PTK hand strikes.

[One_Round]

What are the empty hand strikes used in PTK? I don't mean every possible variation of each individual strike, just how many ways do you use the hand in PTK: like open palm, palm heel, ridge hand, knife hand, back hand, hammerfist, closed-fist punch, knuckle punch...like that...

I'm completely new to Kali, so I have no idea what the hand strikes are like. I just read an excellent article over on pekiti-tirsia.net about the use of the palm slap, so I'm really curious now, because closed-fist punching to the face/head is difficult for me: it feels very unnatural; and I'm always a little worried that I'll break my hand or get cut on someone's teeth or sunglasses and possibly get infected with something. I know two people who got HIV that way, and one of them got Hep C with the HIV.

What does the slap look like? Is it in any way analogous to CMA Iron Palm open hand striking? Would Iron Palm training be beneficial to to the PTK slap or other strikes? A hindrance? Neither?

[lhommedieu]

Tuhon Bill McGrath's "Pekiti-Tirsia Tempering & Kickboxing" tape provides a great overview of Pekiti's hand strikes:

http://www.pekiti.com/videos_form.php

Re. the hand slap see the following:

http://www.pekiti.com/video.php

Best,

Steve

[PeteNerd]

What are the empty hand strikes used in PTK? I don't mean every possible variation of each individual strike, just how many ways do you use the hand in PTK: like open palm, palm heel, ridge hand, knife hand, back hand, hammerfist, closed-fist punch, knuckle punch...like that...

I'm completely new to Kali, so I have no idea what the hand strikes are like. I just read an excellent article over on pekiti-tirsia.net about the use of the palm slap, so I'm really curious now, because closed-fist punching to the face/head is difficult for me: it feels very unnatural; and I'm always a little worried that I'll break my hand or get cut on someone's teeth or sunglasses and possibly get infected with something. I know two people who got HIV that way, and one of them got Hep C with the HIV.

What does the slap look like? Is it in any way analogous to CMA Iron Palm open hand striking? Would Iron Palm training be beneficial to to the PTK slap or other strikes? A hindrance? Neither?

Open palm slaps, elbows, back fist... If you are doing slaps a lot some sort of slap tempering will probably help. The slaps are done to the ears, bridge of the nose, kindeys, vulnerable spots like that. You looking for maximum effect and transferring the energy of the slap into the person you're hitting.

Pete

[Bogey]

Just something general:
Videos and books in the field of martial arts are a cute little entertainment thingy, but you won't learn anything there. The reason for this is simple: You can't learn a living art from a dead source. Books and vids might give you an overview of techniques but you will never be able to understand the principles behind them. And of course the principles are the essential part of the art. You have to experience them, think them over, know them, understand them, feel them to become able to apply them.
And this is directly related to your question.
The variety of possibilities to use the hand is only limited by the body that performs them. Everything goes. Of course to use a certain application is sometimes a smarter choice than another one, but this is more or less based on experience, personal taste and some tactical considerations.
The slap itself does not have anything to do with iron palm training. Of course there are people in the Philippines, too, who harden their palms in a certain way, but there is a price to pay. Hardening the hands/palms/fingers always goes along with (at least if it's done excessively) a loss of sensitivity...
Long story short: Give it a try and get your own experience of Pekiti-Tirsia.

Hope this could help you.

[arnisador]

I am all in favor of slapping. If nothing else it protect my hand on a hook punch.

[One_Round]

Thanks all.

I have mostly a CMA background. I've been doing Iron Palm for about five years, and follow Sifu Wing Lam's Shaolin and Tiger methods pretty closely. I haven't had any problems with loss of sensitivity, and Sifu Lam still has very dextrous and sensate hands. His methods aren't meant to really "harden" the hands like a Karateka would do. We just sort of let our hands "fall" onto the bags with gravity.

[Dustin]

Bogey makes good points about trying to learn a live art from books or video. Additionally, you really are only limited by the body that performs them. I would add that Pekiti empty hands is derived directly from the knife (both solo and doble). The daga y daga system of Pekiti teaches you how to employ a knife in either the hammer grip or icepick grip at all ranges. Empty hand movements (slaps, hacks, elbows, and eye jabs - rarely fist but the motions are there) are based on the movements of the knife in both grips. So, in absence of the knife you basically perform the same motions with the empty hands. Tactics and strategies depend on the weapon employed and that accounts for differences. Both the daga y daga system and mano y mano are ultimately based on the Doce Methodos. Take a look at www.pt-go.com for more information on both systems. Hope this helps.

[equilibrium]

The slap is a poor mans stick/sword/knife slash.

The slap looks just like someone swinging a weapon but without the weapon.