Editing Strike (attack) (section)

==Hands and arms==
Arm strikes is the act of striking with some part of the palm, [[knuckle]], [[arm]], elbow, or shoulder. This is usually the elbow, the hand, the forearm, or the back of the wrist.

===Open-hand===
{{main article|Open-hand strikes}}

====Palm====
A strike using the [[Hand#Areas|palm]] of the hand. Whether the hand is open or the fingertips are folded against the bottom knuckles, palm strikes hit with the bottom part of the palm, where the hand meets the wrist. The hand is held perpendicular to the wrist to avoid hitting the softer inner wrist tissue against the target.

The bottom ridge of the palm is a surprisingly solid striking surface, and can do just as much damage as a closed fist when utilized properly (some studies have shown that a palm strike actually can produce more energy than a punch),{{Citation needed|reason=Speculation?|date=January 2010}} with far less risk of injury to the striker's own hand.

The palm strike is useful as it is thrown in a more relaxed manner than a clenched fist. This is because clenching the fist shortens the extensor muscles of the wrist which counter the action of flexor muscles of the wrist used in punching. Many martial arts teach to keep the fist clench relaxed until impact in order to maximize the speed of the punch.

Targets are numerous and some examples include the [[human nose|nose]], [[jaw]], [[ear]]s, back of the [[Human head|head]], the [[groin]], the [[kidney]]s, the [[Temple (anatomy)|temple]]s and [[abdominal cavity]]. Some combat sports, such as [[Pancrase]], have forbidden strikes using the clenched fist but permitted strikes using the palm.

=====Slap=====
{{main article|Slapping (strike)}}
Use a stiff arm as an example, from a standing position, left hand up in guard and right hand at your side, shoot your right arm upward hitting with the forearm, since the other hand has to check low let it pass by the bicep of the right arm, as you add more power and speed you end up slapping your bicep on the way by.

====Knife hand====
{{main article|Knifehand strike}}
[[File:Shuto.png|thumb|Knife hand]]
A strike using the part of the hand opposite the thumb (from the little finger to the wrist), familiar to many people as a '''karate chop''', ''Shuto'' or ''Tegatana''. This refers to strikes performed with the side of the knuckle of the small finger.

Suitable targets for the knife hand strike include the mastoid muscles of the neck, the jugular, the throat, the collar bones, the 3rd vertebra (key stone of the spinal column), the upper arm, the wrist (knife hand block), the elbow (outside knife hand block), and the knee cap (leg throw).  In many Japanese and Chinese martial arts systems, the knife hand is used to block as well as to strike.
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====Ridge hand====
[[File:Haito.svg|right|thumb|Ridge hand]]
By tucking the thumb into the palm, a striking surface called the ridge-hand, or '''reverse knife-hand''' is formed, extending a few inches along the inside of the hand below the first knuckle of the first finger.  Ridge-hand strikes commonly are delivered with a hooking motion, or with a straight arm swinging sideways.

Suitable targets include the mastoid muscles of the neck, the jugular, [[throat]], nose, jaw, the eyes, and the groin. The ridge hand is generally considered obsolete in the martial arts and highly circumstantial.{{by whom|date=November 2012}} The conditioning required to effectively use it is usually better suited towards basic conditioning of other more natural parts of the body, such as punching or kicking.{{Citation needed|reason=Speculation?|date=November 2012}} For example, the buckling that can occur on an unconditioned and sometimes even highly conditioned fighter when using the technique and slightly missing the main targets (eyes, neck, or nose) can do more damage to the striker, even when he hits decent targets instead, like the jaw or forehead.{{Citation needed|reason=Speculation?|date=November 2012}} As such, it is considered{{by whom|date=November 2012}} a high-level and highly-circumstantial technique in the martial arts that still teach the technique, such as most forms of karate, tae kwon do, jujitsu, and kung fu.
The ridge hand technique is very swift and when mastered can be a formidable technique, it was used successfully by Ian Fergusson (currently 7th degree Tae Kwon Do Master) in the 1981 Tae Kwon Do championships in Argentina earning him an individual bronze medal and contributed to the team international gold medal.

====Spear hand====
[[File:Nukite.png|thumb|Spear hand]]
Delivered just as with a punch except that the hand is held open like with a knife hand. The intended striking area are the tips of the fingers. The ideal targets are the [[human eye|eyes]] and throat. This technique is generally unsuitable against most other targets due to the high probability of it breaking one's fingers. It does have the added advantage of increasing the range of normal hand striking by 3–4&nbsp;inches or so as opposed to punching, backfisting, or hammer fisting. It is considered a high-level technique requiring enormous conditioning, but even accidental spear fingering can be quite devastating on the eyes such as punching mistakes seen in modern MMA circuits.

