Polish hammer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Polish hammer is a stage combat or professional wrestling move in which a combatant clasps both hands together, raises them high above their head, and brings them down on an opponent -- usually their back, neck, or chest. The name Polish hammer is derived from professional wrestler Ivan Putski, who utilized a running version as his finishing maneuver.

[edit] Popularity

The move was extremely popular in American television and film during the late 1960s and early 1970s, with almost every depicted fist fight ending with the hero using the Polish hammer to defeat their opponent.^{[citation needed]}

Notably, the technique was used as the "finishing blow" by Logan (Michael York) on Francis (Richard Jordan) in Logan's Run, and in numerous fights between Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and myriad opponents in the Star Trek series.

[edit] Popularity fades

The Polish hammer all but disappeared in the film and television in the late-1970s, when the "wild west" fighting style it was part of was eclipsed by the skyrocketing popularity of different martial arts.

In professional wrestling the move was relegated to a lower status, no longer perceived as a finishing level maneuver until Scott Putski, son of Ivan, attempted to revive it during the early 1990s, and again by Chris Masters in the early 2000s.

A revival of the Polish hammer by students at Loudoun Valley High School in Virginia was attempted between 1986-1988 but was disbanded shortly thereafter.