Great lesson Ramsey. Perhaps you know this story already: Jack Dempsey was attacked by two thugs in front of his restaurant in NYC. It was an attempted robbery. Dempsey knocked them both out. He was in his 80s at the time. When asked about it he said "Boxing could have really help those two gentlemen and pointed them in a positive direction."
JD is my great uncle, he's my great grandmother's brother. Well my great grandpa used to love telling that story, but he had dementia later on in life and everytime he told the story the number of thugs would increase God bless his soul. I loved hearing that story
@@waveexistence3512 I was working in the Deli across the street and Skink used to come in all the time! Never saw her much after Jack laid her out though....
I took a traditional karate of some kind as a kid and my sensei really emphasized correct punching form. Its cool how katas can be used to teach slowly the movements you'll need to speed up later.
I did katas when i was eight until ten and then went to kumites for five years and totally forgot on effectiveness of punches. Sure i can touch you without even you noticing but they weren't strong shots. Then at the age of 15 went to bjj and am still training bjj but I fool around with friend who trains for mma. And so I found this new love for striking, after this video I threw ten of jabs straights and hooks and they felt natural. I'm so glad i did katas as a kid
I know this video is a few years old, but mostly commenting to burn it into my brain. Just the words "shoulder whirl" made sense of something I had misunderstood and couldn't get quite right for years. It's not "turn your punching hand fist over and pull with your other hand" - it's "shoulder whirl." I've never seen or heard anyone in videos or almost anyone in real life mention the shoulder's active role in the motion of a good punch. This is quite literally the missing link between the trunk/hips and the elbow/fist that I needed. Thank you, Ramsey. I'd call you "coach", but I'd rather thank you with sincerity than formality.
“Championship Fighting…” is the single best book ever written on punching, period. The concepts apply to other types of striking as well.keep it on the nightstand, return to it as needed.
There is a book "The Straight Lead" by a student of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do which I also recommend. Evidently Bruce was a big fan of Dempsey and studied his punching techniques. Jack Dempsey is a true legend who spent his early years practically fighting for his life. Out of necessity and hard experience Dempsey taught himself what was effective and why.
Dempsey said nothing about corkscrewing the punch. English pugilism had typically used near vertical punching. JKD is built on Jim Driscoll, Jack Dempsey and Aldo Nadi ideas
I've had that book for a while now. It's definitely indespensible. I also found the description Dempsey uses throughout the book for the footwork to be a series of "steps and falls" in order to generate power without undue muscular effort and to maintain the ability for a "snap" on each punch no matter what the strike is (uppercut, hook, and obviously straight-lead or rear hand punches). Maybe you can do a video on describing your interpretation of the "series of steps and falls" that Dempsey uses throughout the book so we can more thoroughly understand that teaching point in a way we can all apply to our training efforts as well. Great video sir.
@@DarkAhilan I felt like his trigger step was off too. Jack really emphasized putting your weight onto your front foot and then lifting that same foot. That clearly isn’t happening in this demonstration.
That was a big part of our curriculum at the Wednesday Night Jeet Kune do group since Bruce Lee had letter correspondence with Dempsey after reading his book. Bruce incorporated the power line (3/4 hand position , bottom three knuckles,) The Drop step and the upper body twirl for his lead punch. We worked the heck out of it. Bruce also added what he called the "hammer principle," which was really borrowed from fencing, where the hand would drop in a hammering motion at the start of the punch to make it more telegraphic. Bruce was an unbelievable creative and analytical thinker. Until recently we were the only ones I knew of who worked Dempsey's stuff. The internet has opened up vast amounts of knowledge.
Good explaination, Ramsey. The reason I teach punching at first with a vertical fist ( both in Kyokushin and Kickboxing) is just to get the practice to "keep the elbows in". When this becomes a good habit, it is time to start explaining the rotational options, which are often depending on things like distance and height of the target, to keep the wrist in the most stable position. So vertical, horizontal and diagonal fist positions are all useful, when you know the "why" and "when" of the best bone alignment.
@@AtlantaHays When someone shells up with a high guard, you can use vertical fist to penetrate their guard. You can also consider hooks as vertical fist.
@@nicksalvatore5717 yeah, I was thinking of hooks as the only punch where my fist is vertical. Breaking a high guard also sounds like a good time to use it. Thanks
I had an anthropology professor that threw the atltl a lot and said a lot of the same things about NOT flaring the elbow out when throwing. He was a weird dude but knew so many things.
I did this in a half assed laying-sitting position watching this and I felt a night and day difference in stress on the elbows. I've changed my workout routines because of wrong movements, it's made a big difference. Thanks for this, I've been wanting a video about this. Good stuff.
Watching what you said about not raising your elbow makes me appreciate the benefits I got from being a forms competitor. Not raising that elbow like you said is possibly the number one thing drilled into us folks that do forms. And that Jack Demsey illustration at the beginning was Asian classical martial arts 101!
Best part about this video is hearing how you humbled yourself and chose to listen and learn something a student offered to teach. Zero ego, just recognizing and absorbing good technique without bias. More people need to treat life with that sort of attitude.
Fantastic video! I love your videos on Dempsey’s book, they’re super helpful and I feel like these little “tips”/“fixes” can really elevate your boxing.
