Maybe I don't understand physics but size=power, right?

mass x acceleration

 

Aw hell no I'm not getting dragged down your rabbit hole. Go find somebody else to confuserate.

 

You hit the nail on the head in your thread title. "Maybe I don't understand physics".

Rabbit hole indeed!

 

It's not that simple. This was brought up before. About speed generating power. I said if that was the case, the jab would be the punch fighters used to KO their opponents. Mechanics play a big part in it. How much mass or body weight is put into the punch. The ability to shift your weight correctly and at the right time adds power to a punch big time.

 

It's called hard work and character.

(transformation /leverage plus your natural weight helps also)

 

Has to do with ones physical structure as well as leverage, timimg, accuracy.

 

you are transferring energy from the base, to and through the target. the amount of force is determined by how solid your base is, and thats determined by balance and weight. 2 guys equal in size and power, throwing the same punch, from the same position, will differ in punch power depending on how solidly, with the least amount of flex in the legs and arms to rob some of the energy, each one can deliver the energy.
its like getting hit with different types of wood. soft wood bends and flexes a lot, so much of the energy is lost as it travels back and forth through the stick. while hard woods are stiffer, lose less energy, so hurt more and cause more damage.
a natural puncher can naturally feel the most balanced solid position to be in when a punch connects. they are stiffer due to either natural technique, stronger tendons and cartlidge, or a combination of things that result in being able to deliver blows with minimum loss of energy through vibration or dampening by soft tissue..

 

Weight + speed = power. Just because a guy is bigger doesn’t mean he hits harder. A smaller guy can generate more power by multiplying his force with more speed. Not even mentioning technique which is really just adding weight (putting your body into a punch, which is then multiplied by how fast you can do so).

and weight in this case isn’t how much you weigh per say. Weight is how strong you are and basically how heavy you can make your fist/arm/body when you place it on someone, you’re bodyweight is an extra, but the strength/force your muscles can generate is pivotal.

 

From a physics perspective there are a number of quantities that decide how much impact a punch makes.

Energy. E=0.5mv^2 so mass linear and velocity squared
Momentum. p=mv. So mass and velocity both linear.
Force. F= ma. Closely related to momentum
F dt = dp.
It is a very complicated and I don't claim to fully understand... At the end punches from different people feel very different. Some are snappy, some create bruises some feel like hammer strikes...

 

Look at it this way -

If a car hits you at 2 m.p.h it probably won't do much damage.

If a man on a bicycle hits you at 30 m.p.h it probably will do some damage.

It is a combination of weight AND speed which does the most damage - hence the reason a car going 60 m.p.h will hurt you badly but a screwed up paper ball going 60 will probably not hurt as much.

If either of the two is reduced - be it the weight of an object or the speed it is going - then the outcome changes.

So, if a heavyweight and a flyweight hit you, and their fist travels at the same speed and connects at the same speed, the heavyweight will always do more damage because of his extra weight.

Reduce the heavyweights punch speed and you will see different results.

The question of how much speed you would need to lose is a mathematical equation.

Of course, one thing which cannot be quantified or worked out with mathematics is the punch resistance of the man being hit.

As we all know, some people can take a shot and have a granite chin and others fold like a cheap tent in a hurricane because they have a glass jaw.

This is a variable, an unknown, and it is what makes sport so interesting.