The Cuban Hook
- Thread starter Soul Rebel 2
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I was always under the impression that punching with thumb down is because there isn't as much padding on that part of the glove (top of hand & knuckle) compared to the front of the glove (fingers & knuckle). The ammy rule makes alot of sense.
Here's a video of Roosmalen demoing a thumbs down hook for a reach advantage.
Since I can't figure out how to embed the video, here's the Link
Here's a video of Roosmalen demoing a thumbs down hook for a reach advantage.
Since I can't figure out how to embed the video, here's the Link
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Yeah, if you closely watch any of the sparring videos I've posted of my guys, they use this punch a lot. It just looks very like a jab. It's my preferred hook method for when a guy is far away. Though we don't throw it quite a vertically as the Cuban Nationals get with it.
Nah, it shouldn't be hard to generate power. The turn of the hips brings plenty of torque. And if your fist is formed properly, there's no threat of injury. Plus you're hitting with the pointer finger knuckle, a VERY hard part of the hand. The opponent should feel like they're getting jacked with a hammer.
Discipulus
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I think that it feels a little less powerful because of the way it impacts. You don't feel the shock of the punch thudding down your arm the way you do with a normal hook. The tiny point of impact changes your perception of the punch. Like hitting the bag with a bat versus hitting it with a hammer. You'll feel a lot more impact with the bat, because there's more surface area hitting the target, but with the hammer you're driving into the bag. Still powerful, different response.
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Not as technically refined as Rigo, but Maidana uses this type of hook often (cuban hook)...... Used to see it from him much more in his earlier days, but you'll see several examples of him using it with both the left and right.
As for generating much power....... watch and see what you think!?
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IMO, If you throw this punch incorrectly it will fuck your wrist up bad! But done correctly it's actually one of the few punches that forces proper alignment of the wrist/arm and is really efficient at taking the impact and dispersing it away from the wrist.
So on a HB, guys mess up there wrists because they interpret the point of impact being more horizontal, like a traditional hook. If you really set into this shot and land with that pointer knuckle and try to make the impact horizontally through the bag, you'll destroy your wrist (when your hips don't correctly turn into this punch, your elbow can get below your fist on impact, that'll fuck up your wrist). Done correctly though, the impact on the HB should be linear, or straight through the bag landing on that pointer knuckle, the arc of the arm turns over sharply and the punch dives down straight into the bag........ Done this way, it really takes a lot of pressure off the wrist. IMO, it's far easier on the wrists than a more traditional thumb up hook.
to add: I have worked a lot recently with a cuban boxing coach and he gave me an invaluable tip for incorporating proper technique using this punch with either hand. What he'd constantly say was that you had to pull the thumb on the punching hand back down towards the opposite knee when turning the punch over vs. out and away from the body or horizontally (how you destroy your wrist),even pulling the thumb back down slightly outside of the opposite knee makes the impact much harder on the wrist.....if anything you'd pull it back closer to the inside of the opposite knee, but that slight variation between the inside vs outside of opposite knee makes a really big difference on the impact and the strain put on the wrist. This tip really made a huge difference for me in how the impact of the punch felt........
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strongly appreciate the feedback from all 3 of you sully,disc,and sinister.
from the broad of anwsers I guess my real question now is is the impact point on the punch straight across like a regular hook or does it have an arc? Kind of confused
the left one meaning straight across in one line and the right as an arc type of movement.
from the broad of anwsers I guess my real question now is is the impact point on the punch straight across like a regular hook or does it have an arc? Kind of confused
the left one meaning straight across in one line and the right as an arc type of movement.
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from the broad of anwsers I guess my real question now is is the impact point on the punch straight across like a regular hook or does it have an arc? Kind of confused
the left one meaning straight across in one line and the right as an arc type of movement.
The impact should feel more straight, but coming from low to high (edit: high to low I meant)..... So imagine hitting the chin and driving it down into the base of the neck or collarbone with that pointer knuckle....... Or if opponent were to pull his head/upperbody back and you missed the chin, that pointer knuckle would hit him in the middle of the chest at a downward angle and press him straight back (theoretically)......
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is this a good example of that
or am i just confusing a cuban throwing a hook for a cuban hook
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+1 That's a very good example. That was pretty!
is this a good example of that
or am i just confusing a cuban throwing a hook for a cuban hook
great example, thank you
Damn, these Cubans have a name for everything now.
real nice videos. You can see the hip rotation and "bringing the knees together" is something you hear a lot when talking about power punching.
too bad the video's are in Spanish.
Question for Master Monda
What do you mean when referring to the separate hip movements, both externally and internally. that went a little over my head.
and what type of hip,knee,ankle, ect mobility work do you have your guys do. I assume a lot of stretching and rotating.
real nice videos. You can see the hip rotation and "bringing the knees together" is something you hear a lot when talking about power punching.
too bad the video's are in Spanish.
Question for Master Monda
What do you mean when referring to the separate hip movements, both externally and internally. that went a little over my head.
and what type of hip,knee,ankle, ect mobility work do you have your guys do. I assume a lot of stretching and rotating.
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Tried this in sparring a few times this week. Worked great and for sure a tricky pinch because it comes off almost as a jab. Only thing is the last one I threw yesterday I didn't turn it all the way over and actually hit with my thumb and banged it up. Makes me cautious to through it again after but I just have to turn my fist over more. Just an FYI for anyone to throw be careful oh don't hit with your thumb!