*This is one of the best videos you've done. The training of the back for punching power blew my mind. I used to punch steel beams in the grocery store for fun on occasion, years later I couldn't figure out why my elbows pinch when I bench press... now I know.*
Part of what makes his book interesting is he teaches it saying anyone can learn to defend themselves. The techniques themselves are basically the way I was taught by some old school Karate instructors. You can generate a ton of power keeping your punches centerline. Especially at short ranges.
I use this same concept in the Kyokushin class I attend, I'm only 120 ish pounds and using the powerline mixed with the kinetic chain I've put out enough force to even with a pad between us almost knock over someone pretty much twice my size
Excellent video thank you! I first learned to punch in Ashihara Karate and your Dempsey explanation was almost exactly the same. Huge difference in power with the added bonus of the ability to slip through an opponents guard. Excellent points delivered very clear and concise. Easy to understand and follow. Gold star!
So I have numerous coaches comment on "natural" punching power. I never realize this is exactly what I do. Only because I came from years of Kyokushin. In fact, originally I only got into boxing because I wanted to make sure my body was trained and conditioned for head punches. As you know, the standard straight punches in karate is to shoot the punch with a straight elbow, and also pull the other arm back (I just watched your resistance band video lol) I just modified the way I knew how to punch to just bring my hand back to my cheek instead of my belt. So I have always pulled the opposite shoulder, kept the elbow straight, and flipped my fist right at the moment of impact. I always knew my time in karate greatly improved my punches in boxing.....but never fully understood why.
Thanks, yes, I might have a stretch later. I will get out and train, as you suggested. There's lots of lines, and distances to think about in unarmed dueling ! Lots of rules, to be ignored and lots of secrets to keep !
Sure. In the meantime, this video might help. The focus isn’t the falling step, but it’s covered in the first couple minutes: ua-cam.com/video/I-w79C22yNc/v-deo.html
Heck yeah I love that book! I studied it inside and out and even made a list of all the offense, defense, counters and footwork so I can do drills! As for the elbow flaring, during my Taekwondo days, the Sabumnim would have us punch with our punching side against the wall so our elbows couldn't flare out. We did the same with back kicks to keep the knee tucked.
I love how you say "vertical punch, like Wing Chun" because lots of Kung Fu as vertical punches. As well as twisting punches. Most of the man forms have them that I am aware of. Long fist, Wing Chun, Wu breaks manacles, etc. But saying it this way will help people instantly know what you are talking about. And the idea is exactly as you say. Of course, in Kung Fu, at least the Kung Fu I have been taught, all of our exercises, such as touch hands, push hands, and even punching drills stress keeping your elbows in. I was in my 20s before I realized how important that was. Great video.
man oh man! what a great translation of dempsey's work, i have the book too and i'm kinda of stuck at the same place you are, not really stuck but it's almost like i can use a study partner to finish - but either way this video helped me understand the great jack dempsey's dynamite punching a lot more. i'm so impressed and grateful with your humble excellent way of teaching that i'm subscribing now. Tku my friend keep up the great work.
I bought Jack Dempsey's book because of you. I got a paperback from Amazon I'm going to read it this week. I glanced through it. Love the illustrations. Thank you for the recommendation coach wish I got it sooner.
It's pretty crazy how many young pitchers mess up their arms and their coaches are oblivious. Some kids with really strong arms can make fast pitch without extending their arm correctly and end up with rotator cuff injuries and elbow injuries. Snapping your forearm down at the elbow is the fast way to an orthopedic surgeon. A good fastball starts down in your thighs and you throw it with a relatively straight arm, from the shoulder. Good job explaining the body mechanics of good punches.
This is without a doubt, your best content. I had no idea how complex striking actually is, before watching your videos. Also it is cool to see that the core mechanics to generate power are kinda universal, regardless of the activity
When I'm able to use a speedbag, I like to practice both vertical and corkscrew punches. It's funny that the corkscrew is less stressful on the shoulders compared to the vertical punches when done continuously. I've always tried really hard to not flare my elbows when punching. And I think my time in taekwando helped with that a little bit when moving into wingchun and mma.
Good stuff. I have always taught the rear foot to move up with the cross. I call it “coming along for the ride”. It also keeps the hips more vertical to the floor, allowing better balance and rotation without excess lean, or leading with the face, lol.
I think one of the other points that is interesting is that in bare-knuckle boxing vertical punches used to be more common. But another point is that when you do a vertical punch or a vertical punch with a corkscrew at the very end it is almost impossible to naturally flair out the elbow. It is also interesting that the "traditional" punch from the waistline also helps with teaching one to keep the elbow close to the ribs for punching. Great video and interesting perspective on it.
I found it really interesting because the explanation you gave also gave insight on why all (or almost all) TMAs make you bring your hands back to your waist, maybe it is because it forces you to throw pure punches! (granted it leaves your head wide open)
There’s also the nice added benefit of grabbing someone, pulling them towards you, and then punching them(such as with their arm, hair, or anything you can grab)
Great video! I've done both wing chun and boxing; one thing which I carried over from wing chun to boxing was to keep my tucked elbows in with my body behind it. Throwing jabs and crosses from this position means you've always got your elbow behind the extension of your arm, generating more power and helping prevent it from flaring out.
