A Sinister fist tutorial:

[ghost scribble]

my coaches always told me to hit with the index and middle fingers, but reading Jack Dempsey book he suggest to hit with the pinky and ring finger for an optimal punch.

what you guys think?

There's different thoughts on that. Naturally your pinky and ring knuckles are smaller and more prone to injury, but that can be remedied with conditioning. Wing Chun uses the vertical punch making contact with the bottom three knuckles, mostly pinky and ring and less on the middle.

Some Kyokushin Karate fighters punch to the body with fists more vertical than horizontal and make contact with the bottom two or three knuckles as well. I don't know of anyone or any style that turns the fist over but intentionally hits with the smaller knuckles though.

If you look at the fists of guys from bare knuckle styles who have really spent time conditioning their fists, their ring and pinky knuckles are almost if not just as big as their middle and index. I've seen guys with fists where there was almost no indentation between the knuckles, it was like instead of knuckles it was just a bar of solid bone when they clenched their fists. It's pretty impressive and a bit intimidating. And a little creepy.

The most important thing to remember here is, like he said in the video, wrist alignment. If you're punching in a style where you're hitting with the bottom two or three knuckles instead of the top two, whether with a vertical or horizontal fist, then you would tilt your fist up so that those knuckles are in line with your forearm.

Still, I can't think of a reason why you would intentionally throw a boxing punch and aim to hit with the pinky and ring knuckles.

 

[Patman]

It seems that even with pointing your fist down it is easy to roll out and sprang it. Any way to alleviate this?

Need stronger wrists. Can you do knuckle pushups yet?

 

[Shuque]

my coaches always told me to hit with the index and middle fingers, but reading Jack Dempsey book he suggest to hit with the pinky and ring finger for an optimal punch.

what you guys think?

Just a small correction, Dempsey recommends the three knuckle landing (Pinky, ring and middle). Incidently, these knuckles are aligned properly with the forearm without needing to tilt your wrist.

 

[SummerStriker]

Just a small correction, Dempsey recommends the three knuckle landing (Pinky, ring and middle). Incidently, these knuckles are aligned properly with the forearm without needing to tilt your wrist.

I know I hit harder with those three knuckles, safely, on hard objects.

 

[Nuclearlandmine]

As someone who used the three knuckles landing, i wouldn't go back to that. This one is much stronger and more stable.

 

[Sinister]

Just a small correction, Dempsey recommends the three knuckle landing (Pinky, ring and middle). Incidently, these knuckles are aligned properly with the forearm without needing to tilt your wrist.

Aligned, sure. As sturdy as the first two knuckles, I cant agree with that.

 

[Patman]

Just a small correction, Dempsey recommends the three knuckle landing (Pinky, ring and middle). Incidently, these knuckles are aligned properly with the forearm without needing to tilt your wrist.

Jack had bigger pinky and ring knuckles than most men. Using those fingers is just not that practical for most. It can be developed, sure. But if you take an average Joe and make them hit a bag, they're better off using the first two knuckles.

 

[Marbig]

Hey,
My club only tells us to turn the fist over (kinda like a thumbs down position but with your thumb tucked in) and that already makes us land with the two biggest knuckles.

Nonetheless, I did try using the method mentioned by the OP in this thread and my wrist felt a 'stretching' sensation and was sore afterwards.

Am I doing something wrong? I already do knuckle push ups (and punch the bag bareknuckled) to strengthen my knuckles.

 

[Patman]

Hey,
My club only tells us to turn the fist over (kinda like a thumbs down position but with your thumb tucked in) and that already makes us land with the two biggest knuckles.

Nonetheless, I did try using the method mentioned by the OP in this thread and my wrist felt a 'stretching' sensation and was sore afterwards.

Am I doing something wrong? I already do knuckle push ups (and punch the bag bareknuckled) to strengthen my knuckles.

Could be your gloves. I don't like stiff gloves that don't allow me to make a tight fist. The glove should have good wrist support, and you shouldn't be able to move your fist very much inside. The fit should be snug, but not tight. Think of it like shoes, but for your fists.

 

[Discipulus]

This bump comes with a shameful admission, and a proud one.

First, I haven't sparred in a while. The last time that I did spar, I got pretty discouraged because I was having such trouble getting inside on my partner, and my stamina was so lacking.

But that means that I am very happy to say that today, being surprised by an announcement that it was an impromptu sparring day in my gym, I got to land some very solid punches with this fist formation. Even throwing lightly, I could feel every punch that I landed, all through my middle finger knuckle and solidly up into my wrist. Meanwhile, most of the punches that connected on me were glancing blows, but that's a post for a thread on posture. :wink:

Just wanted to pop in and share, and say that this method of fist formation makes a very noticeable difference. You can club people with your punches, or you can hit 'em in the mouth with a ball-peen hammer. It's your choice.

 

[sourdiesel209]

wouldnt twisting your fist so you land with the first two knuckles flare your elbow up a bit? making it more of a cross than a really straight right?

if I really want to connect with the first 2 knuckles I have to twist my fist almost vertically upside down on impact

 

[Sinister]

No.

 

[Discipulus]

wouldnt twisting your fist so you land with the first two knuckles flare your elbow up a bit? making it more of a cross than a really straight right?

if I really want to connect with the first 2 knuckles I have to twist my fist almost vertically upside down on impact

Like Sinister said. In fact, fist rotation has very little bearing on landing with the right knuckles if you're doing things right. Jab, uppercut, and straight punches all use the same knuckle alignment, with little tweaks of the wrist.

 

[sourdiesel209]

Like Sinister said. In fact, fist rotation has very little bearing on landing with the right knuckles if you're doing things right. Jab, uppercut, and straight punches all use the same knuckle alignment, with little tweaks of the wrist.

do what things right?? I cant picture landing with the first 2 if your not rotating your fist all the way, like it ends almost vertically upside down with a slight bend of the wrist

 

[Nuclearlandmine]

Then you are not punching right.

 

[Discipulus]

do what things right?? I cant picture landing with the first 2 if your not rotating your fist all the way, like it ends almost vertically upside down with a slight bend of the wrist

I don't know if you're confused, or if I'm confused. You know I mean the middle and first knuckles, right? How do you have difficulty landing with the biggest two knuckles on your fist? Not to mention the fact that this fist formation has you tilting the wrist and projecting those knuckles to make them even more prominent.

 

[sourdiesel209]

Then you are not punching right.

so you dont rotate your fist on impact?

 

[Nuclearlandmine]

No.

 

[sourdiesel209]

I don't know if you're confused, or if I'm confused. You know I mean the middle and first knuckles, right? How do you have difficulty landing with the biggest two knuckles on your fist? Not to mention the fact that this fist formation has you tilting the wrist and projecting those knuckles to make them even more prominent.

the two first biggest knuckles, yes... And I dont have any difficulty really just saying you have to rotate your fist all the way so you can land with those knuckles... if not, if im just throwing my fist almost vertical (but as straight as possible) without turning it, I land with the last 3 knuckles

 

[Sinister]

Someone hasn't actually watched the video.