It is used in most martial arts and combat sports, most notably western boxing, where it is the only type of offensive technique allowed.

In sports, hand wraps or other padding such as gloves may be used to protect athletes and practitioners from injuring themselves.

This is not a comprehensive list of all punches and may need to be updated, due to the large diversity of schools of practice whose techniques, employing arm, shoulder, hip and leg work, may invariably differ.

In boxing, punches are classified according to the motion and direction of the strike; contact is always made with the knuckles.

There are four primary punches in boxing: the jab, cross, hook, and uppercut.