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Why should I use it?
The hook punch is an effective traditional boxing strike delivered in a tight arc. Though generally delivered from the lead hand, it can be delivered from the rear, depending on your angle and position. It is an excellent close-range strike, particularly as its trajectory means the fist often comes at the recipient’s head from outside his field of vision (if thrown in close). It’s no coincidence that the phrase ‘watch out for the hook’ is almost a boxing cliche.
The hook is much tighter and enables faster delivery of a powerful hit than a swinging or round punch, while still enabling you to change your angles of attack, rather than delivering all straight strikes. The primary principle in boxing is to keep changing your strikes, because you become predictable if you keep throwing the same punches over and over. You must vary your angles of attack — straight, looping, high, low — and your targets. Having a good hook punch will help you do this.
Also, many traditional stylists hold their hands low or have them extended, leaving their head vulnerable to the hook punch. It is the strike non-boxers usually have the most trouble defending.
The hook is versatile and, with a few technical adjustments, it can also be thrown from a longer range.
When and how should I use it?
The hook is best used in combination with straight punches, which will draw your opponent’s hands forward and allow you to hit him to the side of the head or neck.
Alternatively, you can hook first and follow with straight punches. As your opponent covers and/or tries to evade your hook, you back it up with a straight strike to confuse them in their defence. ‘Throw your punches in bunches’ is an old boxing saying. You should never throw one punch thinking you’re going to knock an opponent out, because it’s predictable and your opponent can more easily evade, guard or brace themselves for the strike. It’s in a barrage of strikes of varying angles that one will hit, whether it’s the hook that does the damage, or the right-cross, the uppercut, etc.
What are the targets?
Aim for the jaw, cheek, neck and the temple. Lower hooks, or body-rips, are delivered to the body — the ribs, kidneys etc. — but they require a different set-up and execution.
How do I execute it?
A few years ago I had difficulty executing a hook correctly, but my old boxing trainer helped by asking me, “If you’re going to slap someone in the side of the face, what movement do you make?”. Biomechanically, you must rotate your shoulder, your hip, knee and toes. This starts from the ground up: as the fist starts to travel, rotate on the ball of your foot in the direction of your strike. Your knee will follow, then your hip and shoulder. It’s essentially a semi-rotation of your body with a slapping-type movement of the hand.
The faster and smoother the twisting of your body (in sync with the movement of the hand), the more power you will generate. To allow for rotation and forward drive, your heel (on the same side as the punching arm) must lift off the floor. Your knees must remain bent to give you power and balance. If you are stepping toward the target (ie. when delivering a left hook off the leading hand, stepping across to your right), the punch should connect as the foot lands.
Your elbow should be up slightly and the punch should travel over or behind your opponent’s guard. If you’re opponent’s guard is up, you must get around behind it to strike the target. Generally, the angle at the elbow will be about 90 degrees. The closer you are to your target, the tighter the angle.
The rolling hook is a defensive variation that is less powerful because you are less grounded. Initiated by a side-step with the lead foot, the left rolling hook is thrown as your right (rear) foot sweeps in a circular motion behind your left (maintaining the length of your stance). This allows you to evade and ‘pick off’ an opponent who charges straight in.
How do I train it?
The hook can be trained in the air (shadow boxing), on a bag or floor-to-ceiling ball and worked into pad routines (as shown). It is good to combine your hooks with weaving as well as straight punches, as the weave will put you in position to throw the hook. As you weave, your hips and shoulders will turn one way so that they are wound up and ready to rotate back the other way to deliver the hook. Hitting focus mitts held by a partner will also better work your reactions, timing and accuracy.
Who else uses it?
The hook is an effective strike for anyone in a combat situation. Muay Thai fighters have adopted it, as have many freestyle martial artists from karate, taekwondo and a host of other traditional arts. Some traditional styles have their own version of the hook. For example, some Wing Chun schools use a more direct but less powerful variation that involves stepping through with the body moving parallel to the fist and forearm rather than rotating to get the shoulder in behind the strike. In this sense, it is more like a straight (linear) punch with a bent arm.
How does Mark use it?
I’ve used the hook in countless kickboxing and Muay Thai bouts and for self-defence while working in the security industry.
Some deliver hooks with the palm facing down to the ground, but I turn my fist so my palm faces me at a 45 degree angle. If you have your palm down, the tendons and muscles of the arm twist and become tighter, restricting the arm’s movement. Just by turning your palm inward, your arm moves more freely and you can execute the punch a lot quicker.
For self-defence, the hook can be modified using a palm-heel or an open hand. A palm-heel strike can sometimes be more user-friendly than a punch, because the small bones in the hands can be broken if they accidentally make contact with the skull. So for self-defence, when you’ll be without gloves, it’s good to strike with your palm heel.
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