===Closed-fist===
====Punch====
{{main article|Punch (combat)}}
A strike utilizing the hand with the fingers closed into a [[fist (hand)|fist]] and striking with the knuckles (as opposed to the hammer fist described below). There are various methods of punches, including but not limited to the straight lead, the backfist, the jab, and the vertical punch.

====Hammerfist====

The hammerfist is a strike with the bottom of a clenched fist, using an action like swinging a hammer, but can also be used horizontally like a backfist strike using the bottom fist.

This strike will not damage the bones of the hands as there is no compression of the knuckles or metacarpals, and there is no leverage to bend the wrist.

The hammerfist strikes cricket ball sized areas on the body, hence is particularly effective for striking the [[occiput]], the temples, the nose, the mandible, the wrist (for blocking punches), the testicles, the sternum, and the ear (although a cupped hand is more effective). The hammerfist is sometimes used during "[[Mixed martial arts#Ground-and-pound|ground-and-pound]]" striking in mixed martial arts to avoid damaging the bones of the hand.

The hammerfist can also be used to counter grappling charges wherein the assailant goes low, grabs the defender's legs, and gives the defender a concussion to the back of the head. It is a non-lethal alternative to performing a karate-chop on the assailant's exposed neck.

====Extended knuckle====
[[File:Ippon-Ken.png|thumb|Extended knuckle (Ippon ken)]]
[[File:Nakadaka ken.png|thumb|Extended knuckle (Nakadaka ken)]]
Hand strikes can be delivered with an extended knuckle, rather than the classic fist configuration used for a traditional punch.  One of the fingers is moved forwards so that the impact is made with the knuckle, concentrating force onto a smaller area. This kind of strike is optimized for attacks to [[pressure point]]s.
Deriving from traditional and ancient [[Kung Fu]], such striking was considered high level technique for advanced students/inheritors of the art. The accuracy required alongside the conditioning requirements (similar to the knuckles for traditional punching) put it as a circumstantial technique and not as a standard one.

Some modern martial arts, such as [[Krav Maga]], [[Aikido]], [[Hapkido]], deliver this strike to the back of the hand while being held. It puts pressure on the small bones of the opponent's hand, causing its grip to loosen. This lets the practitioner transition smoothly into a [[small joint manipulation]] technique. However, its effectiveness when the opponent is aware that a fight is occurring has been disputed, with evidence hard to obtain due to the nature of the art and its disuse in sport, combat, sparring, or matches.

===Elbow===
{{Main article|Elbow (strike)}}

[[File:Angkor_Wat_bas-reliefs_(9730508282).jpg|thumb|left|[[Bas-relief]] of an elbow strike to the jaw at [[Angkor Wat]] (12th century) in [[Cambodia]] ]]
An elbow strike is any type of attack utilizing the adjoining bones of the [[humerus]] and the [[forearm]]. They can either be linear or circular, and can be used in similar fashion to a standard [[Hook (punch)|hook]], [[uppercut]], or [[Overhand (boxing)|overhand]]. Elbow and knee strikes, especially when delivered from a [[Clinch fighting#Striking techniques|clinch]] are generally associated with southeast Asian boxing ([[Pradal Serey]] and [[Muay Lao]]). 
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===Shoulder===
A shoulder strike(also referred to as a shoulder butt) is a strike with the [[anterior]] part of the [[shoulder]]. It is commonly used in [[Bajiquan]], the “''Eight Extremities Fist''”, as an explosive attack from the ‘''zhen jiao’ (charging step)'' motion. This move is also commonly featured in many Japanese manga and fighting games, as the martial art is known in Japanese as [[Bajiquan|Hakyyokuken]]. The shoulder strike can be used against the head of the opponent in close positions such as in a [[Grappling position#Stand-up grappling position|clinch]] or [[ground fighting]], but is generally not considered to have [[knockout power]]. However, as used as a fulcrum for a joint hyperextention, such as an arm lock in classic jujitsu from stand-up or ground positions, can serve well to break said joint either when being the surface that an elbow is slammed upon or as a surface to balance out the break much as the thigh is for the [[juji-gatame]] in [[judo]].