“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” - Mike Tyson
Iron Mike has said a lot of things over time, but in this case, I couldn’t agree more! If someone should ‘plan’ on attacking us, they had better be ready for the fight of their lives… and we just may send an uppercut their way!
Knowing how to punch is one of the most (if not the most) important aspects of self-defense. We instinctively use our hands for almost everything, and learning how to punch effectively can potentially save your life in even the most dangerous situations.
Today we are focusing on the uppercut punch. This is a mid to close range combative that is meant to come from low to high, and likely up in between the targets hands.
As with all punches (and strikes in general), it is crucial to get your body working in conjunction with your hands when striking. Using very similar mechanics to a straight punch, we want our body weight to drive forward into our attacker (assuming the attacker is in front of us of course). The difference is that I also must drive my weight slightly up, or to the same angle that I am punching. I must push with my feet, legs, hips, and torso. I then drive my shoulder forward and snap my hand towards the target. Finally recoil back to your fighting stance in a circular motion after striking through the target. Be sure when punching to have a tight fist and use the top two bigger knuckles. Your palm should be facing you when striking, and your wrist should be aligned properly to prevent hurting yourself. (see the video for details!)
It takes a little time and practice to get used to throwing an effective uppercut, but once you get the hang of it, it can be a very effective weapon. I recommend wearing gloves to protect your hands and wrists until you feel comfortable with this strike.
Lastly, remember that we are not boxing here, so use the uppercut in conjunction with other weapons such as elbows, kicks, and knees if you should have to defend
Ok that’s all for now, enjoy the video, be safe, find a KMW Krav Maga location near you, and… GO DO SOME KRAV MAGA TODAY!
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-AJ @AJDraven
