Raise your back heel without lifting the ball of your foot. In one motion, turn your foot and back knee towards your target. It’s okay if your leg dips down a little as you do this. The power of a straight punch starts with the legs, and pivoting inwards helps generate torque for your upper body.  In combat sports, a straight punch refers to a compact, direct strike that is thrown with the dominant hand. It is more powerful than a jab, but faster than a hook. It’s what most people think of when they picture a regular punch. Take a 6–12 in (15–30 cm) step forward if you need to before doing this. To do this, shuffle your front foot forward before sliding your back foot back under your shoulder. Only do this if you think you’ll struggle to strike your target.  Strategically, a straight punch is the best tool in your arsenal. It’s easier to land than a flashy, over-the-top haymaker, but it’s more powerful than a quick jab. As your back foot and knee finish twisting, begin rotating your hips and chest towards your target. At this point, your hands and arms should still be roughly where they were in the original fighting position. Keep your forearm pointing up towards the sky as your hips and chest rotate forward. Once you turn 10-20 degrees towards the target, let your dominant arm follow your chest. Extend it straight towards your target, allowing your wrist to naturally turn inward.  Do your best to avoid looping your arm out away from your and towards your target. It may feel more comfortable if you aren’t a trained fighter, but you actually lose a lot of power when you do that. It’s also more dangerous, since your hand is more likely to hit the target at an angle. Let your nondominant hand float 6–12 inches (15–30 cm) to the side as you do this, but keep it raised. Don’t lower your nondominant hand in the event that you need to protect yourself after the punch lands. Continue extending your arm straight towards your target while turning your wrist inwards. To the best of your ability, hit the target with your middle knuckle. Once you make contact, continue extending your arm forward until it’s completely stretched out. As soon as it reaches its totally extended, snap it back to you and put it back against your chin or proceed with another punch depending on whether your opponent is vulnerable or not.  Hit the target with the palm-side of your hand facing down. A good straight punch lands with your arm extended 90-95% of the way. If it looks like you won’t connect with your target, let the punch extend naturally into the air and accept that you missed. Do not launch yourself forward to connect the punch. If you do, you’re extremely likely to get hit with a counterpunch in a fight.
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One-sentence summary -- Pivot your back foot and turn your knee inward to initiate the punch. Twist your hips and chest towards your target. Extend your fist and allow your arm to turn inwards as you strike. Strike the target with your middle knuckle and follow through.


Although it might seem tempting to stay up all night to prepare for your speech, it probably won’t help you. A lack of sleep increases your stress levels and decreases your ability to focus. Be sure that you get at least eight hours of sleep the night before your speech. It is important to remember to take care of your body even when you are cramming for a presentation. Take some time to take a quick walk. Don’t forget to eat meals and keep yourself hydrated. These steps are equally important in memorizing your speech. Make a list of things that scare you about the speech. Then, try to tackle those fears. If eye contact makes you lose focus, try looking just above your audience’s head. Try giving your speech behind a podium or while holding a microphone to keep your hands busy. Use deep breathing exercises to keep yourself calm before your speech.
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One-sentence summary --
Get enough sleep. Take a break. Learn how to keep calm.