HOW TO PALM STRIKE
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Palm Strike·Janice Hung
#selfdefense #howtopalmstrike #palmstrike A palm heel strike is an effective technique used in self-defense. This is th…
Palm Strike
Family掌底打ち(Shōtei-uchi)
TraditionalTranslation: palm strike
Overview
History & Origin
The palm strike is one of the most universally distributed striking techniques across world martial arts, favoured for its ability to deliver significant force with minimal risk of hand injury. [1] In Chinese martial arts, palm strikes (zhang fa) form the foundation of entire systems such as Baguazhang ('Eight Trigram Palm'). [2] Funakoshi included the palm heel strike (teisho uchi) in Karate-Do Kyohan as a fundamental Okinawan technique. [3] In Western military combatives, Fairbairn and Sykes promoted the palm strike as the preferred empty-hand blow for soldiers, arguing it was more reliable than the closed fist for untrained personnel. [4] Modern self-defence systems including Krav Maga continue to emphasise the palm strike for the same biomechanical safety advantages. [1]
Effectiveness
Lineage
Palm strikes are found in many martial arts including Wing Chun, Krav Maga, and karate. [1]
Competition Record
Palm strikes are used in MMA and self-defence. [1]
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Striking with the heel of the palm — transfers force similar to a punch while reducing risk of hand fracture
Joints Involved — Wrist (extended, locked), shoulder (flexion/rotation), hips (rotation for power)
Force Vector — Linear or circular — same trajectory as equivalent punch but with palm contact
Safety Advantage — The palm heel absorbs impact across a larger area — lower risk of metacarpal fracture compared to closed-fist strikes
Position & Entry
From fighting stance — Drive the heel of the palm forward with hip rotation, same trajectory as a punch but with open hand
From self-defence situation — Use the palm strike when punching risks hand injury — targets the nose, chin, or ears
Videos
1 video
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
4
Moderate4/10
Palm strike reduces hand fracture risk; used in self-defense systems
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Beginner
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Illegal
WBC/Boxing — Only closed-fist punches permitted {src— WBC Rules of Boxing}
Kyokushin — Only closed-fist strikes to body permitted {src— IKO Kyokushin Tournament Rules}
— WT — Prohibited
WT Competition Rules 2024PDF— WAKO — Closed fist only
WAKO Competition RulesPDFK-1/GLORY — Closed fist only {src— K-1/GLORY Kickboxing Rules}
Restricted
— WKF — Varies by technique — some open-hand strikes legal ...
WKF Competition Rules 2024PDF— ITF — Some knife hand techniques legal
ITF Competition RulesPDFLegal
— palm strikes, slaps permitted
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— IFMA — Legal — palm strikes permitted in Muay Thai
IFMA Muay Thai RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓The palm strike uses the heel of the palm as the impact surface — it replicates the mechanics of a punch with lower hand injury risk
✓Pull the fingers back and drive through the heel of the palm into the target
✓The palm strike is biomechanically similar to a jab, cross, or uppercut — all the same trajectories work
✓It is the safest striking technique for the hand because the wrist stays in a neutral position and no knuckles make contact
✓In self-defence, the palm strike is preferred over the closed fist for untrained individuals because it eliminates the risk of boxer's fracture
✓The palm strike can legally be used to the face in MMA and Muay Thai
✓Bas Rutten was a famous advocate of palm strikes, using them throughout his career in Pancrase
Common Mistakes
!Hitting with the fingers instead of the heel of the palm — pull the fingers back sharply
!Letting the wrist bend on impact — the wrist must be locked with the hand pulled back
!Slapping instead of striking — the palm strike must drive through the target linearly
!Under-committing because it is an open hand — the palm strike should be thrown with full body mechanics
!Not pulling the fingers back far enough and catching them in the opponent's eye or mouth
!Using the palm strike at long range where a jab would be more effective — it has slightly less reach than a fist
!Neglecting to train palm strikes on pads and bags — they require the same drilling as punches
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Assume Fighting Stance — begin from a balanced position with guard up
2Generate Power — use hip rotation and weight transfer for maximum force
3Execute Strike — deliver the technique to the target with correct form
4Recover to Guard — return immediately to defensive position
Sources & References
Primary Source
The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do (Shoshin Nagamine, 1976)
1BookWing Chun Kung Fu (Yip Man lineage)
