

~Now perform the same test with the fist in a vertical or even diagonal position, with the thumb side up, and all of your weight and force resting upon the last three knuckles. You will notice that the fist and the wrist is more solid and secure in this position. This is the fist position which you will want to train and utilize when striking the targets above your adversary's clavicle or collar bone in a bareknuckle close-combat situation.

~Let us address perhaps the most important issue of all that separates bareknuckle boxing punches from gloved punches. The battle field is very different from the combat-sports arena. With the advent of wraps and gloves a combat-sport fighter can deliver much harder punches to the face/head targets without breaking the delicate metacarpal bones and knuckles in the fists. This makes for a more exciting fight for spectators since the boxers can throw more 'punches-in-bunches' toward the face/head in hopes of a spectacular knockout. It also makes modern combat-sports more lethal due to the amount of concussions received by ring/cage fighters. Without hand protection a bareknuckle punch must be held in check when striking the hard facial/head targets.

~When we strike the bony facial/head targets using bareknuckle punches we mustn't punch 'through' the target with all of our power nor throw 'punches-in-bunches' in the same way that we can with hand protection in the sporting arena. Nor in the way that we do when delivering bareknuckle punches into the softer targets of the torso.

~When executing bareknuckle punches to the bony targets of the face/head the rule of thumb passed down through the centuries is that one must 'snap' back the punch as soon as impact is made. The power comes from the quickness of the impact while the 'snapping' back upon impact allows the kinetic force and 'psi' to travel through the target without all of the force returning back into your fist. 

~Modern sport boxing and MMA coaches often teach to 'punch-through' the target. To try to drive one's fist through the adversaries face and out the back of their head. This is very effective in the ring or cage considering that the athlete is training and going into a bout wearing hand protection but here we are discussing 'bareknuckle' punching for a military close-combat situation since so many military units abroad and in the sand-box are currently training in various boxing methods for CQC/H2H.

~Old school soldiers and Marines going back to WWI and WWII whom received bareknuckle boxing instruction in their close-combat/hand-to-hand training were taught that the rule of thumb in bareknuckle punching in actual combat was:

A. When striking the torso, punch 'through' the target.

B. When striking the face/head, always 'snap-back' your punch upon impact.

~This seems to be lost knowledge among modern day fighters whom transition their combative skills from combat-sports into military close-combat/hand-to-hand/CQC training programs with the intention of being battle ready in a frantic life or death situation against a highly motivated, dedicated, enemy intent upon killing them so that he can earn a special place in paradise.

~If you are going to incorporate modern day western boxing/Thai boxing/MMA into your military combatives programs and individual unit training than it would behoove you to consider the necessary modifications which must be incorporated into your 'boxing' training. 

~Lets reiterate what we have discussed here in this article about the difference between bareknuckle striking and sport-based striking as it relates to 'punching' and the transition from combat-sports to the battlefield, or one's area of operation. Hoo-ah?

~1. The warfighter must use a vertical, or diagonal, punch when striking targets located above the clavicle (face/head) but may use a pronating/twisting punch, vertical, or diagonal punch when striking the targets of the torso below the clavicle.

~2. The warfighter must 'snap-back' his punches upon impact when striking the targets of the face/head but 'drive-through' the targets of the torso. Snapping-punches delivered to the face and digging-punches to the body.

~Let us make mention that in the realm of military combatives, unlike combat-sports, it is important to drill simulated strikes in training which would be illegal in combat-sports. Rabbit-punches using the radial bone to attack the back of the neck in close-combat is highly effective and dangerous, which is why it is illegal in combat-sports. 

--Everyone likes to discuss dirty tactics like eye gouging, biting, PPC, spitting in the eyes, fish hooking, striking the testicles, kicking the knees, striking the trachea, tearing off the soft tissue targets of the face and head, when they discuss the difference between combat-sports like MMA and CQC/Hand-to-Hand Combat. But there are many other attacks that are simple, efficient, and highly effective while being illegal to every combat-sport arena. 

-This is not meant to be an article for disseminating those specific attacks, which every warfighter should be training, but one need not look any further than studying every illegal attack banned from both catch-wrestling and boxing. Also study the attacks which ancient Greeks banned from their Olympic Pankra'tia matches, which were also the reasons why the Spartans were banned from competing in the same matches.

