Ever accidentally smash your fist into a skull or elbow while wearing gloves? Hurts like hell. It is common for boxers to injure their hands fighting outside the ring. Even the feared Iron Mike Tyson broke his hand when hitting his opponent (Mitch Green) with bare fist during a 1988 street altercation.
In our latest TanDao Fight Lab we introduce the powerful palm slap. A slap? Internal kung fu styles like Tai Ji, Ba Gua and Tan’s Dazzling Hands (TDH) claim the open hand palm slap is effective. But martial artists focusing on realistic self defense teach punching, not slaps. The capacity of a fist to inflict pain or knockout an opponent is a no-brainer. Seldom addressed is the disadvantage of using a fist.
Boxers wrap, tape and glove their hands when they fight to minimize damage to their opponent but also to minimize injury to their own hands. These injuries include: spraining the wrist, breaking bones in the hand, dislocated fingers or damaged knuckles.
Not a problem when the fleshy palm is used as a weapon.
Watch our video introducing Tan’s Dazzling Hands destructive speed strikes with the palm strike to the chest. Whether you are mma, krav maga, or tang soo do, learn why internal stylists say “softness defeats hardness.”
Keep Practicing,
Lawrence Tan
Tags: boxing, john duval, kung fu, lawrence tan, Martial Arts, mike tyson, palm slap, tan's dazzling hands, tdh, toni josephson
This is especially true with kids as their little bones are more susceptible to breakage. We teach them to use the palm heel like a jab and to follow it with a hammer fist as it is also a safer strike. Enjoyed the video.
Master Tan,
Regarding the mechanics of the palm slap: is there an arcing of the “bows,” i.e. a subtle expansion of a subtle contraction of the spine and chest generating relaxed power? I’m thinking of pi chuan, the only hsing-i fist I practiced years back–the same downward relaxed, downward arc of the strike, delivering force into the attacker. In the TanDao internal palm does the body tense on impact, as though throwing snow off a shovel, then immediately relax in similar fashion?
For someone with my skeletal injuries tensing muscles to deliver a hard style strike would cause me as much damage as an opponent–never mind actually practicing such movements. I suspect a lot of people with disabilities–or even older martial artists–are in the same boat (not that I’m old: at 53 I’m in the prime of life with my best years ahead of me. Read that on a Hallmark greeting card; cost me five bucks but it was worth it!).
SenseiMattKlein,
As you teach, the palm heel like a jab is practical for kids and therefore a core self defense move for all. The palm slap is a difficult movement and not for everyone. it requires subtle body dynamics and a slightly closer fighting range than a palm heel. But when mastered the palm slap to the sternum is devastating. Thanks for your comments.
I recognize that you have creatively integrated different systems. What kind of kenpo did you study? I am more familiar with Ed Parker’s Hawaiian lineage and Do Shin So’s Japanese Shorinji kenpo. Is there another kenpo lineage? Just curious.
Bob,
You are correct about the pi chuan relationship. Tan’s Dazzling Hands uses flexible internal whipping of the spine and collapsing chest “snake or dragon body” to create power. There are three ways to slap: 1. relax then tense on impact driving through target while sinking 2. relax on both delivery and impact by immediately withdrawing hand 3. the third way is vibrating palm.
You of all people understand the health benefits of internal arts. I hope TDH will be a way for you to continue to explore the martial application of internal. As you know internal methods require refined skeletal alignment and precision body shifting to compensate for raw hard power. Try experimenting with different soft strikes and find which method is suitable for you. Transcend your former youthful hard mindset and discover how to strategically and tactically employ TDH from an old – I mean – mature man’s perspective. LOL Humor keeps us young.
Master Tan
Thanks for calling me “mature”–though opinions vary on that point (women don’t seem to think so; but why should they–I actually believe what’s written on greeting cards. When I start enjoying ‘Jersey Shore’ I’ll know I’ve hit ‘rock-bottom.’).
I’ll ponder the three methods of the palm slap you discussed; the first seems like pi chuan; the second, like a crane whipping strike; and I’ve heard of vibrating palm but haven’t a clue of how it works. I’ll experiment; see if a somewhat banged-up mature man can figure out how to modify. Of course pepper-spray may be an option…