Its interesting how the principle with moving back right shoulder while punching with left hand is similar to karate The difference is that we use not our shoulders but latissimus dorsi muscle and rotate our body just a little bit (in other styles of karate situation might be slightly different)
That closeup of the footwork during weight transfer was super helpful. I was thinking of it as driving my hip but got an immediate increase in power from deliberately shifting my weight and it ties in well with the principles in the Dempsey roll which you showed in another video. Best martial arts channel on UA-cam imo 👍
This was a great episode =-) I want to elaborate on the illustration and what it means as an internal CMA practitioner(WIng Chun, Taiji Baji Bagua etc). The practice in modern sports is sometimes called Force Flow. You lean on the wall not to line up bones but to take the load through the whole relaxed body. The fist is not held extremely tight so it can spread a little against the wall. Tenstion is released starting at the wrist letting that tension be taken itto the elbow then the elbow is relaxed(opened) and taken into the shoulder then the shoulder is relaxed and the force is allowed to come past the relaxed shoulder blades to settle into the spine. The arm should feel no stress at this point otherwise you need to adjust. repeat going down to each point of tension going down(knees being one of the last)until you can feel pressure only at the fist and the bottoms of the feet even when pressure against the wall is increased. Later when doing this the release and relax process is not needed as the line of force to the ground becomes automatic later. This is used in internal arts for both recieving and delivering force though few preserve the combat training.
My mind is blown, I've never read this novel or even knew it existed in boxing.. to my surprise I learned this from Chinese Kung Fu. From the feet through the legs hips shoulders elbow fist, power flows. Great video Coach!
It is SUCH A GOOD TECHNICAL MANUAL!! I will crap on for an hour about this book and the techniques...then i start shooting the stepping straight with 3 knuckle vertical landing on stuff " see it WORKS"
The Pure Punches are the basic Karate punch. As I go further with training, I am really thankful to have started in Karate, as the basics are very valuable and can be easily be integrated into any combat art. (I mean Combat Karate, not sport point fighting Karate). I notice that many of the people who start off with "boxing glove" arts, with padded gloves and wraps to protect their hands, sometimes miss out on some of the details that bare knuckle Karate emphasizes. Until I saw this video I never even realized that these "impure punches" existed, and had to force myself to do it to see what Ramsey was talking about. This is not because I am some kind of grand master of the martial arts or something (I am just an average guy trying to improve), but rather that the Karate punch has been instilled into me so deeply that it is 100% natural. OSU!
Well, if you subscribe and check your subscription tab instead of the recommended videos tab the robots want you see, you’ll see new videos on this channel every day.
Thank ou for he upload Ramsey brother! Much appreciated. I was taught the: "pure punch" in Karate; then again in multiple styles of Gong fu such as, 7 star praying mantis, Shaolin Gong fu (includes Sandai), Western Boxing! Peace & Love!
Big, big fan of the Manassa Mauler. He was often outsized in his career, but his efficient punching skill gave him devastating pound for pound power. He embraced and respected Judo and Catch Wrestling as well. A lot of his mechanics have similarity to old school Kungfu too. Real recognize real.
I remember reading manga about martial arts "Kenji", there are few chapters about Dempsey. Main hero hears a story about Dempsey shovel hook, and there is an explanation that his way of punching has something in common with Bajiquan style. I read it a long time ago, and don,t remember all the details, guess i will refresh it after watching Ramsey video :)
Great video Ramssey,my WING CHUN-SI-HING/SIFU told me that too !And in BRUCE LEE´s JEET KUNE DO of course you have it !My idea for the next one:Show the peeps the "falling step",we trained it in WC and Jack Dempsey also used it for maximum power !(I guess you know it,it´s about transfering your body-weight from one foot to the other right before the punch lands !Not forgetting the "hip-power" of course !!!
I don’t have any martial arts experience, but I’ve been interested and wanting to get into it for a while, so I started watching a bunch of different channels to understand what I’d be getting into. What I do have experience with is elbow tendinitis, from working on gymnastic rings and specifically for muscle ups. So what did I do after watching this video and hearing your story about tendinitis? Went to my rings and adjusted how I did a muscle up. No elbow pain. Felt great. Thanks Ramsey, very much appreciated. Now time to find a good gym in my area to start learning
wow got to give a big respect to this guy watch many coaches never seen someone so call and focused on little details so much huge thanks to this man right there!!🤛🤛
This is a fantastic video. (And a good book - just finished it) The powerline alignment concept is similar to how traditional karate teaches the punch. Different start and finish but the same elbow alignment applies.
I just ordered Jack Dempsey’ book can’t wait to read it. However if we are talking about bare knuckle boxing research shows they always hit with a vertical fist to the face. You can find paintings and photographs from the 1800’s depicting this
Only one issue: the three impacting knuckles.... you can only do that with thick wrapping and gloves around your hands, as the metacarpal bones, especially Metacarpal 5, is prone to break, when a certain amount of force is exceeded. This injury is known as "boxers fracture" among doctors. When hitting bare knuckle, you want to hit with the knuckles of index and middle finger. Those are the strongest. But I guess you know that, don't you?