~If we wish to prepare for CQC/Combatives we need not look to modern innovations but rather examine that which was used with great success in the past. In more recent military history the greatest proving ground for effective methods of both training and employing combatives/CQC/hand-to-hand combat for the life and death struggles faced by the Infantryman or special operations commando would be both World Wars. No wars since have seen as much close-combat as WWI and WWII.

~Considering that the adversaries were Germans, trained in both western and eastern martial arts, and Imperial Japanese, trained in Asian martial arts, yet the American and allied troops were consistently able to prevail in close-combat engagements with the enemies at a much higher success rate is no small testament to the methods trained and employed by the military men of that era. 

-But everyone wishes to reinvent the wheel and some believe that the same techniques that achieve success in the sporting-ring will apply, unmodified, to the battle-field or area of operations. Let's also remark that combat-sports of that era still retained much of their practical self-defense/street credit compared to the evolution they've undergone with the advent of the post WWII commercialization of the competitive-martial/combat arts.

-As for the aforementioned Okinawan Ryu of pugilism let's give honorable mention to the most lethal empty hand (Kara te) school known to mankind. . .Uechi Ryu, aka Panghai-Noon, of Okinawa. 

-The legendary Shinjo Kiyohide sensei, aka Superman of Okinawa, is perhaps the most renown master of Uechi Ryu in my earthly life time. 

-Uechi Ryu is a tier one bare knuckle school of physical training, discipline and self defense which combines indigenous Okinawan Toudi with Chinese Panghai-noon dragon, tiger and crane boxing. 🐉 🐅 🐦 

~Si vis pacem para bellum...In omnia paratus.

12February2015, 

♣Hoo-ah♣

WHY BOXER FRACTURES ARE MUCH MORE COMMON OUTSIDE THE RING.

*Thanks to the combat sports of western boxing, de-militarized martial arts for the purpose of sport or civilian self-defense, and Hollywood action movies most people across the globe today think of punching with the clenched fists, as percussion weapons, when they think of unarmed combat. So for the sake of this blog we will break down the science and mechanics of bare knuckle punching verses gloved punching in sport.


*Let us begin with the fact that the sport fighter when using punches most often has the protection of wrist support and wrapped hands to reinforce the structural integrity of the wrists, metacarpals, and knuckles. In addition to all of that, many modern ring fighters also don gloves.


*Contrary to popular misunderstanding the wraps and gloves are not meant to make the strikes less lethal to the recipient of the blows but rather to reinforce and protect the hands of the striker so that they can strike much more forcefully to the facial and head targets without breaking the wrists, metacarpals, or knuckles as would be very common injuries were they to engage in such action bare knuckle. Long ago they first began wrapping the wrists, hands, and knuckles in cord and sometime even covering the cord with a hard resin to allow the fists to be used as hard blunt force trauma weapons against the hard bony targets of the face and head in man to man combat matches. The reason the ancients did this across the earth was because they knew what every bone and joint doctor knows today, which is that the delicate metacarpals of the human hand and the knuckle joints are not meant to sustain massive impact trauma against the rounded and hard surfaces of the human skull.


*What about the Okinawan masters who conditioned the bones and strengthen the wrists and hands to absorb massive impact against very hard boards, brick, stone, and concrete block? And why did they train clenched fist strikes so extensively in the Okinawan schools of unarmed combat?


*First let us examine the fact that in many arts where the practitioners devote decades, if not a lifetime, to conditioning and strengthening their hands through what they call Hojo Undo training they are striking very hard flat surfaces with their bare knuckles when they perform breaking demonstrations to exhibit their achievements. With such intense strengthening and conditioning the bones through what science now calls Wolff's law the practitioner can strengthen the bones to sustain massive impact at the proper angles without breaking the metacarpals or wrists. However, let it be known that in these demonstrations one is striking a stationary, flat, surface with great attention focused to ensure that the middle knuckle, along with at least one other knuckle, impacts flat at the proper point of impact. Some schools will strike with the middle knuckle and the index knuckle as the point of impact at the weakest point of the board, brick, block, or flat stone. Other schools will strike with the middle knuckle and the back two riding along to reinforce the middle knuckle and metacarpal's structural support. But they do not ever punch bare knuckle to break a rounded and hard object, like a bowling ball, with a massive follow through punch because there is no way to evenly distribute the load of the impact upon the knuckles of the clenched fist. To take it even farther let us acknowledge that they would never attempt such a feat against a rapidly moving, rounded, hard, object using bare knuckles.


