Hand/Hip Timing

Some say the hip should finish its movement before the fist leaves its chambered position. Others say motions should finish simultaneously. Others take the middle ground.

In the hip fist method, the theory is that the larger, more powerful muscles of the lower body begin the technique and, as the hip movement reaches maximum velocity, it stops and inertia propels the fist to the target resulting in a faster arm movement. The hip completes its rotation and tenses before the arm moves, so if the lower body is properly tensed throughout the arm's movement, it may provide a stable, strong punch such the arm is launched off of a strong base. Since the hip completes its rotation well before the fist contacts the target, they are not moving forward at impact. The only mass moving into the target at impact is that of the arm.

In the simultaneous method, fist and hip motion finish at the same time. The fist's velocity at impact may not be as great as in the hip first method, but the overall speed of the technique (elapsed time) is usually faster. Since all the moving parts are tensed at the moment of impact, great force is transferred to the target. The hip continues moving until impact, therefore, the mass of the entire body is moving into the target.

The middle ground combines the two extremes. The tensing of the various muscle groups occurs like dominoes, with the muscles closest to the floor tensing first and others building on those already tensed muscles, culminating in a completely tense body.

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