Excellent video..Tbh if we want to produce a simple and fast punch with no intricacies such as the added rotational movement while removing the flaring out of the elbow then just do vertical punches, that's why bruce lee did not remove or change the vertical punch when he created jeet kune do because of the simplicity and the speed of the punch. And are we not choosing power over balance or stability when we step into a punch like you did in this video because your stance became narrow when you did step into a punch and a good grappler can exploit it and take you to the ground
I like this video and its point. As a Karate/Boxer practitioner, the style of striking from the Dempsey book which I have, also in addition resembles a bit from a Slavic style cross strike as you turn the fist towards the end of the execution which you see Russian, Cuban, Kazakhstan boxers uses, e.t.c.....Excellent video Mr. Ramsey and will subscribe.
Never heard of this being called the power line before this but its a great lesson and something more people who fight with contact or a do a lot of heavy bag work should pay attention to.
One other ''interesting sideeffect with ''sloppy impure swings'' is that, if you miss, its gonna put alot of pulling pressure on your ligements in the elbow and shoulder. I kind of destroyed my shoulder and elbow couple of weeks ago playing disc golf. Had a bad throw and i can still feel it. Works exactly the same way with wild swings in fighting!
Nicely explained, although I’m from the UK so I don’t know anything about pitching for baseball! Haha! The vertical fist punch, besides being used in Wing Chun and other oriental martial arts was and is still used in western bare knuckle boxing too. Obviously we can use it with the “falling step” to great effect but if you feel the body mechanics of keeping the fist vertical and the elbow pointing down, we find that we’re able to really use our legs and hips to generate a lot of power in an upwards direction, it almost becomes like a long upper cut! (The vertical fist can also be utilised well at very close range.) A point of caution for using the vertical fist as a jab/straight; it should be observed that if don’t turn your hand over to a horizontal position then your punching shoulder does not naturally raise and protect your chin!!
great video, Ramsey! There was a ton of knowledge within that i clearly needed. I did a slo mo of my punch and found all sorts of wierd things including impure punching. i dont so much have pain but rather a lack of power. Thank you for everything!
I need to read that book, or rather have you read it for me. I'm lucky to have an instructor who incorporates boxing techniques into his instructions. This is how he teaches us to punch. Didn't know the name, just how to do it.
This is a very good and inciteful video All I would say against it is upon contacting the target I prefer not to lock out the arm/ joint I always make sure my arm is not fully extended
Insane video, feeling much more strong and sharp. Can you please explain more detailed how to do power lane but with hooks and uppers, wasnt that clear
I equate this to what I was taught which is keeping the eldow as down and pointed to the floor. The reason I was taught was because if the elbow is side ways, during the extention the energy escapes the elbow horizontally. If the elbow is more vertically aligned the energy is better transfered foward and sometimes upward which can facilitate snapping the head back when connecting.
Great lesson Ramsey. Perhaps you know this story already: Jack Dempsey was attacked by two thugs in front of his restaurant in NYC. It was an attempted robbery. Dempsey knocked them both out. He was in his 80s at the time. When asked about it he said "Boxing could have really help those two gentlemen and pointed them in a positive direction."
JD is my great uncle, he's my great grandmother's brother. Well my great grandpa used to love telling that story, but he had dementia later on in life and everytime he told the story the number of thugs would increase God bless his soul. I loved hearing that story
I was one of the robbers. That isn't how it went down.
I was across the street and one of the robbers was a female they called Skink around that area. JD made quick work of her.
@No-Mad Sadly no. But, I do have his great hair! lol
@@waveexistence3512 I was working in the Deli across the street and Skink used to come in all the time! Never saw her much after Jack laid her out though....
The simplest way to learn correct punching: throw jabs/crosses with a wall on your left (or right). If your elbows flare out, you'll touch the wall.
Yep. We do a drill like that to practice straight punches.
Danks man
great idea thx!
I don't even do martial arts but this would be an awesome exercise for me to do in the morning and get the good energy going
Brilliant, cheers
Can’t wait to hear you narrate the rest of Dempsey’s book, thanks for the video!
Same 👍😁
Where can I find this?
One of the absolute best explanations of Jack Dempsey's power line theory! Thanks so much for the breakdown, Coach Ramsey
I took a traditional karate of some kind as a kid and my sensei really emphasized correct punching form. Its cool how katas can be used to teach slowly the movements you'll need to speed up later.
I did teakwood for a little bit in high school into college and I think it definitely helped my striking in later yrs.
I did karate as a teenager and did not even realize that I still throw my punches this way, until I saw this video.
Yeah, I was thinking that as well. That 'pure" punch is pretty much a proper Karate punch.
I did katas when i was eight until ten and then went to kumites for five years and totally forgot on effectiveness of punches. Sure i can touch you without even you noticing but they weren't strong shots. Then at the age of 15 went to bjj and am still training bjj but I fool around with friend who trains for mma. And so I found this new love for striking, after this video I threw ten of jabs straights and hooks and they felt natural. I'm so glad i did katas as a kid
@@didjitalone9544 I thought it was a spin-off series from "Torchwood".
I know this video is a few years old, but mostly commenting to burn it into my brain.
Just the words "shoulder whirl" made sense of something I had misunderstood and couldn't get quite right for years. It's not "turn your punching hand fist over and pull with your other hand" - it's "shoulder whirl." I've never seen or heard anyone in videos or almost anyone in real life mention the shoulder's active role in the motion of a good punch. This is quite literally the missing link between the trunk/hips and the elbow/fist that I needed.
