The Way of Least Resistance

My recent article on the overhand inverted punch covered the surprising utility of that technique. It's main use, as exemplified by Holly Holm in her fight against Ronda Rousey , is of course, as a punch - one that can come from an unexpected angle. In my article on the punch , I also added an extra video showing its use as a projection/throw. But something I neglected to discuss was actually one of the most important attributes of the punch: the fact that it can, while striking, also " simultaneously " intercept and deflect (what some people call "block") an incoming attack.  This should be apparent from the animated gif below: The key to understanding how it works lies in understanding one of the most basic techniques of traditional martial arts - and also helps explain the function of that technique.  I'm talking about the humble "rising block" (age or jodan uke).  I've previously dealt with this technique in " Back to bas...

One of the techniques I noticed frequently in the Rousey vs. Holm fight was the overhand inverted punch.  In karate I suppose it would be an otoshi ura zuki (an inverted dropping punch). 1 Holm used it time and time again to devastating effect - both moving to the outside of Rousey's lead (something I'll examine in a moment), and sometimes just square down the middle on the inside, as shown in the three pictures to the right.  However it lands, the technique is devastating.  It's a very useful punch precisely because it is so  unexpected . I suppose this raises the question why that would be the case.  I'll get to that soon.  But first, let us not forget what an oddity this technique really is - in both combat sports and traditional martial arts. In an industry often obsessed with rejecting any level of " corkscrew " in punches, it seems out of place to expect one that corkscrews to its maximum possible extent - ie. so much that the thumb ends up...