Why did this change form BG2? In BG2, they occasionally kicked or something, but in IWD2, they have the same anumations as allt eh others, just that lame punch..

it is not lame punching, it uses the same animation as dagger stabbing just without the dagger. there is a topic about this,

http://www.sorcerers.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=14;t=000685