It makes for a good fake. You see MMA fighters use a big overhand right to cover up a shot for a take down. You can use a hay-maker the same way. Throw the ridiculous hay-maker to draw attention from the fact that you are stepping in and ducking down for the take down. Who knows. It may even land.

Haymaker, no. Overhand right/left(if you are wrong sided), yes. How you define the two really varies from person to person, but I think my definition agrees with most people’s idea of what these two are.



Haymaker is untrained punch that flies in a big arc similar to a baseball pitch. The hand flies or arcs back(for supposed power) with possible bend back of the body(more “power”), then is pitched forward in a random arc ranging from top to bottom angle to a hook angle. This motion might be accompanied by a step forward of the punching hand side. There are so many maybes because it’s not a real technique and thus every time it’s thrown it’s bound to be different.



Overhand right as I know it doesn’t really have a back arc(which is the big factor that separates it from the haymaker)of the fist. Instead the motion is make more efficient by making the elbow travel back while it’s also traveling up. Then the fist follows the elbows motion up and out of the normal travel path of the punches and out of the fight’s main line of sight. Then it cuts across diagonally, usually at 45 degrees, with the body twisting and making a similar diagonal path to add body weight behind the punch. The opposite, to the punching hand, side foot is already well placed to catch the weight at the end of the punch and to spring back into or away from the action.



Essentially Overhand right is more effective in damage, distance traveled by the fist, speed, and in balance. Actually that was the only point... Now I feel silly writing all that when I just needed to say overhand right’s better and haymaker is too easy to see coming to be useful.

Yes. It is the most powerful punch and can easily knock someone out. But you should not throw a whole bunch at once.





We are not allowed to throw them in my dojo because they can easily knock someone out (dumb rule) and because they are easy to counter. I used to throw them all the time when I was a white belt, and the second reason often had me jammed, joint locked, and taken down.







However, now I throw them after setting them up. Its not really as slow of punch as people think. It is also the most powerful. When you can set one up, with at least 3 strikes, you can catch someone of guard with them. Especially if you stun them, then hit them with a quick and powerful one. Much in the style of Yuri Boyka: (notice the first ones around 1 minute). Also notice sometimes when he throws them, his opponent dodges and counters. In a real street fight, not a movie, that could be fight ending. However, also notice how he always connects when his opponent is off balance, stunned, or has been hit by a setup.