How To Punch Harder Using a Wall

We all want to punch harder. But not so fast!

When you focus on adding speed and power to your strikes, you may be neglecting something more important—proper alignment!

FACT: If your arm and body aren’t lined up properly behind a punch, not only won’t you be delivering maximum power, you’ll be in danger of hurting yourself.

That’s why I recommend testing full power strikes on heavy bags, pads, or willing partners, every chance you get. Whether you’re a student of Karate, Tae Kwon Do, or Kung Fu, if you spend the majority of your time practicing strikes in the air, you may be developing bad habits and poor technique without even knowing it!

But what if you don’t have access to a heavy bag or a sparring partner? Is there still a way to test your punches?

YES!

Where there’s a wall, there’s a way!

That’s right! In this video, I’ll show you how to use a wall to help you learn how to punch harder. If the video doesn’t play, don’t worry—all the tips are listed below.

Keep punching, my friend!

How to Punch Harder

If you’ve ever trained in a traditional karate class, you’ve probably had an instructor push on your fist to test the alignment behind your punch.

If there’s a bend in your wrist, it buckles. If your shoulder is raised, it slides back. If your hips and legs are out of line, you fall back.

Well, without an instructor around, you can test your punches the same way… on a wall!

No, I’m not telling you to punch the wall… I want you to push it instead.

Think about it, a punch utilizes the same body mechanics as a push. The only difference is how quickly and explosively you shift your weight.

So, let’s get started!

1. Pick a wall
2. Pick a punch.
3. Place your knuckles on the wall.
4. Lean into your punch.

How does it feel? I’ll bet you find at least one part of your body that’s not quite right. I’ll bet you feel something buckle immediately.

That’s what makes the wall such a great teacher… it never lies!

If you do happen to feel strong and stable, then it’s time to push harder. Pay attention to your wrist, elbow, shoulder, waist, hip, knee, and foot.

Every part of your body should be connected and driving forward.

Once you’re feeling strong while delivering a long, steady push, the next step is to shift your weight back and forth, on and off, over and over. Think of it like a pulse.

Just like throwing punches at bag, try pushing into the wall at a faster and faster pace. Weight on. Weight off. Again and again.

Be sure to keep your knuckles on the wall the entire time! The goal is simply to align your body behind the punch, not strike the wall.

Once you’ve got the feeling of a perfect punch, back away from the wall and throw the same punch in the air. The goal is to maintain the same feeling in your body off the wall as when you’re pushing on the wall.

If your body doesn’t feel the same, go back to the wall. It only takes one or two pushes to correct your movement again. Think of it as a quick tune-up.

Of course, you can test more than just straight punches on the wall. I recommend testing your front elbow strike and uppercut as well. I even test my head butt!

In fact, you can (and should) test all of your strikes against the wall. And frequently. No matter who you are or what rank you’re wearing, bad habits can sneak into your practice at any time.

Test your strikes every time you practice because there’s nothing worse in the martial arts than a cocky air-puncher!

Even better than practicing on a flat wall is practicing on a corner. Seek out a pillar, a post, a bookcase… even a doorway. Any spot that offers you two different angles to push against makes a perfect dojo. Here’s why—

Instead of shifting your weight to the wall, a corner allows you to shift through the wall.

Now you can rotate across your center line and add even more power to your straight techniques.

You can also add circular techniques. Consider hooks to the head and body, circular elbows, ridge hands, hammer fists, and overhand strikes.

Whew!

Do all that and then the fun begins. It’s time to spar the wall!

Just like shadow boxing, mix up your strikes as you would in a real fight. Jab, cross, hook, uppercut, elbow, overhand right…

See how smoothly and quickly you can shift your weight and maintain proper alignment. Just don’t expect to beat the wall!

Remember, the key in wall training is not to slam your fist into it like a makiwara.

Don’t use the wall to condition your knuckles, use it to condition your whole body.

Don’t get me wrong—big knuckles look cool, but if you throw a real punch in a real fight and you end up breaking your wrist and falling on the ground, that’s not so cool.

The secret to powerful striking is not found in the knuckles… it’s found in proper body alignment. Make body alignment your first priority and you’ll be able to add more speed and power than ever before.

So, take my advice—the next time you feel like your training has hit a wall… hit a wall! That’s the way to punch better and punch harder.