How can one practice spear-hand strikes, while still knowing you got the technique right?

Question

One technique in many martial arts is a spear-hand strike, where you make your hand rigid and thrust into the opponent. There are a couple of different variations: in hapkido, we have a flat-hand attack (palm down); an inverted strike (palm up); and a spear thrust (palm perpendicular to ground). However, the hand shape remains essentially the same in each. There are also a few variations in the exact shape of the hand depending on the source, but the gist of it is that the fingers are rigid and the thumb is pulled back.

A few different sources and some, er, practice indicate that this technique is very easy to jam or otherwise injure one's fingers when practicing against a target; many of the areas and objects that are safe to hit (i.e. soft targets) are not ideal for the strikes.

So the question is: How can one effectively practice spear-hand strikes, for either conditioning or simply hand-training purposes, with minimal risk of injury, while still knowing if you got the technique right?

Answer 1

Generally (though this is often mis-taught), any sort of fingertip striking is done to the soft tissues of the body, a notable exception being thumb tip striking which may attack bone. You'll notice the way the body must be positioned in each regard to the twisting of the hand to strike palm up, palm down, or palm perpendicular, which hints at positioning for the impact.

Like any other activity, it's best learned by doing; that is, if you want to train rigidity in the finger tips, only impact training will properly build the small muscles of the fingers to allow for this sort of activity. There is, after all, no similar activity.

Ultimately, any of this sort of training has the potential to cause RSIs (repetitive stress injuries), much the same way continuous typing can lead to arthritis in the hands as you age. You must be willing, to some degree, accept this as an eventuality.

I find that training with a BOB (Body Opponent Bag) gives a reasonable facsimile of skin over a more rigid core, as well as a body shape. Start slow, targeting the vital points you know are appropriate for those strikes (an inverted strike lends itself well to slipping under the floating ribs, for instance) and repeatedly make the strike in slow motion to build the muscle memory to go to that location. Push into that spot, and move back out. Go further out with each strike. Do this for a couple of weeks, pushing harder into the spot while maintaining correct alignment in your fingers. Over time, slowly build up speed.

Do not think of this as a strike in the same regard as a punch. It's dangerous to confuse these two strikes, and will lead to broken fingers. The sides of the human body are soft and sensitive, protected normally by the arms. You're exploiting this sort of nerve-dense tissues with quick, sharp jabs to create openings, not to permanently cripple or break anything. Look at it appropriately and you'll see how to use it; knowing how to use it leads to discovering new ways to train it.

Answer 2

You can't. You can spear your hands into buckets of sand, try to practice something like the technique by wearing goggles while sparring, and thrust your hands into the air all you want...

...but in a fight, we don't rise to the level of our expectations. We fall to the level of our training. (The transliteration from Musashi is, "You can only fight the way you practice".) If you never train eye pokes and fingers-to-the-throat pokes in sparring, you won't ever really have a good handle on the technique. Neil Ohlenkamp, judo 6 dan, notes:

I have never seen realistic training in throat strikes or eye gouges in any martial arts class, even though these are often recommended for self defense. The teaching generally done for these techniques helps students to understand what to do, but does not provide effective results for fast, reflexive and accurate application of these techniques against an unwilling opponent in real life combat.

And as Gillian Russell accurately points out,

there are a lot of martial beliefs that we do not get to test in such a direct way. Unless you're unfortunate enough to be fighting a hand-to-hand war you cannot check to see how much force and exactly which angle a neck-break requires, or learn from experience about the psychological effects and stopping power of an eye-gouge.

In an epistemically ideal--though morally horrible--situation, we'd be able to test the effectiveness of techniques by doing them in realistic set-ups over and over again. How many times out of 100 does your no-holds barred nukite to the throat result in death within 5 minutes? 20/10? 80/100? What's the most likely alternative outcome? Bruising? Scratching? Coughing? Unconsciousness? Internal bleeding? Partially crushed trachea? Escalation? Can subjects partially armour against it or roll with it? These questions have answers, but for good ethical reasons, we can't get at those answers by direct testing, and though martial techniques do get used 'for real', this rarely happens as part of a controlled experiment.

Our inability to properly test the answers to these questions has a knock-on effect. If you can't test the effectiveness of a technique, then it is hard to test methods for improving the technique. Should you practice your nukite (spear hand) in the air, or will that just encourage you to overextend? Is it helpful to practice 1000 a day, or would it be more effective to practice three sets of ten with good focus against a pad? Our inability to test our fighting methods restricts our ability to test our training methods.

