Palm Heel Strike

The palm heel is Krav Maga's preferred hand strike at close range. It uses the meaty base of the palm as the striking surface, with the fingers slightly bent back and out of the way.

Why not a fist?

A closed fist generates more force per square centimeter — but only if the hand is conditioned and the strike lands cleanly on a soft target. Untrained hands break knuckles on skulls. The palm heel:

• Forgives bad alignment of the wrist
• Doesn't damage the striker's hand on bone targets
• Can be thrown with full commitment on the first attempt — no conditioning required

Mechanics

Stance: bladed slightly, weight even, lead foot forward. The strike drives from the back foot through the hip, the shoulder, and finally the arm. The hand stays loose until impact, then the palm "snaps" forward like slamming a door. Contact target: jaw, nose, base of the skull, chin from below.

Common errors

• Pulling the elbow out wide — telegraphs the strike and loses linear power.
• Leading with the hand instead of the hip — produces a slap, not a strike.
• Holding the fingers stiff and forward — they get broken on the target.