Martial Arts Techniques for Law Enforcement. Mike Young

punch. He could throw it with knockout power from a 6-inch distance. Even the famous Muhammad Ali was knocked down by a left hook when Joe Frazier took Ali’s heavyweight title.

      The Palm Heel Hook

      This same blow can be transformed into a palm heel strike. We’ll call this a palm heel hook (see Fig. 56).

      Start in the defensive boxing stance. Without telegraphing the blow, quickly rotate your front hip and at the same time lift your nongun hand elbow to shoulder level, which will be naturally followed by your nongun hand arm. The striking arm should be parallel to the ground (see Fig. 57).

      You will be striking with the heel of your palm, and your fingers should be pointing to the sky. You should also pivot on the ball of the foot of your nongun leg so that you can throw the force of your body’s weight into the punch (see Fig. 58). Again, don’t telegraph the strike before you deliver it.

      The palm heel strike must be practiced repeatedly because it is not as natural for most people as a jab or a cross. It takes time to make the proper body mechanics feel natural and the strike effective. It’s well worth the effort, though. I have used this strike in the field and in competition with excellent results.

      The best way to practice this strike is to hit a heavy bag from a short distance at least one hundred times a session (see Fig. 59). The more you practice this strike, the more power you’ll be able to apply to your target.

      The Boxing Hook

      The boxing hook is executed in the same manner as the palm heel hook. The only big difference is the hand position at the end of the strike (see Fig. 60).

      Start in the defensive boxing stance. Quickly rotate your front hip. At the same time, lift your elbow to your shoulder level. Your arm will naturally follow your elbow and your arm will be parallel to the ground. This time you will be striking with your fist. Your fist should be parallel to the ground, and your wrist should be flat and in line with your fist (see Fig. 61).

      You should also pivot on the ball of your front foot—as you did in the palm heel hook—to get your full body weight into the punch. Once the punch is executed, quickly return to the defensive boxing stance.

      Finally, I want to emphasize the importance of raising your elbow to shoulder level and parallel to the ground. When you lift your elbow in the execution of a hook, it creates the perfect angle for the hook to land on its target, which is usually the suspect’s jaw, nose, or eye (see Fig. 62). This will help you strike your attacker more effectively, especially if he has his hands up facing you in a boxing stance.

      If you do not raise your elbow to shoulder level, you will probably hit your assailant’s arm before you hit his jaw, reducing the effectiveness of the strike (see Fig. 63).

      The Uppercut

      After teaching this powerful strike to law enforcement personnel for over sixteen years, I’ve found that you get the best results if you throw it from the strong (or gun) side (see Fig. 64).

      The Palm Heel Uppercut

      Starting from the self-defense boxing stance, quickly rotate your waist forward. Let the heel of your palm strike your suspect while it moves upward. Your palm should be facing up, with your fingers pointing away from your body (see Figs. 65 and 66).

      As with other strikes where the impact is created by the heel of the palm, you need to pay special attention to the positions of your fingers. Make sure that your fingers are pointing to the side of your body—away from the suspect. If your fingers point toward the suspect, you run the risk of striking the suspect with your outstretched fingers before the heel of your palm hits (see Fig. 67). This could both injure your fingers and lessen the effect of the strike.