Motion Science™

Level I * Upper Body * Hand and Arm Strikes

Hand and Arm Strikes are one of the Level 1 basics of Motion Science™ and one of the basics of Kenpo Karate. Strikes can be offensive or defensive moves used to hit an opponent's vital and non vital areas.

Following are the basic types of hand and arm strikes studied in Motion Science™.

	Hand Strikes
	Arm Strikes

Straight Punch	Half Fist
Spear Hand	Hammer Fist
Knife Hand	Ridge Hand
Back Fist	Single Knuckle Strike
Middle Knuckle Fist	Single Finger Spear
Two Finger Reinforced Eye Spear	Two Finger Spear
Four Finger Spear	Heel Palm
Tiger Claw	Three Knuckle Side Fist
Two Knuckle Side Fist	Two Knuckle Inverted Punch
Shape of the Crane Strike	Bent Wrist Strike
Inverted Punch	Shadow Puppet (only kidding)

Just about every part of the arm, from the hand to the shoulder can be used as a striking weapon. Hand strikes were reviewed in the previous section, so here we’ll focus on the rest of the arm.

Striking Angle and Path or Arc

All strikes and blocks – arm or other – can be traced along the universal pattern. The striking weapon can follow any of the below lines or arcs. Moreover, the pattern itself can be positioned at any angle along any of the three dimension of space. For example, with the pattern facing you along the up-down axis, an upward elbow as in Obscure Wing or a downward elbow as in Crossing Talon can be represented. Lay the universal pattern down (as if on a table), and a forward elbow as in Shielding Hammer and a reverse elbow as in Locked Wing can be represented. (Another example of a forward elbow would be a collapsing elbow sent into an opponent who blocks your straight punch from the outside, but between the elbow and the wrist.) Alternately, the strike can follow one of the circle’s arcs as in the sandwiching elbow in Snapping Twig. Or it can follow an arc with the pattern on a 45% angle across the width and height zones, as in Deflecting Hammer.

Similarly, more than one arm strike can be executed simultaneously, following different lines or arcs in the pattern. For example, in Flashing Mace, the initial inward block/extended outward block combination form kissing circles that work together to hyperextend the opponent’s elbow.

Also, note that the body can also move along the universal pattern as the arm moves with it or in a different direction. The second outward block in Short 1 uses reverse torque, with the body and arm moving along circles in opposite directions. As another example, the body can spin but still send the weapon straight, as in the spinning elbow in Captured Leaves.

Striking Surfaces

Just about any surface of the arm can be used as a striking weapon.

• Forearm (wrist to elbow) - Every strike can be a block and every block can be a strike. Therefore, all of the basic blocks (inward, outward, upward, downward) can be used as strikes. All sides of the forearm are potential contact points, depending on the block and the point in the arc where they make contact. As examples, the upward block in the 10:30 and 1:30 sets in Long 2 are strikes to the chin, similar to the same strike in Circling Fans. In Long 4, the extended outward block preceding Flashing Wings is a forearm-to-elbow strike (since one shouldn’t execute two consecutive blocks without a strike). In one variation of Entangled Wing, the after the upward elbow to the chin, an inward block strikes the inside of the opponent’s forearm. Note that generally, forearm strikes follow the arm’s movement along a path (straight or curved) vs. a line.
• Elbow - The elbow is a major striking weapon for short-range exchanges. More than any other arm strike, elbows can be used in a variety of ways. They can strike directly along a line (e.g., Shielding Hammer, Crossed Twigs, etc.) or an arc (e.g., Deflecting Hammer, Raking Mace, etc.). They can strike at an angle of incidence directly into the opponent’s target’s central axis, such as in Shielding Hammer, or they can rake across the target, such as in Deflecting Hammer. (As another example of raking elbows, consider the forehead cuts inflicted by MMA fighters, done using raking elbows.) They can hit a target unaided (e.g., Deflecting Hammer) or they can increase the impact by sandwiching the strike (Leaping Crane, Snapping Twig, etc.). Note that generally, elbow strikes follow a movement along a line or arc vs. a path, since the weapon is principally a point (vs. a long forearm).
• Upper Arm (elbow to shoulder) - The upper arm can also be used as a weapon. As an example, the biceps are used to hyperextend the opponent’s elbow at the end of Wings of Silk. Likewise, the triceps can be considered a backup weapon to a strike that follows an outward arc. For example, if you were to throw a spinning elbow, but the opponent comes inside your elbow’s range, you can still make contact with your triceps.
• Shoulder - Even the shoulder can be used as an important weapon. When fighters are in a close contact clinch and the hands are being checked or held, a fighter can use his shoulder to bump the opponent, causing a momentary separation (setting the opportunity to further strike or completely disengage).

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