Pai Mei demonstrating the punch to Beatrix.
Overview[]
Three inch punch is a technique taught to Beatrix Kiddo by Pai Mei during her training. It is a skill that generates explosive force while using only the travel distance of one's extended fingers (usually about three inches). Once mastered, the user can punch through solid wood without wind up, chambering, or telegraphing.
Trivia[]
- Pai Mei's 3 inch punch is a reference to Bruce Lee's 3 inch knockout punch.
- The television show Mythbusters tried to escape from a coffin in Episode 112 using this technique. It was proven to be physically impossible.
- However, the One-inch punch, tested in an earlier episode from the same season was proven effective for hand-to-hand combat.