Is the one inch punch really useful?

I have been working on my one inch punch. Has anyone ever used this in combat? I feel it is more of a push than a strike and my data seems to support this. Any thoughts?

One inch punch MFLN for post

 

Not touching this one with a barge pole other than to say short power can be used to push, break or hit depending on what your goals are some arts are better at expressing it in a more practical setting than others

 

It's better to add in body momentum and footwork along with it.

 

Should the one inch punch be body punch (or 0 inch punch) and not just arm punch?

I assume the definition of one inch punch is your elbow can not bend when you punch. For example, if your hold both hands with straight arms and 90 degree shoulder. You release your hold, pull one shoulder back, and send one shoulder forward to make 180 degree shoulder. Your arm is straight all the time, but your fist has moved more than one inch. Is this one inch punch?

 

All good points. A one inch punch is not necessarily one inch. If you watch the video it shows pushing, striking without the use of the lower body and lastly, the more classical one inch punch type of punch with the body driving the punch. I believe it is more of a concept and the point of the video is to show that the Bruce Lee one inch punch is really more of a push. If you look at the data produced you will only slight differences from the first set to the last with the last set having a slightly higher value thanks to the use of the ground driving the strike.

 

The "one in punch" is one specific demonstration of short power generation. It can be a punch, kick, even a push or hip bump, but it's not a specific striking technique in and of itself.

Bruce added a more sideways stance because it looks larger, and more impressive to an audience. This is where people got the idea that it's a "technique" instead of a mechanic. Even in the traditional version though, there is no "without use of the lower body." The entire point is the lower body. The short power is driven from the heels, using the legs.

 

The short range hook is one of the most powerful boxing strikes for exactly this reason. The logic is very simple to, being able to throw your body weight in an explosive manner within a very short space.

It doesn't have to be 1 inch but it could. The stuff I've learned in Tai Chi is all about the really, really short range strikes. And the boxing short hook is only about 3-6.

Staying as down to earth as possible, Mike Tyson is arguably the best "one inch puncher" of the last century. Being able to fit all that power in the smallest moment is the sign of a master in any physical challenge. Anybody can throw a long range punch that might land hard, but infighting is a speciality that requires total mastery of the body.

The Left Hook at Short Range – The Mike Tyson Special!

 

That's how I understand too. It's body punch and not arm punch. Whether footwork should be involved or not, it's just dynamic punch (involve footwork) vs. static punch (no footwork involved).

 

Do you consider "shaking - a quick push and pull" as one inch punch?

 

No. Push-pull is rotational. It's about spiraling. Wing chun has push-pull techniques too but but it's balanced forward/back. Push/pull can use fa jin, but it's not the wing chun short power.

The wing chun short power is driving through the heels using the quadriceps. It makes upward power into forward power to throw your mass at the opponent, even without moving your feet. Rotation can be layered on top of it, but the core of the mechanic is not rotation. You can do it with techniques which only drive straight forward with no rotation, like po pai.

Jack Dempsey had a similar, but differently implemented mechanic with his "drop step" punch. He did it by falling his body while stepping. Wing chun does it by driving the body with the quadriceps.

 

The manifestations of the "standard" 1 incher are either

1)the power goes through,which is the "push" result like Lee used to demo,which doesn't cause physical discomfort and is fun to do(but you should use a phone book or something for padding when you do it to your friends)

or

2)the power goes "in",which doesn't feel so good to recipient.

As Dan Inosanto said the 1st version isn't very useful in a confrontation 'cause you have to chase the guy to hit him again! Of course if the opponent can be thrown over Victoria Falls by your 1 inch push punch....

Howe'er,not the best method for pushing balance attacks in my opinion-limited range of angles on which to send opponent due to the tilting fist method.

This bring us to the sometimes confusing multiple definitions of short and long power. Long being power produced with a greater motion/longer distance OR power which goes through regardless of size of motion-whether a strike or push.

and short being power generated with a smaller motion/shorter distance OR power which goes "in"-whether strike or push.

The pieces are interchangeable.

An aside-I have "fond" memories of my 4th TC teacher issuing when his hand was already flat against me and it feeling like a strike rather than a push. Which was just plain weird.

As to guys in boxing I saw Shavers hurt a moving away Ali with a 2-4" straight arm hook-looked almost like a slap- thrown when Shavers' arm was already straightened! Shavers was-until the age of the 270 pound heavies -acknowledged as the hardest hitter ever but that was crazy.

 

As I understand it (and I probably don't understand it tbh) the idea of the 3" (finger tips touching) or 1" (second knuckle touching) punch was to develop power without having to accelerate the fist over distance. That's the important bit.
Power that can be used at close range without having to retract the arm first, lose tactile contact or "wind-up". Condensing power generation mechanics and making it very efficient and coordinated.
If that's not useful in a real situation I dunno what is!?!
Arguably that's probably the MOST useful physical skill you can have when you have someone in front of you, who means you harm, and is not going to go away nicely. Someone that needs hitting.
As Geoff Thompson once put it "Learn to hit *really hard!"
There are loads of reality based guys who stress being able to generate short power.
There's a clip of John "Awesome" Anderson doing a left hook drill where the punching hand starts touching the opposite pad and must develop power from there. No pulling back or setting yourself for a better wind up.
Iain Abernethy does the same. Start with the pads 2 foot apart, then 18 inches, then a foot. And still try to generate significant power in that space.
Peter Consterdine does his power elbow touching the pad with his same side hand and hits with no retraction.
Lee Morrison shows a slap where the hand starts close to the opponent, touching even, and moves in a small arc. All the power is generated by moving the body and creating a strong kinetic chain. Not by pulling the arm right back like you see in those ridiculous Russian slapping matches.

*He didn't use the word "really"

 

Seems to me like just another example of a demonstration of a concept getting confused with the application of said concept.

 

This guy is a bit of a nut job (not unusual for the martial arts world, but never watch his JKD rap!), But this is one of the best demonstrations of the JKD one inch punch I've seen:

 

There's no impact in your video. Your hips are stiff and not engaging. You're just jerking your knees and sending yourself off balance in a forward direction.

It's not a punch you are demonstrating.

 

We used to demo this sort of power by breaking boards like that, even to the extent of no space resting the palm on the board and breaking from there, problem with this and a lot of demos is it's unrealistic as you have to set yourself first,
The idea behind the southern and hakka short range striking is to be able to hit from anywhere without withdrawing the hand or winding up, but how much power you can truly generate in a real situation...that's the question

I prefer the northern way as seen in bagua or xingyi of using short power to freeze is shock the opponent to set up a throw or a joint break that seems much more realistic to me