The Rhythm of the Punch

The Penguins and Explorers worked on their punches in martial arts today.  I showed them how to properly make a fist by curling all the fingers in and placing the thumb on top of the curled fingers.  I talked about using the first two knuckles and fingers to make contact with the floor or punching bag when they punch.  Someone can break a finger or their hand by punching with the last two knuckles or with their fingers joints like knocking on a door; it also hurts!  We talked about straight punches and round punches and how one can get more power behind a straight punch.


For many students, it felt different because they wanted to punch with their finger joints.  We worked on the flow of punches by punching on the rug and on a punching bag.  In addition, we did hard, soft, and slow punches.  Students felt the heaviness and their weight behind their punch, realizing the power they have.  There was a musical rhythm in the way they punched, some staccato, some piano, some adagio, all varying and reflective of their personalities.

About Hilary Yip

This entry was posted in Explorers 12-13, Martial Arts, Penguins 12-13 and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.



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