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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Eraslin" data-source="post: 131536" data-attributes="member: 1153">Hello, Indeed this is an interesting discussion. As adndgamer points out, yes a stepping Shotokan punch can be slower than a typical shoulder punch. It's all in the practice though. I, personally, can rifle off a reverse punch or a forward jab much faster, and with far more power, than a shoulder-based punch.  When you're actually in a fight, you'd typically avoid most stepping motions in favour of the much faster shifting motions. Personally, I favour kicks -- but that's because I have very long legs, and can usually get a solid kick out before some people can even react. I've actually sparred with people, and seen people spar, that can launch a kick/punch in the time it takes me to blink (I've been caught a few times precisely because I blinked!). I guess what I'm trying to say is that it all boils down to practise. If you can punch better/faster/stronger with a shoulder-based punch, then by all means use that in a street fight. But practise the quick whole-body jabs, reverse punches, thrust kicks, stepping punches, shifting punches, etc -- with time you'll find that they become second nature.Note for those who are picturing trying to throw their entire body weight into a technique: It all comes from the hips. All techniques are initiated with the hips, and the faster and stronger that you can initiate that movement, the faster/stronger your technique will be. Basically, the feet stay planted and the hips twist into the motion, bringing the upper body with them -- then it's just a matter of timing the strike so that it's fully extended precisely when the hip's finished moving.Side note: If anyone really wants to learn how to punch, look into getting a machiwara board. But be warned, if you don't know the proper punching techniques you can really hurt yourself on one of these. Striking one amounts to hitting a spring board; if your strike isn't solid the board will, quite literally, throw you back. In the clubs I've been in, a no one below 4th Kyu (purple belt -- note that Kyu levels count down, so 5th Kyu is below 4th Kyu) is even allowed to hit one because they typically haven't developed their technique well enough to not get hurt.Hoping this most interesting discussion continues, EraslinInteresting piece of trivia: Slightly off the topic of punches. The knife hand strike was, as I've been told, initially designed to strike between the vertical pieces of bamboo in armor -- thereby rendering the armor useless.EDIT: Added caveat about machiwara boards.</blockquote>

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