(Source - Martial Arts and Philosophy, edited by Graham Priest and Damon Young, Open Court, 2010 - PDF, emphasis mine.)

You'd do better to work on your jab, wearing gloves, against a heavy bag and a good sparring partner. You'll know exactly how well it works. And anyway, as Luis Gutierrez points out, "If you can't even hit a guy with a 16oz. glove how the hell are you going to eye jab him?"

However, with modern gear, some useful practice is possible. You still won't know how much of an effect these techniques will have, but wearing goggles, elbow pads, and open-palm gloves while wrestling is an awesome way to find out where you can punch, elbow, eye gouge, and grab throats or whatever during grappling. You can also study how those strikes and grabs might be countered. Make sure both partners exercise good control, are wearing all the gear, and have full rights to execute the same techniques. Go light.

Answer 3

Shaolin has some conditioning training. (They have all sorts of conditioning training).

I don't know if it is worth the time to strengthen fingers to be able to jam into people. At least, it is not for me. I've heard of people with iron finger and hand skills to have shortened fingers. Though I'm not a professional musician, I make my living by typing, not beating people up.

There may be alternative ways to use a knife hand. I tend to use a variation of this on soft targets. Like locks or pressure points, I do this as opportunity arises. Or I might use this as a set up for sticking the palm or the back of the hand to the other person's movement. Or to fix their attention on the hand while I'm doing something else with a different body part.

Answer 4

I'm not familiar with hapkido, so this may simply be a technique difference, but in Taekwondo usually you don't hold the fingers perfectly straight in spear-hand strikes--you do hold the fingers rigid, but with a very slight bend so that if you do hit something too hard the fingers crumple inward in the natural direction of the joints, which doesn't really hurt much. You can still get good force out of that if you practice (holding your fingers in that position can take some getting used to), and you're at no risk of jamming your fingers.

stslavik's points about target area/purpose of the strike are good ones also.

Answer 5

A conditioning method Chinese fighters (used to) use, is spear-thrusting your hands into a pot/bag of beans repetitively. The idea here is to have some counter-pressure on your fingertips per strike, but not too much as it would when striking a single solid surface. Just like training muscles or bones, the fingertips grow stronger by just slightly damaging them by doing a lot of these 'bean spear thrusts'.

This may be what Ho-Sheng Hsiao is talking about by the way, although this method isn't limited to Shaolin training. Especially for Shéquan kungfu this is an essential training method.

Shéquan (snake style kungfu) is a kungfu style that focusses specifically on spear-thrusts, sybolising a snake (hence the name). As Ho-Sheng Hsiao already pointed out, it's important to only use this techniuqe, despite of conditioning, to certain softer and weaker parts of the body (pressure points and nerve centers, throat, etc). In fact, I'm pretty sure it's pointless to use this against most parts of the body, e.g. the chest.

Some martial art schools use a variation on this strike: instead of pointing the fingers towards your target, using the outer side of the hand. But, as a thrust forward, rather than a 'chop'.

Answer 6

Realistically, unless you practice and condition like crazy for many years the spear hand strike is only useful in a real emergency. A spear hand isn't going to be effective anywhere on the soft body. It is most useful for a life or death situation where you would finger jab someone in the eyes or throat with enough force where your fingers will probably be broken but your opponent would be worse off.

You should think of the spear hand more as a movement than a strike. It is more applicable to locks and throws though I won't go in detail as to how.

*DO NOT TRY THIS ON ANYONE. I AM MERELY TRYING TO PROVIDE MY OPINION ON AN ACADEMIC LEVEL AND WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE IF YOU HURT YOURSELF OR ANOTHER.

Answer 7

Better use extended knuckles to hit the eyes, breast bone or sternum. But try finger striking the muscle of your upper legs to train your fingers and to simulate actual finger strike on the meaty parts of the human body. Just a suggestion for practicing.

Answer 8

Looking at the use of nukite in karate katas has led me to the belief that you simply should not use a spear hand as a strike. There isn't a single example of it being used as a strike against an opponent in any of the kata I practice, though there are examples of what appears on the surface to be spear hand strikes (and they are often trained that way). All of the examples of spear hand strikes within these kata are entirely different techniques, in particular squeezing a hand through a narrow gap.

Interpreting many of these types of movements as strikes are very often simply misunderstandings of the real applications.