Thank you, Ramsey. I'd call you "coach", but I'd rather thank you with sincerity than formality.
it is great to see how ramsey is humble enough to learn from his students and centuries old manuals
So humble to learm boxing from Jack Dempsey
“Championship Fighting…” is the single best book ever written on punching, period. The concepts apply to other types of striking as well.keep it on the nightstand, return to it as needed.
There is a book "The Straight Lead" by a student of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do which I also recommend. Evidently Bruce was a big fan of Dempsey and studied his punching techniques. Jack Dempsey is a true legend who spent his early years practically fighting for his life. Out of necessity and hard experience Dempsey taught himself what was effective and why.
This guy doubts jkd lol Jone used jkd to dominate ufc fighters using mma lol
Dempsey said nothing about corkscrewing the punch.
English pugilism had typically used near vertical punching.
JKD is built on Jim Driscoll, Jack Dempsey and Aldo Nadi ideas
💯!!!
Facts!!!
@@robertvondarth1730 he did, read his book
I've had that book for a while now. It's definitely indespensible. I also found the description Dempsey uses throughout the book for the footwork to be a series of "steps and falls" in order to generate power without undue muscular effort and to maintain the ability for a "snap" on each punch no matter what the strike is (uppercut, hook, and obviously straight-lead or rear hand punches).
Maybe you can do a video on describing your interpretation of the "series of steps and falls" that Dempsey uses throughout the book so we can more thoroughly understand that teaching point in a way we can all apply to our training efforts as well. Great video sir.
He missed the main point of the book.
Thats what happen when you have an expert reputation, you don't have the mind of a beginner. So you can't learn anything new.
@@DarkAhilan I felt like his trigger step was off too. Jack really emphasized putting your weight onto your front foot and then lifting that same foot. That clearly isn’t happening in this demonstration.
@@Gothfield takes way too much work for most people to master
@@DarkAhilan can you elaborate please?
That was a big part of our curriculum at the Wednesday Night Jeet Kune do group since Bruce Lee had letter correspondence with Dempsey after reading his book. Bruce incorporated the power line (3/4 hand position , bottom three knuckles,) The Drop step and the upper body twirl for his lead punch. We worked the heck out of it. Bruce also added what he called the "hammer principle," which was really borrowed from fencing, where the hand would drop in a hammering motion at the start of the punch to make it more telegraphic. Bruce was an unbelievable creative and analytical thinker. Until recently we were the only ones I knew of who worked Dempsey's stuff. The internet has opened up vast amounts of knowledge.
Good explaination, Ramsey. The reason I teach punching at first with a vertical fist ( both in Kyokushin and Kickboxing) is just to get the practice to "keep the elbows in". When this becomes a good habit, it is time to start explaining the rotational options, which are often depending on things like distance and height of the target, to keep the wrist in the most stable position. So vertical, horizontal and diagonal fist positions are all useful, when you know the "why" and "when" of the best bone alignment.
When do you recommend using the vertical fist?
@@AtlantaHays When someone shells up with a high guard, you can use vertical fist to penetrate their guard. You can also consider hooks as vertical fist.
@@nicksalvatore5717 yeah, I was thinking of hooks as the only punch where my fist is vertical. Breaking a high guard also sounds like a good time to use it. Thanks
Break-up is Fun for once, nice mechanics for 'stability'.. well-founded formulae! Felicitations:)
I had an anthropology professor that threw the atltl a lot and said a lot of the same things about NOT flaring the elbow out when throwing. He was a weird dude but knew so many things.
I did this in a half assed laying-sitting position watching this and I felt a night and day difference in stress on the elbows. I've changed my workout routines because of wrong movements, it's made a big difference. Thanks for this, I've been wanting a video about this. Good stuff.
Watching what you said about not raising your elbow makes me appreciate the benefits I got from being a forms competitor. Not raising that elbow like you said is possibly the number one thing drilled into us folks that do forms.
And that Jack Demsey illustration at the beginning was Asian classical martial arts 101!
Best part about this video is hearing how you humbled yourself and chose to listen and learn something a student offered to teach. Zero ego, just recognizing and absorbing good technique without bias. More people need to treat life with that sort of attitude.
I could listen to this guys voice forever. Oh great video.
Fantastic video! I love your videos on Dempsey’s book, they’re super helpful and I feel like these little “tips”/“fixes” can really elevate your boxing.
*This is one of the best videos you've done. The training of the back for punching power blew my mind. I used to punch steel beams in the grocery store for fun on occasion, years later I couldn't figure out why my elbows pinch when I bench press... now I know.*
Part of what makes his book interesting is he teaches it saying anyone can learn to defend themselves. The techniques themselves are basically the way I was taught by some old school Karate instructors. You can generate a ton of power keeping your punches centerline. Especially at short ranges.
I use this same concept in the Kyokushin class I attend, I'm only 120 ish pounds and using the powerline mixed with the kinetic chain I've put out enough force to even with a pad between us almost knock over someone pretty much twice my size
Excellent video thank you! I first learned to punch in Ashihara Karate and your Dempsey explanation was almost exactly the same. Huge difference in power with the added bonus of the ability to slip through an opponents guard. Excellent points delivered very clear and concise. Easy to understand and follow. Gold star!
