Hip Snap/Winding/Sine Wave

Power comes from the hips, whether you are executing a hand technique or a foot technique. If your hip movement is loose, powerful, and quick, your techniques will have the same attributes.

When executing a stepping fore fist punch, as you push off the rear leg, both hips are pushed forward in a linear motion. If you let the abdominal muscles rotate the hips about the vertical centerline of the body, more power is applied in the direction of the rotation and it helps transfer some of the linear motion of the leg push into the rotational motion of the hips. As the hips rotate, the torso and shoulders also rotate, all of which contribute to the overall power of the punch as rotational motion is transferred into the linear motion of the punch. The linear and rotational forces of the body's mass combine to concentrate maximum power into a technique. To add more rotational power to the hips, such as when executing a reverse punch, the heel of the pushing foot rises and the foot drives forward off the ball and toes.

To see the power that hip rotation adds to a technique, try this. Hold your lead arm in a hook punch position: arm held shoulder high, arm parallel to floor, elbow bent, with a horizontal fist pointed inward. Without moving the arm or shoulder muscles, hit a target with the fist by snapping the hips in a twisting/snapping motion to drive the fist into the target. Notice the "jolting" power with which the fist hits the target. Notice that, although not slow, the motion of the punch is not very quick. Now strike the target with a hook punch motion that uses the arm and shoulder muscles without using any hip twist or snap. Notice the power is still great, but there is no jolting power. However, the punch is very quick. Now strike the target while combining the two motions. Notice the quick, jolting power of the technique. If you had to get hit by a hook punch, which method of punching would you rather the attacker use?