How to Knock Someone Out with One Hit

Co-authored by David Engel

Last Updated: November 16, 2024 Fact Checked

There are situations like boxing, MMA, and self-defense in which knocking someone out as quickly as possible might be the goal. In such situations, it might be the quickest way to end the fight. Generally, you knock someone out when you cause their head to snap to the side; this causes the brain to hit the side of the skull, triggering a blackout. Whether it's for self-defense or to win a fight, here are some tested methods to knock your opponent out in a single hit.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Throwing a Temple Punch

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To throw a punch with your right hand, place your left leg in front of you and your right leg back. Your knees should be slightly bent. ^{[1]
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As you gain momentum, make sure your body is relaxed. It will increase your momentum and the force of your hit.^{[2]
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The temple is the area on the side of a person's face, between the hairline and the eyebrows, at eye level. If the temple is accurately targeted, the punch will cause the brain to swing violently against the skull lining, causing a blackout.
It's sometimes easier to use the palm of your hand for hitting, but in this case a fist is more accurate. Aiming at the side of the person's face, and hitting them from the side, is extremely hard to do with force when only using the palm.
Generate more force with a hit by twisting your hips while you move into the target. If you want to put more force into your swing, be sure to use your hips as well as your arms.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Punching the Jaw

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If you are going to strike with your right hand, then your left leg should be in front of your other leg. Keep your knee slightly bent and your left leg back. Feel a loose bounce in the stance.^{[4]
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Pull your right elbow in close to your body with your fist clenched as if you are about to punch. Your body should be facing to the right. Then, practice twisting your upper body to face your opponent. This will give your punch more force.^{[5]
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Watch for an opportunity to strike. In order to throw a knockout punch, you have to be good with your timing. Wait for your opponent to swing or drop their guard before you swing.^{[6]
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Expert Source

David Engel
Muay Thai Instructor & Self Defense Trainer

Expert Interview. 5 May 2020.}
- If you can weave away from your opponent's punch, their jaw will be in the air and their shoulder will be down, so it will be easier to hit them.^{[7]
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  Expert Source
  
  David Engel
  Muay Thai Instructor & Self Defense Trainer
  
  Expert Interview. 5 May 2020.}
Right before you throw the punch, tighten your body. Remember to breathe. This will focus your body and tighten your muscles releasing more power. Also it keeps you calm and this will help in the event of a continued confrontation.
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Aim for the jaw, or the middle of the chin. Hitting your opponent in the jaw or chin is more likely to cause a knockout. There are one of two ways you can hit the jaw:
- Uppercut. This is where you target the jaw with your fist by coming straight up, minimizing lateral movement. You want the recipient's head to snap straight up.
- Sideswipe. This is where you target the jaw with your fist by coming from the side. You want the recipient's head to snap to the side, causing a blackout.
Remember that you will generate more force with a hit by twisting your hips while you move into the target. Baseball players also use this strategy to generate more force when they swing the bat.
Your goal is to clip the target's jaw from the bottom or on the side. If performing the Sideswipe, make sure your range of motion is a bit curved. You want the path of your punch to be more circular than linear.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Kicking to Knock Someone Out

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Stand in a solid stance. Place your feet about shoulder width apart and plant them firmly on the ground.
Bend your elbows and keep your elbows locked. Then, put up your fists so that they are guarding your face.
Swing your right leg upward and aim for the area of your opponent's face just below the jaw.
Be careful, this can cause the other person to lose consciousness.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using a Throat Stab

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This method can be severely damaging to a person's windpipe. Only use it as a last-ditch effort, or in life-or-death situations.^{[8]
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You can use your index finger and middle finger to "stab" your opponent in the throat. To get your fingers into position, pretend that you are doing the peace sign with both fingers on the same hand.Then, bring the fingers together so that they are touching each other. Afterwards, firm up your fingers and prepare to strike.
More specifically, the dent located between your left and right collar bone at the base of your neck.
Jab your fingers forward into your opponent's throat. This will cause the offender's pharynx to cave in, preventing the offender from breathing.

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Question

How can I knock someone out quickly in a match?

David Engel
Muay Thai Instructor & Self Defense Trainer
David Engel is a Muay Thai Instructor and Self Defense Trainer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 15 years of martial arts instruction and training experience, David runs California Martial Athletics with co-owner Joe Chernay. He has created and maintained martial arts programs at Rise Combat Sports in San Francisco and Round 5 Martial Arts Academy in San Leandro, with a mission to provide students with a level of comfort and competency that manifests both within and outside the martial arts context. He is also a registered cornerman for amateur and pro competitors under the IKF (International Kickboxing Federation). David was the youngest apprentice instructor of the Thai Boxing Association of America under Ajarn Chai Sirisute (2009), and was a top-ranked amateur competitor in his weight class (127-130 lb) in California between 2013 and 2015.

David Engel

Muay Thai Instructor & Self Defense Trainer

Expert Answer

You have to be very good with your timing. Your opponent will be most vulnerable after they've thrown a strike, so if you can slip or bob and weave an opponent's punch, their jaw will likely be in the air and their shoulder will be down. That would be the best time to throw a knockout punch like that.

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Can someone die from a single punch?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Yes. Knocking someone out with a blow to the head or neck is very dangerous and can cause a severe concussion or other serious injury. Don’t try this unless you need to knock someone out in self defense or you are being supervised by an experienced coach or trainer.

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How much force does it take to knock someone out?

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If you land the punch in the right place and with enough speed, it takes surprisingly little force to knock someone out. The goal is typically to get the person’s head to rotate quickly and suddenly rather than to hit them really hard.

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Tips

When punching the temple, be careful because it can kill someone due to the brain being severely damaged. Only use the amount of force that is necessary.

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Throat slabbing is severely dangerous and painful; use it only in life/death situations. Be prepared to take responsibility for your actions.

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Keep practicing these tricks on models. It will increase your confidence.

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Warnings

Use method four only if you are physically unable to do anything else. Little body strength is needed.

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Only do it if you have no other choice.

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Momentum delivered with a punch is based in straight physics. It is a relation of mass and speed. If you lack the mass, make up for it in speed. Of course having both is nice also.

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Keep in mind that you will have to face the consequences for doing this, whatever they might be.

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