6:38 cameraman can't resist to try himself
So I have numerous coaches comment on "natural" punching power. I never realize this is exactly what I do. Only because I came from years of Kyokushin. In fact, originally I only got into boxing because I wanted to make sure my body was trained and conditioned for head punches. As you know, the standard straight punches in karate is to shoot the punch with a straight elbow, and also pull the other arm back (I just watched your resistance band video lol)
I just modified the way I knew how to punch to just bring my hand back to my cheek instead of my belt.
So I have always pulled the opposite shoulder, kept the elbow straight, and flipped my fist right at the moment of impact.
I always knew my time in karate greatly improved my punches in boxing.....but never fully understood why.
Thanks, yes, I might have a stretch later. I will get out and train, as you suggested.
There's lots of lines, and distances to think about in unarmed dueling ! Lots of rules, to be ignored and lots of secrets to keep !
Great video! Could you also make a similar one on the falling step Jack Dempsey mentions in the book?
Sure. In the meantime, this video might help. The focus isn’t the falling step, but it’s covered in the first couple minutes:
ua-cam.com/video/I-w79C22yNc/v-deo.html
@F X lel
Needed to hear this. My elbows been killing me for weeks. Think I've been flaring my elbows. I'm gonna give this a try. Thanks Sifu
Heck yeah I love that book! I studied it inside and out and even made a list of all the offense, defense, counters and footwork so I can do drills!
As for the elbow flaring, during my Taekwondo days, the Sabumnim would have us punch with our punching side against the wall so our elbows couldn't flare out. We did the same with back kicks to keep the knee tucked.
I love how you say "vertical punch, like Wing Chun" because lots of Kung Fu as vertical punches. As well as twisting punches. Most of the man forms have them that I am aware of. Long fist, Wing Chun, Wu breaks manacles, etc. But saying it this way will help people instantly know what you are talking about. And the idea is exactly as you say. Of course, in Kung Fu, at least the Kung Fu I have been taught, all of our exercises, such as touch hands, push hands, and even punching drills stress keeping your elbows in. I was in my 20s before I realized how important that was. Great video.
Basically every form of kung fu *has* straight punches, but wing chun focuses much more specifically on them as a central thing you're always doing.
Thank you for doing this video. I took a look at the book by jack. Dempsey and could not visualize the instructions. Your video was worth 1000 words.
man oh man! what a great translation of dempsey's work, i have the book too and i'm kinda of stuck at the same place you are, not really stuck but it's almost like i can use a study partner to finish - but either way this video helped me understand the great jack dempsey's dynamite punching a lot more. i'm so impressed and grateful with your humble excellent way of teaching that i'm subscribing now. Tku my friend keep up the great work.
I bought Jack Dempsey's book because of you. I got a paperback from Amazon I'm going to read it this week. I glanced through it. Love the illustrations. Thank you for the recommendation coach wish I got it sooner.
I didn't realize how much I needed to learn that pivot step thankyou for sharing.
the delivery has improved so much the past year. great job ramsey!
Brilliant video - I used to get that tennis elbow from hitting the bag too, I will concentrate on changing my technique now. Thank you so much
It's pretty crazy how many young pitchers mess up their arms and their coaches are oblivious. Some kids with really strong arms can make fast pitch without extending their arm correctly and end up with rotator cuff injuries and elbow injuries. Snapping your forearm down at the elbow is the fast way to an orthopedic surgeon. A good fastball starts down in your thighs and you throw it with a relatively straight arm, from the shoulder.
Good job explaining the body mechanics of good punches.
Fantastic video.
I found you because of the women's self defence videos but ... stayed for the stuff like this.
Thank you sir you see many people punch wrong and not draw power with the lower body nice you that you broke down basic fundamental
This deserves more attention. Really opens up alot of good points here...
Excellent Vid! Dempsey's book basically defines the classical era of boxing. You interpret it well!
Because of you I bought this book years ago, it´s great! Love to see you making videos about it :)
Same!
This is without a doubt, your best content. I had no idea how complex striking actually is, before watching your videos. Also it is cool to see that the core mechanics to generate power are kinda universal, regardless of the activity
We'll you don't remove and hang up your weightlifting arms when it's time to hit the heavy bag, right?
When I'm able to use a speedbag, I like to practice both vertical and corkscrew punches. It's funny that the corkscrew is less stressful on the shoulders compared to the vertical punches when done continuously. I've always tried really hard to not flare my elbows when punching. And I think my time in taekwando helped with that a little bit when moving into wingchun and mma.
What an amazing video,this will help with reach and preserve my elbow more
Good stuff. I have always taught the rear foot to move up with the cross. I call it “coming along for the ride”. It also keeps the hips more vertical to the floor, allowing better balance and rotation without excess lean, or leading with the face, lol.
Excellent coaching and advice. Thanks.
I think one of the other points that is interesting is that in bare-knuckle boxing vertical punches used to be more common. But another point is that when you do a vertical punch or a vertical punch with a corkscrew at the very end it is almost impossible to naturally flair out the elbow. It is also interesting that the "traditional" punch from the waistline also helps with teaching one to keep the elbow close to the ribs for punching. Great video and interesting perspective on it.
