What is the hammer fist punch and how do you do it in a fight?
If you watch MMA, then the chances are you’ll have witnessed the hammer fist at some point. This is a type of punch that is typically done from ground and pound and like all punches, it can lead to a knockout. Interestingly, this punch doesn’t really feature in boxing and certain other martial arts. That’s not because the hammer fist is technically bad, instead it’s because the hammer fist can’t really be done due to the bulky nature of boxing gloves.
In this article, we shall discuss how to do a hammer fist strike, as well as its pros and cons. Like everything in martial arts, it’s a good move to know and have in your locker. At the same time, you can’t just spam this move and expect it to work. As they say, variety is the spice of life.
Table of Contents
What is a hammer fist?
As the name suggests, a hammer fist describes a type of strike when you use the bottom of your fist to hit the opponent. This is done whilst having a clenched fist. In other words, instead of striking with your knuckles with a clenched fist, instead you hit them with the bottom, fleshy part of the hand.
To generate significant power, you’ll need to do this strike vertically or horizontally, making sure you catch the opponent with the underside of your first. This means that you can’t really jab doing a hammer fist. Instead, you have to land strikes like a hammer. So, imagine your clenched fist is a hammer. Your goal is to swing it in the direction of the opponent. Before becoming popularized in MMA, hammer fists were sometimes used in Karate, as well as Krav Maga.
How do you throw a hammer fist?
From the ground and pound position, throwing a hammer fist can actually feel quite natural. In fact, if you see certain nature videos, then you will sometimes see apes and gorillas land blows that are similar to hammer fists. In short, hammer fists are quite natural to throw when in a top position on the floor.
At the same time, there’s still a degree of technique that goes into them, especially from standing positions. One of the main tips that people miss out on is putting a bit of backlash on the wrist just as you land the hammer fist. This will add more power due to adjusting the fist in the last moments of connecting with the target. You may not even do this in the heat of the moment – but if you do it will certainly add more power to your strikes.
From standing, you’ll probably be landing them from a horizontal angle. This means creating enough distance to land the strike in the first place. Ideally, you should aim for the side of the jaw or temple. If you land a vertical hammer fist then you should ideally be aiming for the top of the nose which can lead to a break.
Is a hammer fist effective?
Hammer fist strikes are certainly effective, but they have their limitations and are definitely situational. Typically, you will see them in MMA from side control and mount positions. This happens when the opponent is pinned down and can’t escape. Instead of punching using knuckles, you instead rain down using hammer fists. These are quick to land and can easily knock people out.
Put simply, they’re best done when the opponent is on the floor as the gravity adds to the power of the blow. As mentioned, hammer strikes aren’t always available. For example, if you’re in a neutral, standing position then you can’t really throw hammer fists.
Standing vs. ground and pound
Technically speaking, you can – however there’s not much point trying to throw hammer fists when standing up. Normally, it’s more efficient to throw jabs or hooks whilst standing. Still, a spinning hammer fist is doable at times. Although rare, this can knock people out instantly and is certainly effective. Aside from being awkward to throw when standing, they’re also pretty predictable and can be seen in advance.
The speed of landing a standing hammer fist is far slower whilst standing compared to a jab. Sometimes, you will see hammer fists thrown from a standing clinch position. These typically lack power but can be used to daze your opponent and fluster them.
To summarize, hammer fists are mostly seen on the ground which is why they’re not seen in boxing or Muay Thai. They can be thrown from standing and have a time and place. However, the hammer fist is most definitely at its best on the floor.
How powerful is a hammer fist?
Whilst there have been no scientific recordings of how powerful a hammer fist strike is, it’s safe to assume that they’re powerful enough to knock people out. We know this because it’s seen in MMA. As mentioned earlier, hammer fists are awkward to throw whilst standing and aren’t too common.
On the floor though, they’re arguably more powerful than throwing regular punches with knuckles. This is to do with gravity. Imagine using a hammer correctly, then trying to hit a nail with the top part. Obviously, the first method would be more effective and powerful. This is why the hammer fist is so common in MMA due to its success rate.
From standing, spinning hammer fists can knock people out. If you landed a perfect horizontal hammer fist whilst standing then you could knock someone out if you caught them on the temple or side of the jaw. However, this is quite hard. In Krav Maga, the hammer fist is often trained to the back of the head. This technique is banned in MMA as it can potentially kill.
It’s no secret that this is a vulnerable part of the body, so it makes sense that it’s illegal. At the same time, in a life or death scenario this could be used to great effect. The case is closed that hammer fists are incredibly powerful and when done correctly can instantly end a fight.
Is a hammer fist a punch?
Without getting into the boring semantics, it’s safe to call a hammer fist a punch. Although you don’t land with your knuckles, you’re still using your fist to land a blow. If you’ve ever been hit by a hammer punch then you’ll also agree that it feels like you’ve been punched as well. So, without going over board, we can safely say that a hammer fist strike is a punch.
Is it safer to hit using a hammer fist?
Perhaps the main benefit of throwing a hammer fist is that you won’t hurt your hand like you would with a regular punch using knuckles. Even the best boxers in the world sometimes break knuckles or their wrist due to throwing punches that land awkwardly. Remember, you’re basically hitting something with real force so this isn’t surprising.
The beauty of the hammer fist though, is that it’s cushioned with a lot of flesh and muscle, as opposed to knuckle bone and cartilage. The result is that it’s incredibly difficult to hurt yourself when throwing a hammer fist. Understandably, this is one of the reasons why fighters will opt for hammer fists from winning positions. It would make little sense to risk breaking your fist whilst moments away from winning a bout.
To summarize, hammer fists are generally seen as a safer option compared to throwing regular punches. Of course, there’s always an element of randomness and luck when fighting. This means you could potentially injure your hand whilst throwing hammer fists. For the most part though, this would be rare and very unlucky.