Uechi-ryu karate style's kata conform to the Chinese form convention of using an open hand to indicate a grip. While the Okinawan convention indicating a grip within a kata, is a closed hand which resembles a fist.

The result being that most Okinawan karate styles make use of punches while Uechi make use of a far higher percentage of open hand strikes, like nukite.

Uechi-ryu practitioners unfortunately therefore tend to suffer a higher proportion of finger damage simply through the misunderstanding and misapplication of the techniques. You can see this in many of their older practitioners. Kiyohide Shinjo is an example, but if you inspect the hands of many of the senior practitioners you will see evidence of permanent finger damage.

Answer 9

You cannot condition your hands to make combat effective spear-hand attacks, with or without risk of injury. Hand conditioning is a bad idea in general (I spent years abusing my own body in pursuit of such an edge). Mechanically, and realistically, there is nothing to be gained from trying to jab your straight fingers at an opponent with the full force of a punch. The outcome will be your fingers folding/buckling at the many joints (every one of them a potential point of failure). No amount of strengthening the muscles, bones, or ligaments will change this. There is just too much energy in play for your hand to maintain rigidity through the strike. So, the best one could hope to accomplish with a spear-hand is a light-contact jab, and there are more effective means of delivering those.

In an absence of all sense, throw a series of spear-hand strikes at a heavy bag with someone holding it steady. Continue increasing your commitment to follow-through on the strikes until you realize how dumb this whole notion is, or you are forced to seek medical attention. Hopefully, you reach the former before the latter.

Answer 10

I think the way to use finger strike is to hit the face not needing accuracy to the eyes but just "spear" your fingers to the face hitting whatever parts of the face: eyes, the periorbital part, nose, lips, cheeks, forehead which will make your target get hurt by impact or wound injury. that is why the fingers must be trained to become very strong to withstand impact when it hit the target; and there is a technique to spear your hand- it should not be straight but the whole palm is a little cup-like while the fingers especialy the fore,middle and ring finger are closely knitted and straight. this manner will give the finger a safe recoil not to break when it is speared strongly against a skin-next-to the bone.

Answer 11

Sorry for a late answer to an old question. But some answers suggest that the technique is too dangerous to be used; or that you should bend your fingers to allow safe crumble; or that there's no way to properly condition for use.

These answers assume that there's only one way the spearhand is to be used, which is that it is a power strike into the target.

Why assume that? A gentle backhand smack to the eyes can be enough distraction for the opponent to become off-balanced, lessening the impact of his strike. Surely if a gentle back-smack can do that, a gentle poke to the eyes - even a threat of a strike to the eyes - can do the same, yes?

These answers also assume that the tips of the fingers are what strikes the target.

Why assume that? Can't the palm of the spearhand be used to rub along the attacker's face? If meeting your opponent head-on, if your right hand is the spearhand, your left arm is crossed in an "L" shape in front of you. This is a common defensive movement: you're holding your opponent to you while you slide your hand up the chest, over the face, and beyond: this has the effect of bending his head backward. Isn't the shape of the spearhand the same?

Or are we talking about where the palm is vertical (facing left with a right-hand spearhand). Well, meeting your opponent from the side and issuing a similar strike has the effect of twisting the head sideways, snapping the head laterally, maybe breaking the neck, inducing vertigo, or applying a headlock.

I get it that we see these strikes as a power strike. After all, I break with fingertips. I'm above average with respect to fingertip strikes, given my constant practice for breaking. However, I would never use a fingertip strike as a power strike against an opponent. Rather, I would use it as a distracting movement, or to poke the eyes or throat - but not with full power. Doing that could cause injury to both of us, and, if he's got a friend who can help him, I'm going to be fighting his friend next - and without a good hand to do so.

We should never assume a technique's use based on its name. Giving a thing a name thus limits its use, and that is unfortunate because it makes it difficult for us to imagine more uses. To figure out what a technique's use is, you need to look at many things: what's the other hand doing? What's the stance you're in? What's the previous movement? What's the next movement?

Did you ever see a spearhand being applied WITHOUT the other hand's palm beneath the elbow? If you did, it's probably high - as if attacking the eyes with the finger tips, and the stance was probably a front stance. If it was very low, the palm was probably facing up and it's probably to grab at the groin or knee - but not attacking by the tips of fingers. (and most likely, you're in a back stance or cat stance). Ever wonder why?

Here's another use for a spearhand: it can be a throw.

