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Punch lesson 5 of 6 Rear hand

Overhand

A looping rear-hand punch that rises up, travels over the top of the opponent’s lead hand and comes down onto the head. It’s usually thrown while ducking slightly off the line, so it doubles as a defence.

Slow it down How it works

For entertainment only. A robot demo that explains how the punch works. It isn’t training or advice, so don’t try it on anyone. Disclaimer

Drawing: a sensei robot lands a overhand on a sparring robot, and microchips fly from the impact.
Fist speed
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Impact, est.
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Now demonstrating

Overhand

Slow motion

Frame by frame

Camera
Auto-pause after

    Keyboard, with the 3D view focused: Space pause and play, , and . step one frame back or forward, arrow keys turn the camera.

    Robot demo for entertainment only. Please don't try it on people, pets or yourself.

    At a glance

    What the overhand is

    Loops over the top and comes down. Tori stands orthodox, with its left foot and left hand in front. A left-handed (southpaw) fighter mirrors everything on this page.

    Hand
    Rear hand (Tori’s right)
    Target
    Temple and side of the head, over the lead shoulder
    Range
    Medium
    Path
    A loop: up, over and down
    Power from
    The level change, the hips turning and the body’s weight falling forward
    Fist at impact
    Palm down, turned slightly out
    Pad call
    Usually just “overhand”; there’s no standard number

    Think of it as a cross thrown on a curve: the same rear foot and hip drive, but the fist travels over the top instead of straight.

    Step by step

    What Tori does, frame by frame

    These are the same steps as the buttons under the 3D view. Freeze Tori on any of them, then turn the camera to look from every side.

    1. Guard. Hands up, eyes on the opponent.

    2. Slip. Tori bends its knees and moves its head a little off the line to its left, as if slipping a jab. The rear hand starts to rise.

    3. Loop. The rear hip turns and the fist travels up and over in an arc with the elbow high, like throwing a ball overarm.

    4. Land. The fist comes down onto the side of Uke’s head, over its shoulder. Tori’s weight is forward over its lead leg and its own head is off the line.

    5. Follow through. The fist carries on down and across as the body finishes turning.

    6. Reset. Tori comes back up into its stance, guard high.

    Diagram seen from the side: the path of Tori’s fist in the overhand, from Tori on the left to Uke on the right. TORI UKE rear fist:up, over and down head slips
    Seen from the side: the fist rises above the line of the shoulders, arcs over the top and drops onto the head, while the puncher’s own head dips off the line.

    Watch it like a coach

    • Camera Side at ¼×: the loop over the top.
    • Step frame by frame through Slip: the head moves off the line before the fist goes.
    • Camera Behind Tori: the fist drops over Uke’s shoulder onto the head.

    Where the power comes from

    From the floor to the fist

    A punch isn’t thrown by the arm alone. Each link passes the movement on to the next, from the feet up to the fist.

    1. Legs

      The dip lowers the body, then the rear foot drives and pivots.

    2. Hips

      Turn hard, just like the cross.

    3. Body weight

      Falls forward and down behind the punch.

    4. Arm

      Arcs over with the elbow high, turning the fist over as it drops.

    Checkpoints

    What to look for in the demo

    Freeze Tori on Land and check each of these.

    • Head off the line first The slip comes before the punch.
    • Over, not round The arc goes over the top, not round the side.
    • Elbow high The elbow lifts so the fist can come down.
    • Lead hand guarding It stays at the face.
    • Weight over the lead leg Forward, but not past the knee.
    • Quick recovery This punch commits a lot; get back to the stance fast.

    Common mistakes

    How the overhand goes wrong

    Robots make these mistakes too, until someone updates their firmware.

    Winding up

    Pulling the hand back before the loop makes it easy to read.

    What Tori does instead: The arc starts from the guard.

    Staying on the centre line

    The opponent’s jab or counter lands first.

    What Tori does instead: Slip first, punch second.

    Falling forward

    A miss leaves the puncher off balance and open.

    What Tori does instead: Weight over the lead knee, not beyond it.

    Looping too wide

    Swung round the side, it turns into a slow, wide hook.

    What Tori does instead: Up and over, then down.

    The fist

    What a proper fist looks like

    Tori’s hands have real robot fingers. Watch them in the Close-up camera: the grip is loose in the guard and clenches at the moment of impact.

    A closed fist seen from the front: four curled fingers, the thumb folded across the index and middle fingers, and the first two knuckles marked as the striking surface. first two knuckles thumb outside, across the fingers

    Four things Tori’s hand gets right

    1. Fingers curled tight into the palm. No gaps between them.
    2. Thumb outside, folded across the middle of the index and middle fingers. Never tucked inside the fingers.
    3. Wrist straight, so the back of the hand lines up with the forearm.
    4. First two knuckles lead: the index and middle knuckles are the ones that land.

    In a fight (between robots)

    How it’s used, and how it’s stopped

    Punches are called by number on the pads in many gyms: 1 jab, 2 cross, 3 lead hook, and the uppercuts 5 and 6.

    Combinations

    • Counter

      Slip outside the opponent’s jab and throw the overhand over it.

    • 1-overhand

      Jab to draw the opponent’s guard, then the overhand.

    • Overhand-3

      Overhand, then lead hook.

    • Body-head

      A feint or a punch to the body lowers the guard, then over the top.

    How Uke could stop it

    • Step back

      The loop is slow, so distance works well.

    • High guard

      Lead glove high, shoulder up.

    • Duck

      Duck under the loop.

    • Move

      Move to the side the punch comes from, inside the arc.

    A robot demo, not a class

    This page explains how the overhand works so the animation makes sense. It isn’t a martial arts course, and it isn’t self-defense, fitness, medical or safety advice. Tori’s version is simplified and exaggerated for the camera. Don’t hit anyone. If you want to learn to box for real, learn in person from a qualified coach and check with a doctor first.

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