well, maybe sometimes punch might be a punch...

i think sometimes ppl tend to much to see something else behind a simple things. i am not saying it cannot be used like you have proposed, of course it can, but i doubt it was the original intention. i have checked for you, the Jyu Yujai's book on "tiger and crane" eg. speaks about simple hook strike (ngau gok cheui) and continuous uppercuts (lin waan tung tin cheui), Hung Kyun boxing A-B-C (well, western boxers are living example of that this A -B -C works, or?)
however, as my sifu says: if it works for you, it works. all the "secrets" in gungfu are good teacher, correct method, hard working student, realistic training and common sense

i can show you a zillion of cool looking applications "i do this and you do this, then i do this and you that", but real life fighting and non-cooperating opponent is a different story. that is why i like my sifu's simple and direct approach to the Hung Kyun fighting and applications