For some reason, a goofy old high school memory just came back to me the other day (I'm 35)... This kid who liked to fight all the time came to school one day with 4 "C" cell batteries taped in pairs, end-to-end. He said that if he got into a fight, he'd put these in his hands to "make his punches harder". I don't think he ever used them. My godfather was telling me a few months ago that as a kid, he used to take the big packs of Wrigley chewing gum and squeeze them in his hands for more solid punches. Once again, he didn't mention if he ever used those. I'm familiar with brass knucks and the like, but they give the knuckles a solid covering. Does a heavier or bulkier (in the case of the gum) inside the hands help anything at all? I tried the batteries the other day on the heavy bag, and I made a few observations: Wrapping my fingers around the battery made my thumb "lay" in a different spot of my fist, so when I hit the bag with a straight my knuckles impacted on a different area, and the tip of my thumb also hit the bag. Not a good thing, IMO... My forearms got tired a lot quicker, since I used them more to keep the batteries squeezed in my hands. I never realized how much I keep my fists relaxed until they make impact. This taught me something about my technique... Throwing a left lead hook with vertical knuckles, I hit with the tips of my middle knuckles and my wrist twisted back. This had to do with the changing of my knuckle angle from holding the batteries. Luckily, I wasn't hitting full-force, or I would be typing this with my right hand only... If used in a real fight, there's no doubt that they'd be very temporary if grappling were involved - or even a hindrance. I don't think I hit more solidly with them, because they changed a lot of my punching technique. Perhaps with more practice, but I think I'll just write this one off as a schoolyard myth. What do you stand-up experts think? Effective or not?
I used to carry a fist pack. Roll of nickels tapped up with duct tape. Doesn't make you punch harder, makes your hand more solid...
Carrying around some sort of weight-- batteries, a couple rolls of quarters, or some such-- to hold when punching is an old street fighter trick. It makes your hands heavier, thus increasing power on impact. It also makes a more solid fist, if for no other reason than clutching a small weight forces you to keep your fists tight. You can also buy sap gloves, which look like normal black leather gloves but which have about 1/2 a pound of lead filings sewn into them.
Holding something in your hand makes your fist more solid but is really pointless since you should not be hitting with the front of the fingers (which the object of choice would support) but the tip of your knuckles. It also forces you to keep your first clenched all the time like you mentioned, which is bad for power and tires you out. Overall not worth it.
If you're a stoner or a smoker you always have a lighter with you. If you hold it right, it could serve the same purpose as a roll of quarters I guess.
i saw fedor using these small metal things in his hands while he was shadow boxing on some video. also in the movie hard times with charles bronson his last opponent was passed these metal objects when he was loosing the fight to use on charles.
Yeah, like everybody said, it's not recommended. It can add extra weight but it forces you to hit with an awkward part of your knuckle. Really, I would say good technique in your punches is more important than added weight.
If you throw a proper punch it will do nothing for you other then tire you out quicker. Yes your fists will be a tad heavier, but if you need that to do well then you probably shouldn't be fighting. Plus thdded weight will wear you out quicker. Maybe if you were planning on just sucker-punching someone and you are hoping for a one-shot KO.
I have carried and used C-smack before and used it in alot of street fights and they work very very well. They add alot of weight to you hands. Alot of people doubt their worth until they get hit by one. A better way to do it is get a sock and put 4 tape wrapped dcells in it then wrap about half the sock around your fist so you can kind of swing the sock a little bit this way you get a whipping motion and it will straight up lay motherfuckers out.
Why don't you just take what ever your going to use in your hand to punch someone with and throw it at there head... Seems like the smartest thing to me..
Well, it doesn't make you generate more force, but the more solid a fist is, the more impact it will have, which would lead to a harder punch. Think about a 16 ounce glove being thrown at you, and now imagine a 16 ounce rock being thrown at you. The rock would obviously hurt more. The harder your fist is clenched, the less the force of the punch is dispersed.
Unless they are moulded specifically for you, brass knux can cause the user damage. I used to carry a kubotan around with me. To hold in my fist when in a fight. It does increase impact. I found less risk of breaking knukcles too. At one stage I just carried a bandana for the same purpose. Now I need nothing. Baseball bat or heat can make a difference though.
