Why do punches sound like a "slap" in older movies?

Question

Almost all of the of the older movies (from 25-40 years ago) that feature fighting scenes seem to have a very common depiction of a punch that sounds like a slap. I could never understand why did they choose such a sound? I have done martial arts and can confirm that a real punch sounds nothing like that.

Answer 1

This is all purely speculation but historically moviemaking has been about problem solving with what you have on hand. That said, the slapping sound you're thinking of is probably the sound of reeds or branches being slapped against something (i.e. the ground, another tree, etc.).

Recording foley is time consuming when you're trying to match sound up to existing content. Additionally, those quick snaps of branches/reeds seem to add speed to the hits and impacts onscreen almost giving combatants a fantastical sense of expertise and finesse.

Why not record new sounds? Money and nostalgia. It's the same reason the "Wilhelm Scream" has been used endlessly. "Why pay money to record a new sound when we have this perfectly good sound in the books already?"

Hope that helps!