Take this comment with a dose of salt cos I've been in around 30 serious fights (I'm 54) and never used it, even though training in it. However, I feel tension in the arm is different (more stretched and extended feeling in the arm). I feel that, cos fights a scappy, benefit is that if strike is weak or has little effect, you can continue with a grab/throw. Certainly if I had the back of the neck exposed, I'd strike down with knife hand (fits back of neck better than a hammer fist). But anyway, mostly I'd still agree with you.
that’s a really good point especially in certain scenarios you would probably want that knife hand strike. A easier faster execution with the same amount of power.
I have use the open hand to the neck, in 2 street fights. It was very effective, because the attacker didn't expected it. Thats because in a fight its usually closed fist. The knife hand Strike saved my ass.
Yeah, the unexpected strike or kick is always a good thing to have in your tool belt and I’ve came to the conclusion if you are going to target the neck and that’s everyone’s preference the knife hand can get in there quick hard and fast. And I’m glad to hear that it is effective.
The knife hand is a totally different strike than the hammer fist. The bone alignment, the tension of the muscles, and how the padding in the hand gets shaped or parts of the bone are more or less exposed is totally different. While this makes hammer fist probably a safer strike to use in most situations, it is also slower and less versatile than knife-hand. Bending the wrist or keeping it straight changes knife hand more. Is your priority to hurt your opponent or to protect your own body? I think it's situational as it is with any strikes in any fight. I also have the theory that a lot of strikes in traditional martial arts were meant to symbolize what were originally throws or strikes with certain weapons but if weapons were banned, or unavailable, or they simply wanted to practice more safely they modified the moves to empty hand strikes. I'm no true expert though. These are just my thoughts.
I've seen one video of a karate expert knocking an attacker out with a single knife hand strike to the side of the neck. So maybe having the fingers extended helped visually guide the strike. But I never ever saw it used any other time. And if you try to strike that way & your opponent moves out of position, you're of course asking to have your fingers broken. And like you said, no MMA guy uses it, never. So, I would dump it & just go with hammer-fist. In TKD also part of our forms was this "spear-hand" thing. I think that's only a fantasy move, & that you'd only be hurting yourself in any altercation or position.
Yea I never even thought about the object moving out of the way that’s a really good point yeah the spear hand is a odd one as well. I do know back in the early 2000s when competition breaks were pretty popular. There was a guy that would break through a door with a spear hand. I always thought of it as just giving us different options with these different moves
![[ MARTIAL ART'S FALL] FALLING DOWN LIKE A PRO](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/UfnB-Lzsqeg/mqdefault.jpg)
![[ MARTIAL ART'S FALL] FALLING DOWN LIKE A PRO](/img/tr.png)
![The real reason [ TAE KWON DO ] is hated.......](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EQuLxb9T--0/mqdefault.jpg)
Take this comment with a dose of salt cos I've been in around 30 serious fights (I'm 54) and never used it, even though training in it. However, I feel tension in the arm is different (more stretched and extended feeling in the arm). I feel that, cos fights a scappy, benefit is that if strike is weak or has little effect, you can continue with a grab/throw. Certainly if I had the back of the neck exposed, I'd strike down with knife hand (fits back of neck better than a hammer fist). But anyway, mostly I'd still agree with you.
that’s a really good point especially in certain scenarios you would probably want that knife hand strike. A easier faster execution with the same amount of power.
I have use the open hand to the neck, in 2 street fights. It was very effective, because the attacker didn't expected it. Thats because
in a fight its usually closed fist. The knife hand Strike saved my ass.
Yeah, the unexpected strike or kick is always a good thing to have in your tool belt and I’ve came to the conclusion if you are going to target the neck and that’s everyone’s preference the knife hand can get in there quick hard and fast. And I’m glad to hear that it is effective.
The knife hand is a totally different strike than the hammer fist. The bone alignment, the tension of the muscles, and how the padding in the hand gets shaped or parts of the bone are more or less exposed is totally different. While this makes hammer fist probably a safer strike to use in most situations, it is also slower and less versatile than knife-hand. Bending the wrist or keeping it straight changes knife hand more.
Is your priority to hurt your opponent or to protect your own body? I think it's situational as it is with any strikes in any fight. I also have the theory that a lot of strikes in traditional martial arts were meant to symbolize what were originally throws or strikes with certain weapons but if weapons were banned, or unavailable, or they simply wanted to practice more safely they modified the moves to empty hand strikes. I'm no true expert though. These are just my thoughts.
I like the outside of the box and have conversations about techniques and moves. It makes a well rounded martial artist.
I've seen one video of a karate expert knocking an attacker out with a single knife hand strike to the side of the neck. So maybe having the fingers extended helped visually guide the strike. But I never ever saw it used any other time. And if you try to strike that way & your opponent moves out of position, you're of course asking to have your fingers broken. And like you said, no MMA guy uses it, never. So, I would dump it & just go with hammer-fist. In TKD also part of our forms was this "spear-hand" thing. I think that's only a fantasy move, & that you'd only be hurting yourself in any altercation or position.
Yea I never even thought about the object moving out of the way that’s a really good point yeah the spear hand is a odd one as well. I do know back in the early 2000s when competition breaks were pretty popular. There was a guy that would break through a door with a spear hand.
I always thought of it as just giving us different options with these different moves