Punch (combat)

Punch (combat)

A punch is a striking blow with the fist. It is the most commonly used attack in hand to hand combat. It is used in some martial arts and combat sports, most notably boxing where it is the only type of technique allowed. In sports hand wraps or other padding such as gloves may be employed to protect athletes and practitioners from injuring themselves.

The use of punches varies between different martial arts and combat sports. Styles such as boxing or Russian fist fighting utilize punches alone, while others such as kickboxing or karate may use punches as secondary to kicks. Others such as wrestling and judo do not utilize punches at all. There are many different types of punches and as a result, different styles encompass varying types of punching techniques.