Palm Heel Strike
Underestimated striking power
Within every martial arts system are striking or Atemi-waza technique. Some concentrate on one or two particular strikes and build their system around it e.g. punching. Karate, Boxing and others like ‘Kempo’ use many different and diverse Atemi blows.
One very simple but explosive hand blow is the ‘palm heel’ or ‘heel hand’ strike, sometimes overlooked in favour of the standard fist. It’s power is often underestimated as is it’s versatility. It takes minimum training to learn how to form and hit with the palm heel, yet it guarantees immediate results.
The fist as a striking weapon, on the other hand, requires many hours of work to refine and get right. Most people think they can punch, but when they come up against the heavy bag or focus pads they suddenly discover all the pitfalls and realise they don’t carry dynamite in their fists.
Broke a bone
Boxers spend hour upon hour practising hitting with body weight behind their blows ans with speed and accuracy. As a weapon of self defence the fist can be fragile and prone to injury. Look a fearsome puncher like Mike Tyson, even he in a street altercation some years back, broke a bone in his right hand when landing a punch to his opponent’s head. If this could happen to the mighty Tyson, how would the average person fare?
Smashing your fist into an opponent’s bony skull or elbows is bad enough with gloves on, bare fisted on the street it’s like hitting a brick wall! You can sustain broken hand bones, sprained wrists, dislocated fingers and broken or badly damaged knuckles. It may see you having to fend off an attack one handed.
Again, boxers wrap, tape and glove their hands when they fight in the ring, not just to minimise damage to their opponent but to minimise injury to their own hands. Still many end up with the above mentioned injuries even then.
Also in the UFC fights where bare knuckle punching is allowed, a large number of fighters pull out with hand damage and also note the distinct lack of KO’s with the fists in these bouts.
You may now thinks I am anti-punching. Far from it. I love punching, boxing and work regularly on my punching technique. But for self defence I prefer the palm heel because you are less prone to injury and you can inflict terrible damage with the heel of the hand.
I know there are prolific punchers who have made punching work in and out of the Dojo, and I have felt their power first hand, e.g. Mr. Geoff Thompson and Mr. Peter Consterdine, but these guys and others like them are the exception to the rule. Fighting bare knuckled is a whole different world to gloved fighting.
The average person looking for a good strike for self protection should explore and practise the palm heel. Do you doubt it’s effectiveness? Read the classic combat texts Get Tough by Fairbairn, Kill or Get Killed by Applegate and Cold Steel by Styers.
These tough combat veteran men, who between them dealt with much live action, all sing the praises and recommend the use of the palm heel, or ‘Chin Jab’ as they refer to it in a combat situation.
I have taught this blow to many different people and found they have adapted quickly and found confidence in it. Young children can pack a surprise blow with it to foil an assailant when they attempt to pick them up. A good shot under the nose, even from a child can hurt like hell and force a release.
Lady students in self defence classes take to the palm heel with relish and after testing it on the focus pads they find out how potent it can be slammed under the chin, jaw or nose! I have also taught elderly people, and wheelchair bound people, the merits of the heel hand and both groups, after a little training, could well pack a surprise for a would be mugger!
The confidence this strike gives is wonderful to see. Timid or shy people who come to train suddenly find they have a natural weapon that can really work with the right training.
Powerful blow
Why is it such a powerful blow? Because it utilises one of the body’s hardest natural points. The thick mass of bone at the base of the palm and the wrist junction doesn’t need any conditioning prior to use the way the fist does.
Sometimes when teaching the palm heel, I like to say to say to my students, ‘who fancies going over and punching the Dojo wall with their fists?’ (most are reluctant). I liken the wall to someone’s bony skull. Then I say ‘if I asked you to palm heel that wall would you feel better about it?’ Again, most say yes!
This willingness to use the blow will help them in a self defence situation simply because they won’t feel that they are holding back due to the fear of injury which the punch might bring. This I feel makes it an all round strike for everybody regardless of age.
I have taught this blow as part of my Ju Jutsu instruction to, for instance, sport/point Karate groups and some haven’t ever seen it or used it before because they are always fighting/sparring with semi-contact mitts. Glove fighting limits the wide range of powerful open handed moves that are available to the self defence orientated practitioner.
How does the Strike work? Well, it can come from most angles and can be delivered powerfully.
The ‘rising’ palm heel comes from the hip. The striking hand well flexed back for maximum penetration on impact. It shoots up and slams under the chin or the philtrum (base of the nose), finishing hand position is almost flexed back like a waiter carrying a tray of drinks. It fits naturally under the two targets mentioned and both carry KO potential.
The inverted palm heel is a close range strike like a boxer’s hook only the open heel hand smashes across the jaw powerfully, an unexpected and effective shot close up, especially in a vertical grapple.
Straight palm heel can be driven into the body, solar plexus and ribs being the main frontal targets, kidneys and the base of the skull being the rear ones.
Reverse or upside down palm heel hits the pubic bone or groin area, then the fingers can open, seize and rip the testicles. In some Kung Fu systems I believe this technique is called monkey steals the peaches (a pretty apt description!). Also the palm heel driven into the elbow joint of an extended limb can cause a weapon disarm, a dislocation or set up an arm bar or lock.
The side palm heel whips up and into the jaw with a stiff arm. If you can get the proper body weight travelling with this blow it can be devastating. The eardrum is another possible target.
As a weapon to attack the head I feel it takes some beating, this comes from my own experiences. But don’t take my word for it. Go and experiment and use it. As said it is in overlooked but highly potent Atemi strike that is an essential part of any good self protection plan.
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