A punch is like a whip!
…Not a battering ram.
So often, in fighting, we want to make contact with our fist so bad…just for the sake of it. When(if) one of those punches land we push them through our opponent. Almost, just to prove the point that one of our punches actually landed …and to show how strong we are?
The first key is to relax! A lot of the time forced punches are a result of being too tense! Usually for the simple fact that we’re in there trying. It’s all good! Remember from earlier, “When you are in great position, it’s going to be really hard for anybody to score on you.”
Now that you’re good and relaxed and the anxiety of their attack is minimized start to visualized your punch as a whip and let your body do the work. Think of your spine as a tether ball pole and your arms are the ropes spinning around. When I visualize this I replace the ball (your fists) with a brick or anvil.
The maximum impact of your punch is in that small area where your fist turns over and “SNAPS!”
*Another good visual is the two sided drum from the Karate Kid movies.