The human hand is comprised of twenty-seven small bones, fourteen of which are fragile digital bones that can be easily broken upon impact with a solid object, such as a human skull for instance.
Many traditional jujitsu atemi (striking) techniques utilize the fleshy blade of the hand or palm when delivering a blow, rather than a closed fist. There is good reason for this. The human hand is comprised of twenty-seven small bones, fourteen of which are fragile digital bones that can be easily broken upon impact with a solid object, such as a human skull for instance. Without proper padded glove protection, the popular closed fist punch exposes the digital bones to a high risk of injury. For those who have followed the Ultimate Fighting Championship since its inception, recall how Keith Hackney broke his hand from repeatedly striking Emmanuel Yarborough’s head, when a rear naked choke was right there for the taking.