This video lesson is about a simple idea: elbows are hooks. Learn to punch by learning to elbow. People who have taken this method on board have been able to increase the effectiveness of their punches very quickly.

For people new or fairly new to striking, it is an excellent way to speed up the learning process. Even fighters with a great deal of experience have benefited from it. And for self-defence, the use of elbows in this way is devastating.

Why Elbows and Hooks Are Linked

A good hook and a good horizontal elbow share most of the same mechanics. The power comes from the feet, hips and body turning together, not from the arm swinging on its own. The elbow is simply the short-range version. The hook is the same movement with a longer lever.

The trouble with learning the hook first is that the arm gets in the way. Beginners swing from the shoulder, open the arm too wide, and lose the connection to the body. When you learn the elbow first, there is no long arm to swing. The body has to do the work, and that teaches the right movement very quickly.

How It Works

  • Turn the body as one unit, from the feet up through the hips and shoulders
  • Keep the striking arm tight to the body's rotation
  • Stay relaxed until contact, then let the body drive through the target
  • Once the elbow feels right, extend the same movement into a hook

The hook that comes from this is shorter, tighter and far more connected than an arm-swinging hook.

Elbows for Self-Defence and Officers

At close range, an elbow is one of the most powerful strikes you have. It is hard, short, and works when there is no room to punch. For law enforcement officers, using elbows in this way is also a strong method of weapon retention, keeping someone away from a holstered weapon.

Elbows can cause serious injury, so train them with control. Use pads and bags for power, keep partner work light, and remember that in self-defence any force must be reasonable.

How to Practise It

Start slowly with shadow work, feeling the body turn. Then strike pads with the elbow. Once the movement is natural, open it out into a hook on the same pads and feel the connection. Go back and forth between the two until the hook feels as solid as the elbow. Take the time to truly absorb this.

Take It Further

The hook and every other punch are covered in the Learn To Box Online Course. For more power in your strikes, see Power Black. Officers should look at the PPDT Online Course.