I found it really interesting because the explanation you gave also gave insight on why all (or almost all) TMAs make you bring your hands back to your waist, maybe it is because it forces you to throw pure punches! (granted it leaves your head wide open)
There’s also the nice added benefit of grabbing someone, pulling them towards you, and then punching them(such as with their arm, hair, or anything you can grab)
@@ahumanoidoforiginx7957 Yeah, that is how I understand hikite - grab and pull.
Great video! I've done both wing chun and boxing; one thing which I carried over from wing chun to boxing was to keep my tucked elbows in with my body behind it. Throwing jabs and crosses from this position means you've always got your elbow behind the extension of your arm, generating more power and helping prevent it from flaring out.
Wow! Great tips! That helps you from not flaring your elbow out also!
Its interesting how the principle with moving back right shoulder while punching with left hand is similar to karate
The difference is that we use not our shoulders but latissimus dorsi muscle and rotate our body just a little bit (in other styles of karate situation might be slightly different)
That closeup of the footwork during weight transfer was super helpful. I was thinking of it as driving my hip but got an immediate increase in power from deliberately shifting my weight and it ties in well with the principles in the Dempsey roll which you showed in another video.
Best martial arts channel on UA-cam imo 👍
Thanks
This was a great episode =-) I want to elaborate on the illustration and what it means as an internal CMA practitioner(WIng Chun, Taiji Baji Bagua etc). The practice in modern sports is sometimes called Force Flow. You lean on the wall not to line up bones but to take the load through the whole relaxed body. The fist is not held extremely tight so it can spread a little against the wall. Tenstion is released starting at the wrist letting that tension be taken itto the elbow then the elbow is relaxed(opened) and taken into the shoulder then the shoulder is relaxed and the force is allowed to come past the relaxed shoulder blades to settle into the spine. The arm should feel no stress at this point otherwise you need to adjust. repeat going down to each point of tension going down(knees being one of the last)until you can feel pressure only at the fist and the bottoms of the feet even when pressure against the wall is increased. Later when doing this the release and relax process is not needed as the line of force to the ground becomes automatic later. This is used in internal arts for both recieving and delivering force though few preserve the combat training.
My mind is blown, I've never read this novel or even knew it existed in boxing.. to my surprise I learned this from Chinese Kung Fu.
From the feet through the legs hips shoulders elbow fist, power flows.
Great video Coach!
It is SUCH A GOOD TECHNICAL MANUAL!! I will crap on for an hour about this book and the techniques...then i start shooting the stepping straight with 3 knuckle vertical landing on stuff " see it WORKS"
The Pure Punches are the basic Karate punch. As I go further with training, I am really thankful to have started in Karate, as the basics are very valuable and can be easily be integrated into any combat art. (I mean Combat Karate, not sport point fighting Karate). I notice that many of the people who start off with "boxing glove" arts, with padded gloves and wraps to protect their hands, sometimes miss out on some of the details that bare knuckle Karate emphasizes. Until I saw this video I never even realized that these "impure punches" existed, and had to force myself to do it to see what Ramsey was talking about. This is not because I am some kind of grand master of the martial arts or something (I am just an average guy trying to improve), but rather that the Karate punch has been instilled into me so deeply that it is 100% natural. OSU!
Thanks, Billy Zane!
Great stuff, great technical explanation - keep up the great work!
Excellent! Thank you for this. As someone who is going through tennis elbow problems, im deeply thankful
Good to see you. Haven't seen any vids come up in my feed for months.
Well, if you subscribe and check your subscription tab instead of the recommended videos tab the robots want you see, you’ll see new videos on this channel every day.
I am subscribed, have been for a year or 2 since I discovered your channel. Thank you for responding.
Thank ou for he upload Ramsey brother! Much appreciated. I was taught the: "pure punch" in Karate; then again in multiple styles of Gong fu such as, 7 star praying mantis, Shaolin Gong fu (includes Sandai), Western Boxing!
Peace & Love!
The concept of the center line, the elbow etc. It’s like my first Wing Chun lesson decades ago.
Big, big fan of the Manassa Mauler. He was often outsized in his career, but his efficient punching skill gave him devastating pound for pound power. He embraced and respected Judo and Catch Wrestling as well. A lot of his mechanics have similarity to old school Kungfu too. Real recognize real.
I remember reading manga about martial arts "Kenji", there are few chapters about Dempsey. Main hero hears a story about Dempsey shovel hook, and there is an explanation that his way of punching has something in common with Bajiquan style. I read it a long time ago, and don,t remember all the details, guess i will refresh it after watching Ramsey video :)
You are very good teacher. I have enjoyed that video a lot
Great video Ramssey,my WING CHUN-SI-HING/SIFU told me that too !And in BRUCE LEE´s JEET KUNE DO of course you have it !My idea for the next one:Show the peeps the "falling step",we trained it in WC and Jack Dempsey also used it for maximum power !(I guess you know it,it´s about transfering your body-weight from one foot to the other right before the punch lands !Not forgetting the "hip-power" of course !!!
Thanks I will incorporate this knowledge with my martial arts styles
I don’t have any martial arts experience, but I’ve been interested and wanting to get into it for a while, so I started watching a bunch of different channels to understand what I’d be getting into. What I do have experience with is elbow tendinitis, from working on gymnastic rings and specifically for muscle ups. So what did I do after watching this video and hearing your story about tendinitis? Went to my rings and adjusted how I did a muscle up. No elbow pain. Felt great. Thanks Ramsey, very much appreciated. Now time to find a good gym in my area to start learning
Wow! Excellent breakdown! More please!Thanks!
