Hook punch
Kagi tsuki, the hook punch, hits from the side, so they are often used against an opponent’s temples, the side of their chin, the bridge of their nose, or sometimes their floating ribs.
Hook punches start out like any other punch, to prevent you from telegraphing. However, instead of “turning over” like a straight punch, you raise your elbow to shoulder-level. This snaps your fist over, palm-down, to your opposite-side shoulder with your forearm and upper arm both parallel to the floor. Your forearm makes a 90° angle with respect to your upper arm; and your upper arm makes a 90° angle with respect to your chest. Simultaneously pull your opposite-side hand to its hip, for reciprocal action. Focus on raising the elbow. Throwing your fist in an arc results in a haymaker, which should be avoided.
[video of a hook punch from the front and side, fast and slow]
Hook punches are a “round technique,” like the roundhouse kick; and is thus subject to the same terms and conditions:
- Avoid throwing hook punches with your rear hand. The hook punch's semicircular path is, by definition, π-times longer than that of a straight punch. Therefore, hook punches take about three times longer than reverse punches of equal speed, which will telegraph your attack. Training to punch faster can only mitigates the effect of this geometrically-imposed hard limit, which cannot be eliminated. Because their arcing paths use up the length of your arm, hook punches always have shorter ranges than straight punches. Any attempt to stretch out and/or increase a hook punch’s rage results in haymaker, which are not recommended. Hook punches should only be used in the clinch.
- Never lead with round techniques. Round or circular techniques should never be the first in a series of attacks. Hook punches work best after several straight punches, when the opponent is lulled into complacency, and expects more straight punches to follow. Hook punches are the powerful when used in this way, because they literally blindside the opponent by attacking where they did not think to defend.