*In fact when we examine or train in an old style of Okinawan 'boxing' be it Toudi or Kara Te we will notice that the makiwara are almost always set at breast level height and never set at head level for bare knuckle punching. The makiwara is set at the level of the solar plexus or rib cage for conditioning and training hard bare knuckle strikes for a specific reason. The open hand or even hammer fist strikes are trained at the higher level makiwara, set above torso level, but the bare knuckle punches are not trained upon the makiwara above the torso level because the old masters understood the wisdom of using bare knuckle punches to the softer torso targets and bones of the chest cavity to inflict massive trauma or death, while utilizing other empty hand strikes to targets above the torso. They followed the rule of hard to soft and soft to hard.


*The close fist strikes were used in sparring or practice quite often in some schools to feign strikes above the torso in order to prevent serious accidental injuries. At the high levels where practitioners had developed more control they used the correct alternative strikes above the torso level during practice while reserving the bare knuckle punches to the torso targets, sometimes including the groin.


*With the advent of sport and de-militarized civilian self-defense methods (less than lethal methods) the bare knuckle punches were adopted for striking both below and above the torso to coincide with civil laws prohibiting deliberate killing another human being in a civil dispute. Teachers not wishing their students to kill or maim and receive a prison sentence or death penalty for murder under the law, nor wishing to be implicated for teaching or encouraging their students to use lethal methods were obliged to modify and demilitarize their methods by adopting the closed fist bare knuckle strikes for targets both below and above the neck.


*Never the less, with this de-militarized method being adopted by the Okinawan masters they also taught two methods of bare knuckle punching for striking. When striking the torso targets they taught to 'drive-through' the target and exert maximum force, as had always been the method used when striking the torso targets. But when bare knuckle punching the hard bony targets of the face and skull: chin, jaw, tempro-mandibular joint, nose, temple, etc, they taught to 'snap-back'. This snapping back combined with a pronation


*Let us examine bare knuckle boxing methods like Chinese Wing Tsun. The bare knuckle punches or the straight punches used to strike the bony facial targets, also being a less than lethal method taught for civil self-defense and safe practice, utilizes a punch that does not rely so much upon massive impact force to create a knock-out as in the harder punching methods of Okinawan, Thai, or Western boxing methods. But rather the Wing Tsun bare knuckle straight punches to the bony facial targets rely more upon the speed of overwhelming the opponent while using forward body momentum to keep the opponent on their heels and off balance until a take down can be achieved followed by a finishing blow of dropping the knees into the rib cage or the solar plexus while striking at the throat to finish the fight, or until the opponent surrenders in defeat. The Wing Tsun punches travel a very short distance and therefore do not generate the amount of force necessary to break the metacarpals of a conditioned fighter's hand.


*Western bare knuckle boxing or fisticuffs does not enjoy the protection of wrapped and reinforced wrists, metacarpals, and knuckles covered with gloves in an attempt to protect the wrists and hands from injury during a man-to-man combat match. Which in fact this practice of reinforcing the wrists and hands has made boxing combat sports much more lethal than the bare knuckle counter part because now the fighters can strike full force and need not be as surgical in their targets during a bout. Throwing "punches in bunches."


*With this new found power and confidence the boxer can afford to be a hard hitting head hunter and swing with all of his might at the bony skull/face of his opponent. A thing that would be foolish and most likely self destructive in a bare knuckle boxing match. And imprudent against multiple attackers in a potentially life or death struggle. Yet even with all of  this conditioning, reinforcement and protection for the sport boxers' hands their have been several incidences of professional fighters in boxing and other competitive martial arts venues whom have sustained broken hands. 


*Now when fighting outside of a ring or cage, many bone and joint specialists will attest, it is very common for fighters and practitioners of these modernized combat sports and competitive martial arts to sustain what is called in the medical community a 'boxer's fracture', a crushed knuckle, broken metacarpals, or broken wrist when applying the same methods of punching in the competitive venue to the proverbial 'street' fight. Even the American heavy weight champion of the world, Mike Tyson, was reported to having broken his hand in a street fight against a fellow professional boxer, Mitch Green, during a one-on-one fight that took place outside of a store. And we can't say it's because he doesn't know how to punch or that he was an untrained amateur, as many often claim when a fighter breaks his metacarpals, knuckles, or wrist in a bare knuckle fight.


