撑

to support / to prop up / to push or move with a pole / to maintain / to open or unfurl / to fill to bursting point / brace / stay / support

撑 = 扌 + 掌 : Charlie Chaplin (ch) is bracing (撑) himself for his next battle in front of the engine ((e)ng1). He supports (撑) his feet with horseshoes (掌) and holds a toy claw (扌) in each hand.

撑 character breakdown

撑
- 扌
  - 亅
  - 二
    - 一
- 掌
  - 尚
    - 冋
      - 冂
        
        丨
        
        ㇆
        
        一
        
        亅
      - 口
      - 囗
    - 小
      - 亅
      - 八
        
        丿
        
        ㇏
    - ⺌
      - 小
        
        亅
        
        八
        
        丿
        
        ㇏
  - 手

扌

shǒu = sh + ou3

"hand" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 64), occurring in 提, 把, 打 etc

扌 = 二 + 亅 : Mnemonic symbol: a toy claw.

掌

zhǎng = zh + ang3

palm of the hand / sole of the foot / paw / horseshoe / to slap / to hold in one's hand / to wield

掌 = 尚 + 手 : Inside the anglepod (ang3), James II of England (zh) and the Buddhist monk (尚) play catch using two baseball gloves (手) and a horseshoe (掌).