There’s no doubt that one of the first things people notice, and sometimes get confused by, is the use of the vertical fist when they start practicing Shorinjiryu Karatedo. In most other forms of martial arts, the fist is positioned horizontally (Image 1) when striking with punches. In Shorinjiryu however, the fist is typically vertically aligned when punching (Image 2). Read on through this article to discover the detailed theory behind both the horizontal and vertical fist and why a vertical alignment is used in Karate classes at Ascend Martial Arts.
If you’ve attended a Karate class at Ascend or asked about Shorinjiryu Karatedo upon enquiring, you’ve probably heard me refer to Shorinjiryu’s Chinese influence which distinguishes most Okinawan forms of Karate from other styles that originated in mainland Japan. Okinawa is made up of three primary islands positioned centrally between China and Japan, and thus, Okinawa relied on both of these states for trade and exchange of knowledge which greatly influenced the development of martial arts in Okinawa. Each of the islands, named Naha, Shuri, and Tomari developed their own distinctive styles which also eventually made their way to Japan and had some influence on some forms of Japanese Karate. The most common use of the vertical fist in other martial arts comes from Wushu, more commonly known as Kung Fu; the vertical fist specifically appears in the art of Wing Chun. Masters of the art of Wing Chun are known for their blindingly fast punches and the use of the vertical fist. One such famous person who used this technique was Bruce Lee. Here is one very notable example where Chinese martial arts has had an influence on the development of our style of Karate, Shorinjiryu. This is where our use of the vertical fist comes from. But what is more effective? The more common horizontally aligned fist, or the vertical fist?
The basic theory behind the additional rotation in the use of a horizontally aligned fist is that more muscles are recruited into the action to facilitate the added rotation, thereby more power can be generated into the punch. Executed properly, this rotation occurs without giving any preemptive movement at the shoulder or elbow and maximum power can be delivered with each punch. Conversely, the vertically aligned fist includes less rotation of the arm. The theory in this technique is that the punch travels in more linear motion from point of origin to the target thereby resulting in a faster punch. This is argued to generate more force in its technique due to the equation of force generation which is mass (M) multiplied by acceleration (A) equals force (F): F = M x A.
In addition, proponents of both techniques argue that the position of both the ulna and radius (the two bones of the forearm) lend itself to better outcomes for the punch. In the horizontal fist, further rotation in forearm muscles result in a greater number of muscle fibers being extended and wrapping the ulna and radius. This is thought to strengthen the position of these bones upon impact. With the vertical fist however, the bones in the forearm remain parallel in their alignment upon impact. Proponents of this technique argue that this alignment better distributes the reaction force through the arm thereby reducing the chance of injury when punching.
Both theories have some merit, however, thus far we have no hard data on which style of punching is better for generating power, punching faster, or reducing injury. Ultimately, as an exercise scientist, I always fall back to the data, or in this case, lack thereof. We therefore must conclude at this point that it is unknown which position of the fist is better when striking and in what way. But this is a cause of great excitement for me personally. The potential to uncover new knowledge that could potentially shake the foundations of the martial arts world! Rest assured, this is a study that I will conduct in a controlled laboratory in the near future, so for now, if this question still burns in your mind like it does mine, stay patient. I’m looking very forward to the day where I’ll be able to bring you a solid answer. For now, keep training, expose yourself to as many ideas and techniques as you possibly can. Perhaps you’ll come up with some of your own theories behind which technique is better? At Ascend, you’ll be exposed to both kinds of alignment when punching in our different programs. In Shorinjiryu Karate, we practice the vertical fist to acknowledge the traditions of how our style was developed and is practiced today.
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