There are times in combative sport and self-defense where knocking someone out with a blow is the goal. But many people are unaware of just how dangerous it can be. That’s because it’s very easy to damage the brain, either temporarily or permanently, when you hit someone hard enough to knock them out.
If you hit a person’s head hard enough to cause unconsciousness, you will cause some kind of traumatic brain injury or concussion. This can be fatal, especially if it happens to a young person.
You can cause some type of brain damage just by ungently tapping a person on the head. This can interrupt the flow of blood to the brain and cause them to lose consciousness. But it’s a very risky thing to do, and isn’t really recommended.
Another way to get someone out of commission is to hit them in a specific pressure point on their body. This is often called a “Vital Point.” It’s located just below the eyebrows, on the inside of the forehead, and on the center of the back of the neck.
To hit this point, you should be standing facing your attacker. You want to position your dominant arm so that its center line is lined up with the vertical center of their body. Then, swiftly move your hand upwards along that line until it reaches their chin. The heel of your palm should be aimed at their chin. This will pinch the nerves in their upper spinal column, causing them to shut off as a protection mechanism and knock them out.