  ♣WHAT THE OLD SCHOOL BARE KNUCKLE BOXERS KNEW ABOUT STRIKING♣


*When striking the bony facial targets with the bare knuckles always 'snap-back' upon impact. Don't try to punch through the target the way you can with taped, wrapped, and gloved hands.


*Bare knuckle punches above the torso should impact with the middle knuckle and the last two riding along to reinforce the second metacarpal and middle knuckle. Either strike with the fist in the vertical position (thumb up) or the fist in a diagonal position (a three quarter twisting punch but not the full twisting or reverse punch used in boxing and many martial arts). Do not impact with the first two knuckles and the palm down when bare knuckle punching above the torso to the bony facial targets. *The straight punch is ideal for the lead, jab, hand while the diagonal punch is ideal for the cross punch.


*When striking bare knuckle to the torso targets below the neck one may train to punch using any method of punching they prefer: horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, but the diagonal is still the most structurally sound punch. Preferred targets are the solar plexus, liver sack, kidneys, bladder, and testicles. The floating ribs (short ribs) are also targeted to cause injury and pain but seldom will cause a knock out in the way that the other targets can.


*Always 'punch-through' the softer torso targets as opposed to 'snapping-back' when punching the bony facial bones. This is always without exception the rule of thumb in bare knuckle striking and it is LAW. If any self-proclaimed guro, master, sensei, or expert teaches you to punch through the target when striking bare knuckle toward the bony structure of the face and head in a fight then you may consider them dubious or merely unexperienced outside of the competitive boxing/martial arts arena and they shouldn't be teaching 'bare knuckle' combat methods. They should stick to teaching what they know best, 'sport-based' combat methods.


*When throwing a 'hook' bare knuckle the method was to clench the fist in a way that the thumb rests upon the top of the index knuckle with the tip of the thumb nail barely protruding over the index fore knuckle. It was not a punch in the way it is thrown today in gloved boxing nor was it named because it is thrown in a 'hooking' motion. The 'hook' got it's name because the thumb, in the aforementioned position, would be slightly extended upon impact into the outside corner of the adversary's eye to 'hook' the eye! (This is bare knuckle boxing and it is dirty. Not 'sport' boxing.)


*The upper cut is not so much used in bare knuckle boxing though the shovel hook sometime is. If an uppercut is employed bare knuckle, one only used the heel of the palm much like a WWII 'chin-jab' uppercut under the chin at very close quarters or grappling range while slapping the lumbar of the adversary with the opposite hand. Sometimes a knee is brought up into the groin to cause the adversary to react by leaning forward at the same time the heel of the palm (carpal bone) is striking from under the chin to facilitate the knockout. Their head should snap backward, pinching at the brain stem, ideally resulting in a knockout.


*The round house punch is also delivered in bare knuckle boxing in a much different way, having the point of impact being predominantly upon the heel of the closed hand as the thumb is out of the way and resting atop of the index finger fore knuckle. The targets are the jaw, TMJ, ear, and steno-mastoid. As well as the temple.


                                                             ♣SUMMARY♣            
*I do not intend to make this a lesson in bare knuckle boxing according to the very old school methods before it became a sport, so I will not go any farther here. But in sticking with the subject at hand, we have laid out many of the common reasons why boxer-fractures and injuries to the hands and wrists are much more common outside of the ring when fighting 'bare knuckle' without the protection and reinforcement, despite professional training or years of conditioning.


* If one intends to train for the competitive ring then realize that one's methods and approach will be drastically different than if one intends to train for bare knuckle pugilistic applications outside of the ring, as for a self-defense situation. Not only will your method of striking, point of impact, and intention completely change but so will one's guard, defensive methods, and even footwork once the context has changed from inside the ring to outside of the ring.


*Let us also add that when the horizontal punch is used in bare knuckle boxing to strike above shoulder level the muscles in the forearm disengage and permit the wrist to buckle under massive force. And let us consider that the horizontal bare knuckle punch, as in a fully pronated punch used in competitive sport boxing and competitive martial arts, where the palm is facing down at the moment of impact, that should one slightly miss during the frantic bobbing and weaving of the adversary's head during real combat that the last two knuckles of the clenched fist (or quite often the last knuckle all by itself) will impact upon the hard bony structure of the adversary's face/skull with all of the massive kinetic force behind it which results in a boxer fracture. The same thing will happen if all of the force of a powerful bare knuckle hammer-fist impacts the little finger's knuckle upon the bony round structure of the face/skull.


