I often tell people to hit with their feet, the general reaction to that sentence is to say "do you mean kick?". Obviously, I don't because I'd just say 'kick' if that were the case. No, I do literally mean punch with your feet. It is easy to see when someone is using their feet and conversely it is easy to see when another is not. Moreover, it is easy to feel whether someone is using their feet in their punch or not.
In fact, I should really say foot, as it is usually just one that is being used per punch, it doesn't have to be the same one, you can pretty much change feet just as you might changes fists to punch with. I am, of course, talking about using your feet to drive the punch toward the target.
It is one of the martial arts mysteries as to why someone would forget about their feet when throwing a punch but people often do. Forgetting to drive from the foot, the punch is thrown with the throwing movement dragging the trailing foot toward the target. Worse still it may just float in the air, often moving backwards away from the target, which does nothing to add to the power produced or directing it to the target.
The feet should contribute to these factors, both of which are major contributors to the final power output of the punch thrown. In simple terms if you do not use your feet, the power delivered to the target will be much less than if you did. Therefore it is very important to use your feet to ACTIVELY contribute to the punch and if possible to each and every punch thrown. Your feet should drive the punching action and direct that action toward the target. After all we all want to generate as much power as possible.
If you make someone aware of what is happening in their feet as they punch a pad their mind moves from the fist to the foot and some will be able to tell that their feet are not contributing. Others, however, will need a bit more help to get the feel for what is happening in their feet. Of course, it is one thing to realise that your feet are not helping to produce power and quite another to enable them to contribute.
If you put the effort in you will be able to alter your technique so that your feet are contributing power to your punches. It is worth the effort, you will be delighted at the power improvements when you learn to punch with your feet.
To find out more on how the feet can contribute to the power output of your punch you should click through to Dr. Jon Law's Epic Martial Arts Blog to the article called Driving from the Feet which elaborates on this article.
For more on the importance of the feet in martial arts training you can try the following post http://epicmartialartsblog.com/listening-to-the-feet/, which describes more ways to use your feet to their potential.
Dr. Jon Law is a sports scientist, martial arts instructor and blogger from Birmingham UK with almost 20 years experience. For more information and tips on all kinds of martial arts skills please visit the Epic Martial Arts Blog.
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