Why do people want to hit others in the throat in a fight?

Question

To all you amateurs who dont know what your talking about, striking someone in the throat can very well kill them, and instead of simply defending yourself against the school bully, your gonna be defending yourself against your cell mate when you get charged for murder. I know anybody who says "punch him in the throat" hasnt taken any martial art ever, because any art teaches against that, so leave the advice to people who know what theyre talking about.

Answer 1

I don't know why people would tell people that. Other than a life or death situation it is a bad idea. My brother works in the prison system and he tells me they get people in all the time who thought they were getting into a fist fight. Well the fist fight turns into manslaughter.

Fight only to protect yourself as the last possible option.

Answer 2

I agree with what you mean. There are levels of aggression and corresponding levels of defense. Striking the throat should only be performed in cases of extreme jeopardy and the school yard bully doesn't count. In cases such as this a strike aimed at the inside of the thigh from the knee to the groin area would be much preferable. This region will disable longer than a groin shot (sometime hours later walking is difficult) , is usually far less well protected, and will allow you to escape. Targets such as these will keep you safe and out of jail. Targets like the throat or elbows to the based of the skull could get you a life sentence depending on the circumstances.

Answer 3

While hitting someone in the throat MAY kill them, it should never be discarded as an option in a self defense situation. But if I am about to get ripped to shreds by a drunk with a tire iron, I will do whatever is necessary to survive. But for you to say that people who suggest it are "amateurs" or that they "don't know what" they are talking about makes you sound arrogant and pompous. Most school yard fighters don't have the training or accuracy to pull of a death blow during a scuffle. Hell I practice that technique every so often and I don't know if I could pull it off without a hitch.

So you need to understand that people come here for advice. They may not always get the best advice here, but it will alway be available. We have to trust that they will use their best judgment when getting it.

Answer 4

A lot of us are not interested in getting into fights. I don't go looking for trouble and I haven't gotten in a fight in more than 10 years. Last time some drunk at the bar started yelling at me (apparently for taking up space) I apologized and walked away. I have better things to do than mix it up with low-lives over spilled drinks and too much to live for to make a big deal out of it.
However, if someone were to assault me, or I witnessed somebody assaulting a defenseless person. (and that's the only reason I would ever use what I know) I would assume they mean business and would do whatever it takes to put an end to it as quickly as possible. I'm more worried about life and limb in a situation like that than I am about a jury's perception of events.
This is what a lot of people don't seem to understand here: The difference between getting into a fight and responding to an assault. You should never be in a fight that is not officially sanctioned by a regulatory body. They are juvenile expressions of machismo and are illegal. In case of assault, however, you are justified in taking whatever measures you need to take to dissuade or disable your attacker.
And of course, assault situations are things you're trying to avoid. If you're actually trying to get into those situations, or provoke them on purpose, you are a danger to yourself and to others; you don't need a sensei, you need a psychiatrist.

Answer 5

I guess people just do it if they are in real danger. The kind of danger I'm speaking of is if they're going to die. If they know they can get through a fight without having to offer such a dangerous blow anyways, thats just being a horrible person. Anyways, it's always best to hurt the other person as least as you can and still get away safe and clean. So if you punch them in the throat they should have like a gun to your head, otherwise, it's best not to do that. Try a slam or something instead.

Answer 6

I respectfully agree and disagree with you. Plenty of true arts teach striking at the throat...but all of those arts do dictate that it is a lethal attack as many of them were designed for lethal combat either on the battle field or in defence of one's self or another by a lethal attacker.

However, you're absolutely right in that 1) if you don't know what you're doing...don't do it and 2) a strike such as hitting the throat should never be done against someone that isn't actually threatening you. (and by threatening I mean life/limb -- not just putting you in a headlock and making you look stupid in front of your friends)

Answer 7

You can hit someone in the throat without killing them by pulling back, it is still enough to get them on the ground and as a martial artist i would do everythin i can to not get into a fight in the first place, so if i ever do get into a fight it would be completely self defence and it will be a life and death situation so i would use anything i could in my arsenal to win

if your fighting in a school fight i wouldnt risk it, but hey, maby i would, depends on the situation

Answer 8

Well, if someone's trying to bust my face, I'll bust their face back. If my imperfect aim, adrenaline, slippery ground, quantum mechanics, chance, divine intervention, etc results in them getting sent to the hospital by a stray punch to whatever part of their body then that's their bad. I'd have been defending myself. I wouldn't be aiming for any particular target anyway.

By the way, strikes to the throat and all kinds of other places are taught in self-defense classes.

Answer 9

Only when you have to. Kicks in the crotch, gouging of the eyes, mace, porcelain plates, rocks, even a bullet can be used when your life is in jeopardy such as in a kidnapping, rape, hijacking... again only when it is necessary.
If it's just about that school bully, then you're absolutely correct, the best solution is to walk away with your head up. A life is not in jeopardy when confronted with a coward.

Answer 10

Lol, thats also my pet peeve. People who talk about a topic as if they know their sh*t. Besides I'd like to see somebody actually hit me in the throat. It's next to impossible.