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About Andy Fossett
Expertise
I can answer most questions relating to the martial arts in general. My special interests relate not only to martial theory, but to training methodology, teaching, sports science, and personal growth through martial arts training. If you are thinking about beginning a martial arts practice or have questions about how to optimize you current training to meet you goals, just let me know.

Experience
I have been involved with martial arts for most of my life. Since 1984, I have practiced and taught a martial art called Taido in America and Japan, and have participated in events all over the world. I began assistant teaching as a teenager and founded the Georgia Tech Taido Club in 1996. I have been training actively in Japan since 2003. In addition to Taido, I have previously studied Judo, Brazilian Jiu Jutsu, Shotokan Karate, Kaikudo, and a few other things.

Organizations
Japan Taido Association

Publications
Taido/Blog, the Finnish Taido Association's "Kamae" magazine, World Taido Federation Homepage and "Taido Times" magazine.

Education/Credentials
BA in sociology, minor English. Additional studies in education, Japanese, and information design.

Awards and Honors
5dan Renshi (5th degree black belt instructor) in Taido.

You are here: Experts > Recreation/Outdoors > Martial Arts > Martial Arts > punching

Martial Arts - punching

Expert: Andy Fossett - 10/22/2009

Question
how do you know if your hitting your hardest. I know when you punch you dont just use your arms but your whole body and that you hit like a whip. And is the right a whole lot stronger then your left or does it just have to do with the position your in. Is their any fighting competitions that doesnt require you to use protection like headgear because it bugs me and im not as concentrated. Thats it thank you.

Answer
The shot answer is that you can't really know. The thing about a punch that 99% of people neglect to think about when they are discussing technique is that it requires two things: a puncher and a target. The target is literally half of the equation, and you simply cannot estimate the power of a punch unless you factor in the mass, acceleration, and direction of the target.

For example, you can throw the same punch against a target moving toward you or away form you and get totally different results. You can hit the torso or head with the same punch and get different results. Even on the torso, you'll have a totally different power output when hitting center-mass vs. the periphery.

If you want to maximize the power of a punch, you have to master distance, timing, and trajectory in addition to your technical mechanics.

Those mechanics are influenced by a lot of factors too. Your own mass is difficult to change, so the simplest way to increase the power of a punch is to do it faster. This can be achieved by refining the technique to minimize wasted movements and relaxing the musculature to reduce tension. That said, you can attempt to increase the effective mass of the punch with proper body mechanics.

As for left or right, it really depends on you. Do you train with one side forward all them time? Do you train one punch more that the other?

I'm sure there are many fighting competitions that don't require headgear. The entire sports of boxing and MMA come to mind, as do most full-contact fighting competitions.

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