Punch (combat) in the context of "Atemi"

A strike is a directed, forceful physical attack with either a part of the human body or with a handheld object (such as a melee weapon), intended to cause blunt or penetrating trauma upon an opponent.

There are many different varieties of strikes. A strike with the hand closed into a fist is known as a punch, a strike with a fingertip is known as a jab, a strike with the leg or foot is known as a kick, and a strike with the head is known as a headbutt. There are also other variations employed in martial arts and combat sports.

A jab is a type of punch used in martial arts. Several variations of the jab exist, but every jab shares these characteristics: while in a fighting stance, the lead fist is thrown straight ahead and the arm is fully extended from the side of the torso. This process also involves a quick turn of the torso. It is an overhand punch; at the moment of impact, the pronated fist is generally held in a horizontal orientation with the palm facing the ground. This is also called a "front punch."

Jabs are usually aimed at the face or function as a feint, to lead to a second punch. Dynamic muscles involved in the jab include deltoids, triceps, pectorals, and the serratus anterior in the extension of the arm, and quadriceps and calves in the body drive.

Hapkido (UK: /ˌhæpkiːˈdoʊ/ HAP-kee-DOH, US: /hɑːpˈkiːdoʊ/ hahp-KEE-doh, Korean: 합기도; RR: hapgido; pronounced [hap̚.ki.do]), also spelled hap ki do or hapki-do is a Korean martial art. It is a hybrid form of self-defense that employs joint locks, grappling, chokeholds, throwing techniques, kicks, punches, and other striking attacks. It also teaches the use of traditional weapons, including knife, sword, rope, nunchaku (ssang juhl bong), cane (ji pang ee), short stick (dan bong), and middle-length staff (joong bong), gun (analogous to the Japanese jō), and bō (Japanese), which vary in emphasis depending on the particular tradition examined.

Hapkido employs both long-range and close-range fighting techniques, utilizing jumping kicks and percussive hand strikes at longer ranges, and pressure point strikes, joint locks, and throws at closer fighting distances. Hapkido emphasizes circular motion, redirection of force, and control of the opponent. Practitioners seek to gain advantage over their opponents through footwork and body positioning to incorporate the use of leverage, avoiding the use of brute strength against brute strength.

Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two opponents throwing punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time, it is usually done wearing protective equipment, such as protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards.

Although the term 'boxing' commonly refers to the Western style, where only the fists are used, it has evolved differently in various regions and cultures across the world. Today the term, "boxing" is also used to refer to any kind of combat sport focused on striking, where two opponents fight each other using their fists, and could possibly involve kicks, elbow strikes, knee strikes, and headbutts, depending on the rules. These include bare-knuckle boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, Lethwei, savate, and sanda. Boxing techniques have been incorporated into many martial arts, military systems, as well as other combat sports.

Kickboxing is a full-contact hybrid martial art and boxing type based on punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouth guards, shorts, and bare feet to favor the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general fitness, or for competition. Some styles of kickboxing include: full contact karate, Muay Thai, Japanese kickboxing, Lethwei, Sanda, and Savate.

Although since the dawn of humanity people have faced each other in hand-to-hand combat, the first documentation on the use of kicking and punching in sports combat is from ancient Greece and ancient India. But nevertheless, the term kickboxing originated in Japan, in the 1960s, and developed in the late 1950s from karate mixed with boxing, having some influence, with competitions held since then. American kickboxing originated in the 1970s and was brought to prominence in September 1974, when the Professional Karate Association (PKA) held the first World Championships. Historically, kickboxing can be considered a hybrid martial art formed from the combination of elements of various traditional styles. This approach became increasingly popular since the 1970s, and since the 1990s, kickboxing has contributed to the emergence of mixed martial arts via further hybridization with ground fighting techniques from Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and folk wrestling.