In Kukkiwon Taekwondo, Taeguek Sa Jang (#4) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAauWkIZuqY), the first movement is a double knifehand block, then step into a spearhand. The key here is to figure out what the previous double knifehand was doing. If you were competently taught, you'd know you're not blocking anything. Because your hands are knifehands, and not fists, the assumption is that you are being grabbed. The outstretched hands keep your opponent off-balance; if he wriggles into a position most advantageous to him with maximum possibility to attack you, then, he'll jam himself up by having his hands (which are now grabbing you) useless; you step in with your forward hand (the forward part of the double-knife-hand) reach behind his back or head (that's the part that forms the palm down underneath the spearhand), and the rear hand of the double-knife-hand then moves forward over the shoulder, which throws him backward. In Aikido this technique is called "iriminage", and you can see superb examples with Sensei Christian Tissier on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2EJEWrAxsQ). Hapkido has a very similar throw, in English we just called it a head throw, I don't remember the Korean name.

So there you have it: don't assume a technique's purpose based on it's name. Otherwise, you'll get completely flustered with "Swallow Poom" (which is the high-block/neck chop combo). ;-)

And a word of warning: if you have to condition to use a technique, what good is the technique when you can no longer condition for it? As you get older, the technique that once required conditioning is useless to you. And in many cases, conditioning can be damaging; osteoarthritis is common among people like me who condition for breaking. Yes, I'm paying dearly for it.

And what good is a technique if you are required to condition for it, but you never do condition for it? That's on your instructor, who should have told you that the spearhand need not be a power strike (unless you're breaking). In self-defense, a spearhand is just too dangerous for YOU to use as a power strike.

To answer your question, you ought to explore the many uses of a spear-hand. Don't assume you need full force behind it, such is not the intention. In my belief, a technique which requires such conditioning means to go down a path not intended for the technique. What will you do when you're older, or injured, or fatigued? Learn what a spear-hand really is, and then practice your technique for those cases. If you think hitting a sandbag will improve it, or condition you, then you don't know what it is for. Find a competent instructor who can give you drills, and help you as you practice.

Answer 12

Don't use the tips of your fingers for practice. Its too dangerous to you and to your sparring partner.

Instead, close the front two finger joints to form a flat fist (as if you were rapping on a door) .The striking point is the first knuckle of your first two fingers.

You give up only two inches. Also fight like that if you want.

Practice like that. Its much safer.

Throwing an open hand spear hand at an eye or throat is a fine motor skill for an expert. If your opponent sees it coming and ducks, you will jam your fingers on his head or chin. Not good.

Personally, the only time i would ever attempt an open hand spear is against a knife attack. In that case, I definitely would.

I safer alternative to a full length open hand spear hand thrust is a spear hand slash - basically same dynamics but with a sideways cut for a few inchrs across the eyes. Spearhand slash is a very good self defense technique for women with good nails . Do it fast and hard. Try to break off your nails in his eye. Then DUCK and MOVE because he's likely to shoot out a hand up high . The attacker will close both eyes. Dont let him grab your hair.

If you practice an eye gouge, everytime you throw it, practice the duck and move too. Practice not tripping over your own feet.

Hitting the ground and rolling is a good getaway technique too - like if you have been pushed down or onto furniture .

Good abdominal strength is necessary to get up quickly from the ground.

Answer 13

you may have not trained properly and the one who guided you is misguided. compare yourself with other who trained the way you did and yet they did not hurt themselves. you just did the wrong way of training.

Answer 14

I read many reasons about the spear hand that it is better to train your standard fist or if you cannot an eye with a fist how can you hit it with fingers. If your fingers are sturdy enough that it it can already pierce a little a banana stalk or when it can withstand impact when you strike them on a table or swinging door without injuring it. if you keep flinging your fist to the face of your opponent why don't you do that also with your fingers on the same face it might hit the eyes or hurt the face when your sturdy finger forcefully hit the cheek or lips of your opponent. if you grapple with him fling your fingers in the eyes instead of punching him. or hit him with extended knuckle to the breast or the face.

Answer 15

what about those who can break a inch pineboard using spearhand. if he will hit your face with it do you think his fingers will break? your head will surely move backward by the force of the strike and reaction to pain and so the fingers will not absorb so much impact because of the reaction.

Answer 16

In hapkido we pre break our hands where the thumb meets the hand. But my instructor Master Hui Son Choe, and his style is a bit extreme.