There is a really nice thing about human hands: Almost everyone has them and they are impossible to drop, unlike pepper spray, a knife, or any other hand-held weapon. You also can't forget them in your purse in a moment of attack. For this reason, they can be far more reliable than a hand-held weapon, especially with proper training.

In this section you are going to learn the basic mechanics of hand strikes. While there is a broad arsenal of hand strikes, this section covers just the basics. In Krav Maga fitness the most common hand strikes are left and right Straight Punches, Hook Punches, and Uppercut Punches.

Straight Punches

Straight Punches can be made with either hand. It is common in Krav Maga (and other sports) to call the left punch a “Jab” and the right punch a “Cross.” Whether performing a Jab or a Cross, the basic principles of the punch are the same for either hand. In other forms of martial arts and fighting, the Jab is used as either a distraction punch (used in a quick tapping motion that does not have a lot of power behind it), or it is used to determine the distance between you and an opponent. In Krav Maga, students are taught to make every attack count. So a left Jab in Krav Maga is meant to do damage, not just distract or disturb your opponent. Keep this in mind during your training sessions.

A Straight Punch is a medium-range weapon, so be sure you are standing with enough distance from your target to extend your punch all the way out without jamming yourself. You should be a little more than one arms length from the target.

When performing a Straight Punch, as the hand travels forward it's important to keep the elbow down as long as possible. This ensures the punch travels in one straight line, which is the shortest distance to the target. It also makes a smaller, less detectable movement and keeps the ribs protected for a longer period of time while delivering the strike. As you send the punch, the shoulder and hip rotate forward adding reach and power to the punch.

As contact is made, the wrist should rotate 45 degrees to add power. Contact is made with the first two knuckles, keeping the wrist straight. Recoil the hand quickly back to its starting position following the same path it was delivered on. Once you are comfortable with this movement you can tuck the chin and rotate the shoulder on the punching side up to protect the jaw.

Begin in a Fighting Stance, and as the left hand moves forward into the punch, use the legs by pushing off the ground and rotate the left shoulder and hip forward. Extend the punch all the way out and recoil back to your starting position. Again, the hand rotates about 45 degrees upon impact.

One last thing to think about when sending a punch (or any attack) is to try to send your punch through the pad rather than tapping the surface of the pad. In order to do this well you have to have your weight behind your punch at the point of impact. It will make your punch have a great deal of power.

Holding the Focus Mitts

The pad holder (this is your partner) should hold the pads in front of her shoulders and have them facing the puncher (you). The puncher will send the left punch to the pad holder's left hand and the right punch to the pad holder's right hand. As the punch is just about to make contact the pad holder should catch the punch so there is a little bit of resistance for the puncher. Otherwise the pads would fly back as contact is made. Your partner should be in a solid stance and use his or her legs and abs to absorb the impact.

If you are acting as the pad holder, be sure that you are not slamming down onto your partner's hands when he punches! This can hurt the puncher's wrist. It takes practice to hold the pads just as it takes practice to learn to punch. Use the time you are holding the pads to learn to read what the punches look like when being delivered toward you. It's a great visual drill and can teach you a lot about fighting.

Advancing Straight Punches

A Straight Punch can be made with an advance in order to cover distance while you punch. This punch is done with a significant amount of distance between you and your target so you have the space to move forward into the attack. If you think about a sparring situation, the two fighters do not stand one arm's distance from each other the whole time. They maintain a certain amount of distance then burst in and send a punch or combination of punches. This is the idea of advancing in.

As you send your left Jab forward, immediately burst forward with an advance, pushing off with the rear foot and moving the forward foot. As the punch lands, the rear foot should close the distance. In most cases, the advance should be on a slight diagonal to keep you away from the opponent's range of attacks. This technique is the same for punching with the rear hand or advancing into a left-right combination. Usually you would not advance in, deliver one punch, and then just stay there. You should either follow up with more punches or retreat out.

Hook Punches

A Hook Punch is usually used when the opponent is fairly close. The target of a Hook Punch is the side of the opponent's face or body, which means the strike will be “hooking” in from the side. Rather than punching straight ahead, the elbow bends and the punch is delivered around the opponent's hands and arms.

To begin the punch, bring the elbow up so the arm is parallel to the floor. The elbow should remain bent throughout the punch. The shoulder and hip rotate forward and in, adding weight and power behind the punch. When making contact, the wrist should rotate 45 degrees, just as a Straight Punch. Be sure your wrist is straight upon impact. Any bend in the wrist can cause a wrist injury.

The Hook Punch can be delivered to the face or the body, and the elbow determines the height of the punch. So if you are delivering a Hook to the body, the elbow does not need to come up as high. Either way, you want to have your weight into the punch upon contact.

The left Hook may not feel as strong as the right Hook. Try to pivot your left foot slightly when sending the left Hook, which you may find helpful in getting your weight behind your punch. Beginners have a tendency to tighten up their entire body when learning to punch and move their arm and body as one unit. The arms and body should move independently but connected to each other. If you feel this is the case, slow down and focus on staying relaxed.

Holding the focus mitts for this punch: When holding the mitts, the pad should be held at the midline of the puncher's body. Be sure to angle the pad slightly outward. If the surface is perpendicular to the puncher it can hurt his or her wrist.

Uppercut Punches

Uppercut and Hook Punches can be thought of as the same punch delivered at different angles. Whereas for a Hook Punch the body moves forward and in, the Uppercut rotates the body and moves it forward and upward.

As the Uppercut Punch begins there is a slight bend in the knees and waist. This drops you below the target slightly. As the punch develops, the hand moves out and up as the same side shoulder rotates in and up. The elbow should stay close to the body to protect the ribs.

As the punch moves toward the target, drive up with the legs to add power. When making contact, the palm of the hand should be facing toward you with the elbow under the fist. Recoil the punch back in the same path it was sent on. This punch is similar to the action of a piston.

Be sure the punch is not coming back toward your face. If you are not punching to a target it is hard to see if this is happening. Remember, your target is out in front of you, so your punch has to move forward and up rather than back toward your face. Again, this is easier to feel when working to a focus mitt. If your punch feels like it is sliding off the pad, slow down and pay attention to the angle you are sending the punch.

Holding the focus mitts for this punch: For the Uppercut the pad should be held at the height of the puncher's chin. The pad should not be facing the floor. It should be angled slightly forward to the puncher so the punch can be delivered forward and up.