Snap/Thrust

All techniques, either by hand, foot, elbow, knee, or head, are executed using either of two actions: snap or thrust.

In a snapping technique, the foot, hand, etc. is quickly whipped out at the target. After it makes contact, it is just as quickly retracted. A thrusting technique is similar to a snapping technique except that extra motion is added to make the technique penetrate the target. The snap is quicker than the thrust so it makes it quicker to execute a follow-up technique. To illustrate the difference between a snap and a thrust, imagine kicking a drywall in a room. A snap kick will break through the wall quickly with minimum penetration. A thrust kick will break the wall and penetrate beyond the wall, possibly breaking through the drywall on the opposite side of the wall.

Students are usually first taught thrust actions using hand techniques, while snap actions are usually first taught using kicking techniques. As students progress, they are taught thrust kicks and hand snap techniques. Both methods are effective and each has its place and time to be used.

What Moves First?

To punch or kick with power, the arm or leg must first be chambered, or cocked. Otherwise, the hand or foot is just being moved toward the target, it is not being thrust at the target with the mass of body behind it. If our fighting stance is with the arms hanging downward, then to punch with any power, the elbow must move first so it may give some chamber to the arm before the punch. However, since any good fighter fights with the hands held up in a guard position, the arm is already is cambered, so the first thing to move in a hand attack is the hand, with the elbow and body moving behind it. Since we cannot float, while we are in a fighting stance our legs are always hanging below the body. Therefore, the first thing to move in a kick is the knee, so it may give chamber to the leg before the kick. Otherwise, it is just a kick. A non chambered kick may score a point in a tournament, but it will never do any serious damage to an attacker.

Power versus Speed

If you attack with power, you will be slow and most of time the opponent will move out of the way. If you attack with speed, the opponent may not see it coming and may get hit; maybe not with as much power as with a power attack, but at least the opponent gets hit; whereas, with the power attack, the opponent usually does not get hit at all. If you are good with fakes and feigns and at reading your opponent's actions and reactions, you can set up combinations that cause the opponent to move away from one attack and into another attack, The combination of your speed and the opponent moving into the attack means that the opponent will get hit with power. So, to hit your opponent with power, attack with speed, not power.

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