*Again, striking a hard flat surface where the force is evenly distributed across two or more of the knuckles is drastically different than striking a hard rounded surface where the force of impact is more likely to be absorbed by a single knuckle when striking with both the horizontal (full twist reverse) punch or a hammer-fist when using bare knuckle punches in a frantic combat situation against a single adversary or multiples.


*This is why in bare knuckle boxing we 'snap-back' when striking bony surfaces but we 'punch through' when striking softer torso targets. And we never use the horizontal (palm down) punch when punching above the adversaries torso targets but rather train to employ vertical and diagonal punches to the targets above their torso (I/E: the bony facial targets) but may employ any type of bare knuckle punch we prefer to the softer torso targets below their clavicle.


*If you're trained in competitive sport boxing then you already have excellent body mechanics honed through training and all you need to do is now consider these reasons why boxer's fractures are much more common outside of the ring when throwing bare knuckle and incorporate these simple bare knuckle rules into your training so that your muscle memory will respond properly should you have the misfortune of having to resort to bare knuckle boxing for a self-defense situation.


*Remember, self-defense is all about self preservation so it makes no sense to destroy the tools which you must rely upon throughout your survival in daily life. And our hands are some of our most important tools. So if you are foolish enough to be caught unarmed and then decide to 'punch' your way out of danger with bare knuckles than at the very least learn the difference between punching in a competitive sporting arena and bare knuckle punching in a close combat defense situation.


16October2014
AnDrew Soldier

P.S.
  The author of this blog does not contend that bare knuckle boxing
is a preferred or even prudent form of empty hand self-defense in
a potential life or death struggle against single or multiple attackers.
  And if the situation is not potentially life or death then one could
argue that there is no need to engage in such aggressive negotiations.
  And finally if one feels the need to aggressively resist a potential
life or death situation than the author contends that a more dedicated method
than one's bare knuckles may be justified and more prudent.
  Never the less, all empty hand methods of practical close quarter combat
have their benefit as a method of last resort until one can escape or create
space and access a better 'tool'.

The author believes that boxing's greatest asset to the realm of unarmed combat defense is in it's outstanding evasive maneuvers, trapping and tying up the attackers limbs and in safely acquiring the clench without getting knocked out in order to utilize standing grappling techniques from Kodokan Judo, Jiujitsu or Catch Wrestling.  
♣Hoo-ah♣

Quick Thoughts About Bare Knuckle Fisticuff Boxing VS. Gloved 'Ring' Boxing Methods.