Alias sources — [1] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966) [2] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966) [3] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966)
2BookKarate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935)
History sources — [1] The Art of Striking (Blauer, 2004) [2] The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece: Modern Fighting Techniques from the Age of Alexander (Dervenis, 2007) [3] Karate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935) [4] Get Tough! (Fairbairn, 1942)
Official karate technique names (和語/漢語)
4OtherJapanese Martial Arts Standard Terminology (武道用語)
Established Japanese martial arts naming convention — native Japanese term (和語/漢語)
5CitationWing Chun Kung Fu (Yip Man lineage)
Alias sources — [1] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966) [2] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966) [3] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966)
6CitationKarate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935)
History sources — [1] The Art of Striking (Blauer, 2004) [2] The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece: Modern Fighting Techniques from the Age of Alexander (Dervenis, 2007) [3] Karate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935) [4] Get Tough! (Fairbairn, 1942)
Community
Athletics
Requires
speed, power generation through kinetic chain, striking surface conditioning
Favours
athletic build with fast-twitch muscle fibres
Key muscles
varies by strike — hip rotators, shoulders, core
Sub-techniques
Notes
Palm strikes appear in 220 passages across 45 books. The palm heel distributes impact over a broader surface than a fist — lower self-injury risk. Used extensively in Krav Maga, Pencak Silat, and Wing Chun. Bas Rutten famously used palm strikes in Pancrase competition where closed-fist strikes to the head were banned. (45 books in corpus; striking manuals)
Frequently Asked Questions
How effective is a palm strike compared to a regular punch?
A palm heel strike can be as effective as a straight punch, as long as you target vulnerable areas or vital points of the body.
What kind of damage can a palm strike cause?
A quick and forceful thrust of the palm heel to the opponent's body can cause significant damage, making it an effective self-defense technique.
How does the Palm Strike work?
A strike delivered with the heel or base of the open palm, driving the hand forward in a thrusting motion to impact the face, chin, or body without risking hand fractures.
Where does the Palm Strike come from?
The palm strike is one of the most universally distributed striking techniques across world martial arts, favoured for its ability to deliver significant force with minimal risk of hand injury. In Chinese martial arts, palm strikes (zhang fa) form the foundation of entire systems such as Baguazhang ('Eight Trigram Palm').
Is the Palm Strike legal in competition?
Unified MMA: legal — Legal (palm strikes, slaps permitted); WBC/Boxing: banned — Only closed-fist punches permitted; WKF: restricted — Varies by technique — some open-hand strikes legal in kata, generally restric…; Kyokushin: banned — Only closed-fist strikes to body permitted; WT: banned — Prohibited; ITF: restricted — Some knife hand techniques legal; WAKO: banned — Closed fist only; K: banned — 1/GLORY — Closed fist only; IFMA: legal — Legal — palm strikes permitted in Muay Thai
How dangerous is the Palm Strike?
Danger rating 4/10. Moderate — palm strike reduces hand fracture risk; used in self-defense systems
How do I set up the Palm Strike?
The standard setup chain: Assume Fighting Stance → Generate Power → Execute Strike → Recover to Guard.
How do I defend against the Palm Strike?
Standard counters include: Block — absorb the strike with a protective guard position / Evasion — move the target out of the strike's path / Counter-Attack — time an offensive response during the recovery phase of the strike.
What are the variants of the Palm Strike?
Common variants: Standard variation (primary execution of the strike from the most common stance); Power variation (modified mechanics for maximum force generation); Speed variation (minimised telegraph for a faster, harder-to-read attack); Counter variation (timed to exploit the opponent's offensive commitment).
How effective is the Palm Strike in competition?
Palm strikes are used in MMA and self-defence.
What are common mistakes when doing the Palm Strike?
Top errors to watch for: Hitting with the fingers instead of the heel of the palm — pull the fingers back sharply / Letting the wrist bend on impact — the wrist must be locked with the hand pulled back / Slapping instead of striking — the palm strike must drive through the target linearly / Under-committing because it is an open hand — the palm strike should be thrown with full body mechanics.
What are other names for the Palm Strike?
The Palm Strike is also known as Shōtei-uchi, Shotei, Teisho, Palm Heel Strike.