Which is better when starting a fight punching in the stomach or in the face?

Answer 1

If you're in a situation where the only way out is to fight, throw a solid shot at the jaw or the solar plexus - either one will send a shock through your opponent, allowing you to end the fight quickly. Just be sure to put your weight behind the punch - if your opponent isn't stopped, he'll be angry, and no more easy shots after that.

Answer 2

Are you asking how to sucker punch somebody?

OK, let's presume you've got a good reason to do this, like this guy is SS and about to take your family to the gas chambers.

Number 1, don't rely on a groin attack. Men instinctively protect that, so you'd better plan on missing. I'd probably go for the face, because I'd be reasonably certain to make contact and it is the most direct route to finishing the fight, even against a well trained opponent. The stomach hit has the advantage that it's less likely to result in a boxer's fracture, but you can't assume that you can hit hard enough to cause an involuntary reaction. If you do mitt and shield hitting, you'll find that the mechanics of a stomach punch work best at very close quarters -- basically when your are in clinch range. At conversational range it's easier to get maximum power to a head punch. Since the power for a strong punch like a cross or an uppercut comes vertically up from the feet, the lower the target, the closer the range you need to get maximum power.

Remember, the sucker punch scenario is different from a regular fighting tactics. The point of a sucker punch is to finish the fight before it gets started. This means you go with the technique with a highest probability of immediate success, and which leaves you in an advantageous position if it not completely successful.

From normal conversational range, the most effective hit will be to the head. At closer range I'd suggest a takedown rather than a stomach punch. Somebody was voted down for suggesting a scissors kick, but if you have that skill that would actually be a practical option: it's really more of a sweep than it is a power strike.

A head punch, even if unsuccessful, is a good entry for several simple takedowns. A groin punch, which is a short range attack, is probably a good entry for a two leg takedown, which is one of the simplest there is, however I think the initial strike is an unnecessary complication. The best follow up to an unsuccessful stomach punch would be a hook, which is not likely to be decisive, or possibly one of the more complicated throws like Judo's O-Goshi. Again, since a stomach punch doesn't have the highest probability of ending the fight of any option in its effective range, it's not the best choice.

So overall, I favor head punch from conversational range, or a takedown from grappling range.

Answer 3

Thanks to everyone that doesnt answer the question, its which is better face or stomach. Telling someone not to fight or go for the nuts is not a valid answer.
If you get the first blow, go for the stomach. When you throw a punch there is no garantee that the blow will connect at the intended target. The stomach is a larger target and harder to dodge and see attacks to the stomach. You use your eyes to avoid attacks, eyes are in the head not the stomach, if your close and fast enough he may not even see a well place stomach sneak attack.

When speaking of damage potential, head shots can kill much easier than the stomach. Bruce lee says aim for the eyes and testicles and your two primary targets. If your a great, accurate, fast puncher then a head shot would be great, but if your a normal person that is not trained, go for the stomach.

Answer 4

Belly Punch Fight

Answer 5

What kind of fight? Do you really want to hurt this guy? Then poke him in the eye and knee him in the balls when he's holding on to his face.

Hitting someone good in the stomach can be nice if you're sufficiently strong to do damage and knock the wind out of their sails, but chances are good that since you're asking this question, you don't know boxing from a hole in the wall, so you probably shouldn't try to hit the guy in the gut.

Hitting someone in the face can knock them out, or break their nose, or swell up their eyes. It can also break your hand if you punch incorrectly. Again, see comment about not knowing boxing from a hole in the wall.

In short, don't get into a fight. If you break this guy's face, then his friends might break yours.

Good luck.

Answer 6

The 'jaw' is probably better than the 'face' and the stomach in my experience.Plenty of shock factor and knock out potential.Less chance of breaking things off, or busting them open and leaving marks on him.

As to the face and stomach specifically here are the main points.

Good points for Face.

Marking him (giving him a fat lip or black eye) is a several day lesson for him. He wakes up every day realising he got hit :)

If it fails to knock him out, or you lose the rest of the fight, at least if you mark him or cut him, every one who sees him thinks you still won. :)

Points against. These days marking or busting someone's face is probably a bad idea since it is construed as bodily harm from a legal point of view, also the face has some very expensive surgery neceassry if you do totally bust his nose, teeth or cave in one of his eye brows.

Also you can risk infection to yourself if you hit his teeth or if you have cuts already on your hands and you produce blood flow from him.

Points for the stomach- no marks. No evidence against you.

Also a good hit to the stomach is like a kick in the balls. Even though it does not knock them out it can certainly take the fight right out of them. They feel sick as a dog and just want to curl up.

Points against- a really big shot on some weaker's stomach can do a lot of internal damage.

lastly the average guy without good punch training has to be a lot closer to get a stomach punch to work since he will usually want to loop it up like an uppercut- you may already be close enough for him to hit you in the face first in other words.

Answer 7

wow, there are some good answers here and a lot of bad ones.
I think our friend here is really asking what is the best the best way to defend himself and if he should attack first.
so lets be clear neither attack is a sure fired way to incapacitate an opponent. so what ever you do you must be ready for the back-lash that is MOST likely to occur in the event you do get off a lucky shot.
we know that statistically 98% of all fights end up on the ground with somebody coming out on top and trying to bash the other guy. most people think this is a matter of "Who is bigger and stronger". and in the case of untrained individuals, this is true. however, with a little training, a weaker, smaller person can have a huge advantage. the real answer is found in studying your opponent and find his weaknesses. these are the areas to go for.

Answer 8

You can go with either one depending on how strong you are. If you're really upset, then punch him in the face. I don't tend to start fights unless someone hits me first then I go for the face because I'm pissed. If you intend to start the fight, go for the face since it tends to make the person shocked.

Answer 9

First, hit the face in the nose with a little slice.the nerve on the nose will contact straight to the head and start bleeding.The person will fill a little dizzy.than strike 'em in the stomach and start kickin 'em

Answer 10

In the stomach. thats the power house of the whole body but it must be a really strong punch.