Types of Fists

Motobu Fist

The Motobu fist is another Okinawan variant; this one devised by Choki Motobu, a master who believed in heavy makiwara (forging post) training. In this punch, the index finger is folded straight, not curled with the other fingers. Motobu claimed this made the fist smaller and tighter, allowed the index knuckle to protrude, and it backed up and supported the thumb. If a clinched fist is struck directly on the thumb, the thumb may be pushed into the hollow of the fist and dislocated or broken, however, with the Motobu fist, the thumb is supported by the index finger.

In his master text, Karate-do Kyohan, Gichen Funakoshi teaches this fist (seiken) as the regular fist to be used as the primary hand weapon..

Hikuta Hand

The Hikuta hand is fist variation supposedly used in the ancient Egyptian art of Kuta that was supposedly developed by the bodyguards of the pharaohs and then passed on to other royal bodyguards in Asian countries. Kuta is so ancient that apparently no one had heard of it until it was explained by DOK (Defender of Kings) Lee in 1993. Lee was supposedly taught the art by one of the last surviving members of a secret commando group that had disbanded in the 1940s, a man he called "Pappy Joe." The Hikuta hand is included here as an example of how far some people will go to gain attention, and how gullible some people can be.