This video is INSANELY good man! Thank you so much!
3:20 doesn't corkscrew when he says to look for it, lol.
Good lesson coach
Great lesson, learned so much. Good job man. Awesome channel
Awesome video Ramsey, Keep it up with the Dempsey content!
wow got to give a big respect to this guy watch many coaches never seen someone so call and focused on little details so much huge thanks to this man right there!!🤛🤛
This is a fantastic video. (And a good book - just finished it)
The powerline alignment concept is similar to how traditional karate teaches the punch. Different start and finish but the same elbow alignment applies.
Nice clear breakdown Ramsey. Much appreciated.
I just ordered Jack Dempsey’ book can’t wait to read it. However if we are talking about bare knuckle boxing research shows they always hit with a vertical fist to the face. You can find paintings and photographs from the 1800’s depicting this
Best coaching tip I ever heard for this: "Put the key in the door then turn it"
nice analogy
Only one issue: the three impacting knuckles.... you can only do that with thick wrapping and gloves around your hands, as the metacarpal bones, especially Metacarpal 5, is prone to break, when a certain amount of force is exceeded. This injury is known as "boxers fracture" among doctors. When hitting bare knuckle, you want to hit with the knuckles of index and middle finger. Those are the strongest. But I guess you know that, don't you?
Excellent video..Tbh if we want to produce a simple and fast punch with no intricacies such as the added rotational movement while removing the flaring out of the elbow then just do vertical punches, that's why bruce lee did not remove or change the vertical punch when he created jeet kune do because of the simplicity and the speed of the punch. And are we not choosing power over balance or stability when we step into a punch like you did in this video because your stance became narrow when you did step into a punch and a good grappler can exploit it and take you to the ground
No.
Great illustration with throwing a baseball analogy. Punches look good sir.
Thank you for the great explanation on this .
I like this video and its point. As a Karate/Boxer practitioner, the style of striking from the Dempsey book which I have, also in addition resembles a bit from a Slavic style cross strike as you turn the fist towards the end of the execution which you see Russian, Cuban, Kazakhstan boxers uses, e.t.c.....Excellent video Mr. Ramsey and will subscribe.
You blink when you punch..... EYES ON THE BALL, CHAMPS.
You must have two functioning eyes. Good for you!
Never heard of this being called the power line before this but its a great lesson and something more people who fight with contact or a do a lot of heavy bag work should pay attention to.
Would you make a whole video about all of jack Dempsey's principles of power punching?
One other ''interesting sideeffect with ''sloppy impure swings'' is that, if you miss, its gonna put alot of pulling pressure on your ligements in the elbow and shoulder. I kind of destroyed my shoulder and elbow couple of weeks ago playing disc golf. Had a bad throw and i can still feel it. Works exactly the same way with wild swings in fighting!
Thank you Ramsey. I read Dempsey's book last august but I could not completely figure out how to interpret the power line. But now it's finally clear.
Interessting demonstration. THX!
Nicely explained, although I’m from the UK so I don’t know anything about pitching for baseball! Haha!
The vertical fist punch, besides being used in Wing Chun and other oriental martial arts was and is still used in western bare knuckle boxing too.
Obviously we can use it with the “falling step” to great effect but if you feel the body mechanics of keeping the fist vertical and the elbow pointing down, we find that we’re able to really use our legs and hips to generate a lot of power in an upwards direction, it almost becomes like a long upper cut! (The vertical fist can also be utilised well at very close range.)
A point of caution for using the vertical fist as a jab/straight; it should be observed that if don’t turn your hand over to a horizontal position then your punching shoulder does not naturally raise and protect your chin!!
Thank you Great Sensei. Your explanation is very clear! I always follow you and thanks for the teachings!
Greetings from Rome (Italy)
Nice to see the corkscrew getting some love. It remains part of my repertoire in any distance.
Thank you coach.... from Argentina... (we miss you)
great video, Ramsey! There was a ton of knowledge within that i clearly needed. I did a slo mo of my punch and found all sorts of wierd things including impure punching. i dont so much have pain but rather a lack of power. Thank you for everything!
I need to read that book, or rather have you read it for me. I'm lucky to have an instructor who incorporates boxing techniques into his instructions. This is how he teaches us to punch. Didn't know the name, just how to do it.
you explain this really, really well.
Thanks
This is a very good and inciteful video
All I would say against it is upon contacting the target I prefer not to lock out the arm/ joint I always make sure my arm is not fully extended
My elbow is not hyperextended.
Kudos to you for being able to keep your ego in check and learn from a student!!!
This is awesome thanks. Sooner or later I'll have to read that book.
Insane video, feeling much more strong and sharp. Can you please explain more detailed how to do power lane but with hooks and uppers, wasnt that clear
I equate this to what I was taught which is keeping the eldow as down and pointed to the floor. The reason I was taught was because if the elbow is side ways, during the extention the energy escapes the elbow horizontally. If the elbow is more vertically aligned the energy is better transfered foward and sometimes upward which can facilitate snapping the head back when connecting.