Self Defence Series: How to Punch! (The Wisdom of Chris Price’s Practical Boxing) By John Steele

     Martial arts are practiced at even our politically correct universities, so in these dangerous times, I do not see why Right-wing fringe dwellers, out in the post-apocalyptic urban hellscape of modernity, should not also be interested, eh? So, the usual disclaimer, that this is for education and information purposes only, no liability accepted for use and/or misuse of information, and check the laws of your jurisdiction to see if you can defend yourself against gangs trying to murder you:
  https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-18/australian-man-killed-in-shooting-in-texas/11614546
  https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/crime/man-fatally-shot-another-fighting-for-his-life-after-brutal-scenic-rim-home-invasion/news-story/9fbffaba3d6d90ea8eafafe97288159d

     I came across the writings of street boxing self-defence teacher, Chris Price on Quora.com, and he has many informative articles, stating conclusions that I should have written about decades ago, but was prevented from doing so by laziness … no …just preoccupied with personal training, even for a guy Rambo’s age. Anyway, for those who are interested in practical no-nonsense Western self-defence:
  https://www.quora.com/When-the-vertical-fist-is-used-to-punch-which-knuckles-should-be-used-The-bottom-knuckles-like-in-Wing-Chun

     Modern boxing, kick boxing and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) have the fighter’s hands gift wrapped and gloves worn, not to protect other fighters, but to prevent hands from getting broken. The main problem comes from the use of the horizontal fist, punching to impact on the two big knuckles, with the palm down, thumb to the left, or right. In this position, as Price details, the relatively fragile bones of the hand are not optimally supported, so breaks often occur. In old style bare knuckle fighting, much more relevant to self-defence, the fist was thumb up, and proper alignment occurs, making hand breaks less common. That was the case in the era of bare knuckle fighting, and is directly relevant to using punching as a form of self-defence today. It is a defect in modern boxing, using gloves, thus requiring a transition out of this practice for self-defence use. Further, the horizontal punch leads to the elbows being out from the centreline, so that body shots, especially the painfully crippling liver shot (under the chest, on the right side) can be made. If elbows are kept close to the body, this threat can be minimised. As Price notes, there is no power difference between the two forms of punching, and in any case, power should be generated by exploding body weight, as champion Jack Dempsey showed:
  https://www.amazon.com/Championship-Fighting-Explosive-Punching-Aggressive/dp/1501111485

     You can use any of these articles to follow up the essays that Price has posted. However, the core one relates to the foundation of punching, and he is right in my opinion that the horizontal punch is asking for a hand break. Obviously, even using the vertical fist, the hand needs conditioning on the heavy bag. Out here in the scrub, I often go a few rounds on a heavy bag of dried peas, hanging from a tree. It works for me, and still gets the testosterone pumping through this ageing warrior body.
  https://www.quora.com/Why-do-professional-Muay-Thai-fighters-not-try-to-block-kicks-Is-it-on-purpose
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F5wlTWQMaI
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ye8xaveOic