Hi everyone,
Is there a difference between a boxing and a karate punch (chambering) for developing balanced muscles? I’ve heard that punching is good for chest and shoulders but not develops back muscles much, so creates an imbalance. I want to develop push and pull muscles equally, is there a significant difference between those two punches?
Thanks for your answers already and sorry for possible language errors.
Huh? I don’t think you are going to throw your body out of balance with punching.
Here take a look at these if you want some real options for muscle development…
http://exrx.net/Lists/ExList/ChestWt.html
&
http://exrx.net/Lists/ExList/BackWt.html
[QUOTE=Anarch;2940430]Hi everyone,
Is there a difference between a boxing and a karate punch (chambering) for developing balanced muscles? I’ve heard that punching is good for chest and shoulders but not develops back muscles much, so creates an imbalance. I want to develop push and pull muscles equally, is there a significant difference between those two punches?
Thanks for your answers already and sorry for possible language errors.[/QUOTE]
Unneeded worry.
What you are hearing is myth, fiction, wives tales
Thanks for your replies. I have found an article which adresses to my question at a web site. Since I am a new member I can’t give links, so I am quoting some parts:
"… Boxing is cool, but as martial artists, we should also be grabbing, pulling, and holding. That’s our secret sauce. So, make this tweak to your technique… When you practice your hikite (chambering punch), pull with your back, not just your arm.
Instead of keeping your shoulder rolled forward, find a groove for your elbow so it can slide over your ribs and connect to the power of those big back muscles. Of course, that’s just my personal recommendation. If you feel pulling with your back doesn’t fit your particular style, do whatever you want.
…If you think about pulling with your back as much as pushing with your chest, you will open up a whole new dimension in your fighting. Which brings us to the big message— balance…"
What do you think about it?
(The full article can be found at Sensei Ando’s site, “Tips for shoulder flexibility and strength”)
[QUOTE=Anarch;2940477]"… Boxing is cool, but as martial artists, we should also be grabbing, pulling, and holding.[/QUOTE]Have YOU not ever seen a boxing match? I am not asking about the idiot who wrote the article I am asking you.If you have ever watched any boxing match you would see the clinch being used frequently. I suggest you watch Floyd Mayweather jr box he uses the clinch very well.So yeah he is full of shit, doesn’t know shit about boxing, and doesn’t know shit about “balance”.
[QUOTE=Anarch;2940477]
"… Boxing is cool, but as martial artists, we should also be grabbing, pulling, and holding. [/QUOTE]
All essential skills I’ve been practicing vigorously since age 12.
[QUOTE=Anarch;2940430]Is there a difference between a boxing and a karate punch (chambering) for developing balanced muscles?[/QUOTE]
Not really. Both are largely low-resistance pushing/pressing movements. To balance a lot of such work in your practice, you need to do explicit pulling work, such as barbell rows, pull-ups, chin-ups, and deadlifts.
[QUOTE=Anarch;2940430]I’ve heard that punching is good for chest and shoulders but not develops back muscles much, so creates an imbalance. I want to develop push and pull muscles equally, is there a significant difference between those two punches?[/QUOTE]
It’s correct that punching develops the front of the chest and shoulder muscles. I don’t really believe the karate claim that doing hikite will balance that out. I would expect any difference between boxing and karate punches to be small in this regard.
The people in this thread saying that a lot of punching cannot create imbalanced muscle development are wrong. It can and is something to be wary of. This is a particular concern when combined with a lot of push-ups and too few pull-ups (as in, you know…most karate classes) or with jobs that involve a lot of hunching over a computer (like, you know, most desk jobs). One should do strength and conditioning work that involves plenty of pulling heavy things to prevent or alleviate such problems. That should probably involve something like inverted body rows, pull-ups, chin-ups, deadlifts, squats, barbell rows, kettlebell swings, and so on.
[QUOTE=Anarch;2940430]Thanks for your answers already and sorry for possible language errors.[/QUOTE]
Your use of English is quite good in this thread. No need to apologize.
See 46:27 onward of this discussion between Joe Rogan (BJJ & kickboxing fighter, expert MMA commentator) and Kelly Starrett (widely respected CrossFit coach specializing in mobility and movement health) to hear them rap about how lots of correct fighting positions are just bad to be in from a proper movement or posture perspective:
https://youtu.be/fcVy7EEgqNM?t=46m27s
I would argue that the same is true for, say, jiujitsu positions. The correct defensive posture for, say, half guard is not the optimal position to spend a lot of time in from a postural-development or muscular-development perspective. If you spend a lot of time in these positions that are necessary for fighting properly, you are likely to develop weird asymmetries, muscular imbalances, and joint problems. Strength and conditioning should mitigate, minimize, and correct that.
[QUOTE=1point2;2940489]
The people in this thread saying that a lot of punching cannot create imbalanced muscle development are wrong. It can and is something to be wary of. This is a particular concern when combined with a lot of push-ups and too few pull-ups (as in, you know…most karate classes) or with jobs that involve a lot of hunching over a computer (like, you know, most desk jobs). One should do strength and conditioning work that involves plenty of pulling heavy things to prevent or alleviate such problems. That should probably involve something like inverted body rows, pull-ups, chin-ups, deadlifts, squats, barbell rows, kettlebell swings, and so on.
[/QUOTE]
I would think it would require more than what the average hobby boxer or MA’er would be doing. You do bring up a good point that when combining it with an imbalanced work out … yeah that I can totally see now and missed the first time I thought about this.
You have anymore info on the topic or does that (your post) about cover it?
1point2 ; Your explanation is very informative and that was the answer that I’m looking for. Now I am watching the video you linked. Thanks!
What you’re describing in punching may be true if you’re adding resistance bands at different angles, like some shotokan people train. Otherwise, of course your punch will work a limited range of musculature.
Personally, one of the advantages of training Indian clubs is that it works resistance across a lot of different planes, with far more resistance than you can get with empty hands doing martial arts hand flailing.
[QUOTE=goodlun;2940478]Have YOU not ever seen a boxing match? I am not asking about the idiot who wrote the article I am asking you.If you have ever watched any boxing match you would see the clinch being used frequently. I suggest you watch Floyd Mayweather jr box he uses the clinch very well.So yeah he is full of shit, doesn’t know shit about boxing, and doesn’t know shit about “balance”.[/QUOTE]
Yup that Ando guy is full of shit. he is just a low level Taekwondo guy.