   In the heyday of John L. Sullivan and bare-knuckle boxing matches in the 19th century, fighters mostly threw snapping punches to the face and hard punches to the body until an opponent was an easy target for a knockout, which is why they adopted a fighting stance that can look a bit comical to spectators of modern boxing. 
   It was a 'science' not the violent brawling we often see today between two men whom engage in fist fighting. And it was a less than lethal alternative to dueling, which had previously been the preferred method of settling disputes between men for centuries. 
   Rather than two men settling a dispute with swords, knives, or pistols the fisticuffs (bare knuckle boxing) became a much preferable method of settling a dispute. In the lethal dual one man (perhaps even both) may go to his grave while the survivor may face the hang man's noose, depending upon the laws of the land at the time. And the survivor at the very least would have to worry about the avenging family members of the man whose life he took.
   The more civilized answer to all of this was to settle things in a challenge of fisticuffs, man to man, until one man surrendered or could not continue the fight. This was not necessarily meant as a form of close combat defense in a life threatening situation or a battle field combat art, but rather it was more of a method of 'social fighting' albeit could result in very brutal injuries to the participants.
   Being a method of 'social fighting' and a less than lethal option for settling disputes among men, it was exercised man to man, or one-on-one if you will. There was originally kicks, head butts and some grappling involved, in addition to the various hand strikes and punches. However it was the gentlemen class of society whom modified it to 'keep it clean', if for no other reason than to avoid maiming injuries which were common in the more brutal form. So the mutual parties would agree to no biting, eye gouging, groin shots, or head butting. And eventually they would agree to no clenches and grappling if one challenger was at a physical disadvantage of weight and brute strength. That way among 'gentlemen' it would be kept to 'clean boxing' with their seconds witnessing the duel and ensuring that both parties gave a fair play. 
   By it's very nature, it's origins as a less than lethal form of duel between consenting plaintiffs, it being very much a form of 'social fighting', fisticuffs (later to become boxing) was never really meant as a battlefield method of kill or be killed hand to hand combat. It was meant for one-on-one dueling with the empty hands whereas both men could take their time and feel out their opponent, weakening their opponent with precision strikes, chipping away until they could find a chink in their armor and then finish with a knockout blow. Very effective 'science' for the realm of social violence indeed.
   However, for facing 'asocial' violence where one's very life is on the line, probably facing edged weapons, and most certainly multiple attackers the fisticuff boxer didn't have the time to chip away at each and every attacker with snapping blows until they were weakened or dazed enough that one could deliver a knockout blow. Particularly when multiple attackers: be they highway robbers, thugs, kidnappers, or bugger men prefer to tackle their victim to the ground in a mass attack. Anyone whose been in a mass attack or even engaged in a simple game of American tackle football or Rugby knows a single man fares a rough chance in remaining on his feet should a small group of strong men wish to take him to the ground. And anyone whose ever witnessed a bare knuckle fight between a boxer and a single wrestler knows that it's very difficult for the boxer to remain standing if he doesn't score a very fortunate knockout before the grappler gets in clinch range. Multiply that by three or more and even a blind man can see the limitations in the social fighting science of fisticuffs or boxing within an 'asocial' situation. 
   Never the less, the bare knuckle fisticuffs boxing method was very effective given it's purpose and design. Long after the advent of the Marquis of Queensberry Rules boxing became more of a spectator event rather than solely a method of settling a dispute between two men. This brought in the gambling, the fight promoters, scheduled rounds, and eventually the hand protection with gloves.
   My understanding is that the use of boxing gloves was introduced precisely to enable fighters to punch one another with full abandon: promoters liked that it made the fights more exciting and never mind the harm done to the fighters along the way. This is part of why the incidence of serious brain trauma among boxers may have increased after the introduction of gloves.
   This is also why modern day boxers often break their hands when they try to transfer their sport (gloved) boxing style to the streets in bare knuckle combat.
   For one they're still 'swinging for the ropes' as they're accustomed to doing with taped, wrapped, and gloved hands.
   Secondly, they pronate until their hands are all the way horizontal as they're use to doing in gloved boxing which can often result in what doctors call a 'boxer's fracture'.
   Bare knuckle boxing styles like old school Fisticuffs, Wing Tsun, Kunfa, Jeet kun do, and several others propagate the straight punch or the forty five degree angle (three quarter twist) punch to prevent breaking the conditioned bones and knuckles in the hands when striking above shoulder level during bare knuckle fisticuffs.
   Sport boxing is great for training the body but to be applicable for bare knuckle combat it must be modified and trained differently. The fighter's guard, surface area of the fist, and even the intent must all be adapted for bare knuckle boxing.
   With gloves the boxer can be more of a head hunter in his strikes as well as fully pronate his punches and hit full power with most any part of his fist. While the old bare knuckle boxers relied more on discombobulating their opponent with sharp snapping strikes to the facial targets followed by powerful knockout blows to the torso targets: liver, solar plexus, floating ribs, kidneys, and the sternum.
   All of this being said, let us consider the nature and purpose of which such boxing methods of 'social' combat were designed to serve when we consider our own reasons and purpose for training in the unarmed combat methods.
   All methods are like 'tools' and as with tools they are designed for a specific purpose. We can sometimes successfully drive a nail with a large wrench but this does not make that's it's proper purpose and design. And if we were to acquire the proper tool we'd be more appropriately prepared to drive that nail.
   In combat: depending upon the terrain, social or asocial setting, threat, intent and many other factors, we must be prepared with the proper method for dealing with each situation prudently. 
   "Failure to properly prepare means preparing to fail." In the Army we have a saying, 'Train how you fight'. This doesn't mean to actually attempt to maim and kill your partner in training. But it means to train properly for that situation...In other words, don't train sport boxing methods if you're preparing for bare knuckle 'social' violence. Likewise don't train bare-knuckle if you aspire to fight in the sporting ring with gloves. 
   And finally, don't merely train in 'social' violence methods/sciences if your desire is to prepare for surviving 'asocial' violence.  
  
   ♣Hoo-ah4Life♣
AnDrew Soldier.