Bruce Lee often promoted the idea of tailoring the lesson and the style to the student. He was absolutely correct. A style shouldn't be so rigid that all students are forced into the same mold. Here's a way that I tailor punch training exercises to the individual student. Sometimes, it's necessary to train palm strikes before moving on to punches, but only sometimes, because it depends on the student's prior training.
Beginning Punchers
When I get beginning punchers, true novices, I often have them alternate between sessions of vertical punching and eye jabs.
I use the eye jab to teach them to strike with the elbow down, and the vertical punches to teach them to punch without wasted motions.
It doesn't matter to me, what kind of punch they eventually favor; at least, they will incorporate these good habits into all future punches.
When The Student Transfers From Another Style
On the other hand, often I get students who started their martial-arts training in another style.
It might not be the particular style that's at fault -- I hope. Rather, my guess is that because of them coming to me as intermediate students, their punches never fully developed. The punches are useless.
These students have been taught form, but the punch seems like "a struggle." It's forced. The tensed muscles slow down the punch considerably.
For these students, it wouldn't make sense to have them alternate between punching exercises and eye-jab sets. They'd still be tense and slow. It's their tight form that they brought with them ... that needs to be broken down before it can be rebuilt.
Why Palm Strikes First?
I have these style-switching students (I was one) practice palm strikes.
Why?
I want to loosen them up. I teach them to let the palm strike flop ... they learn to develop loose power. Relaxed.
And with the relaxed technique comes speed.
At about this time, they are ready to add power ... but the entire time, I make sure they don't return to their "tensing ways of old."
Once they can palm strike relaxed in any direction, it's time to start punching again.
At some point, after checking that the novices can punch with elbows down without wasted motion, and the false-start students can palm strike with relaxed power, then it's time to bring the class back together.
Beginning Punchers
When I get beginning punchers, true novices, I often have them alternate between sessions of vertical punching and eye jabs.
I use the eye jab to teach them to strike with the elbow down, and the vertical punches to teach them to punch without wasted motions.
It doesn't matter to me, what kind of punch they eventually favor; at least, they will incorporate these good habits into all future punches.
When The Student Transfers From Another Style
On the other hand, often I get students who started their martial-arts training in another style.
It might not be the particular style that's at fault -- I hope. Rather, my guess is that because of them coming to me as intermediate students, their punches never fully developed. The punches are useless.
These students have been taught form, but the punch seems like "a struggle." It's forced. The tensed muscles slow down the punch considerably.
For these students, it wouldn't make sense to have them alternate between punching exercises and eye-jab sets. They'd still be tense and slow. It's their tight form that they brought with them ... that needs to be broken down before it can be rebuilt.
Why Palm Strikes First?
I have these style-switching students (I was one) practice palm strikes.
Why?
I want to loosen them up. I teach them to let the palm strike flop ... they learn to develop loose power. Relaxed.
And with the relaxed technique comes speed.
At about this time, they are ready to add power ... but the entire time, I make sure they don't return to their "tensing ways of old."
Once they can palm strike relaxed in any direction, it's time to start punching again.
At some point, after checking that the novices can punch with elbows down without wasted motion, and the false-start students can palm strike with relaxed power, then it's time to bring the class back together.