Punch Catch: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

While some might use dodges or blocks to avoid the fist flying toward them, others prefer to simply reach out and catch it like a softball. Since this is almost always a demonstration of strength and superiority, the person catching the punch is rarely hurt by being punched directly in the palm. Instead, it often becomes an opportunity for the catcher to close his fingers around the offending fist and squeeze - being somehow capable of injuring someone's ball fist by curling their fingers around it and glaring.

 

 

Compare [[Barehanded Blade Block]] for when catching a sword instead of a fist and [[Punch Parry]] for when the fist is blocked with another fist.

 

== Anime and Manga ==

* ''[[Bleach]]'' anime episode 166. Ichigo has been beaten up pretty badly during his fight with Grimmjow. Orihime calls out to him, and he's inspired by her words. When Grimmjow strikes at him Ichigo casually catches Grimmjow's fist with his hand. Seen [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmbpeqQTHOE#t=8m12s here]

* In the ''[[Dragonball Z]]'' Lord Slug movie, (and consequently, in [[Dragon Ball Abridged|the parody]] by [[Team Four Star]]) when Piccolo fights with [[The Brute]], he catches a punch, then brutally crushes the fist and break the brute's arm to boot.

* In [[Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex]], Batou intentionally lets his idol, a former silver-medalist boxer to knock him out during an investigation. When he later finds out that his idol had betrayed him by spying on the country, he confronts him and challenges him to another boxing match to settle things. He tries to knock Batou out using the same move as before, confident that it worked, but Batou caught the punch with his hand and countered with a right hook, knocking him out.

 

* One of Batman's favorite techniques, since it emphasizes just how immovable and unstoppable he is to the superstitious and cowardly criminals.

* ''[[Identity Crisis]]'': During the big fight between [[Deathstroke]] and the [[JLA]], Deathstroke catches [[Green Lantern]]'s punch and then overrides GL's willpower, using the ring himself without even wearing it.

** Deathstroke also used this on Batman, the patron saint of this trope, in a memorable scene from an issue of ''Detective Comics'':

* In [[Frank Miller]]'s ''[[Daredevil]]'' run, the Kingpin of Crime sometimes used this to demonstrate his immense strength and skill.

* In ''[[Final Crisis]]'', {{spoiler|Alpha Lantern Kraken}} does this while fighting [[Green Lantern]] John Stewart. The mark of his ring left on {{spoiler|her}} palm clues Batman in that {{spoiler|she attacked John, and that she's possessed by [[Darkseid]]'s ally Granny Goodness.}}

* [[Spider-Man]] once caught the punch of an unruly biker who was trying to bully his way around pedestrians.

** Likewise, [[Venom (Comic Book)|Venom]] caught Spider-Man's punch in the first issue of his initial miniseries.

* In ''[[Preacher (Comic Book)]]'' by [[Garth Ennis]] Jesse Custer does just this to a punch thrown by Cassidy, the Irish vampire. Stops it dead. Course, Jesse breaks every bone in his hand doing this, but Cassidy doesn't know that.

 

== Film ==

* At the climax of ''[[Atlantis: The Lost Empire|Atlantis the Lost Empire]]'', Milo tries to punch Rourke, only for Roarke to catch it and slam Milo's own hand back into his face. This is one example that is done quite believably, as Rourke is a very powerfully built trained soldier fighting a scrawny and untrained scholar.

* In ''[[The Avengers (film)|The Avengers]]'', Loki catches Captain America's fist during their fight. Later, his brother Thor catches the fist of the Hulk but is quickly slugged by his free hand.

** Also, during their initial fight, Thor catches Iron Man's fist, [[Subverted Trope|but then promptly gets]] [[Hand Blast|repulsor blasted]] [[Subverted Trope|in the face.]]

[[Category:Fight Scene]]

[[Category:Combat Tropes]]