# Is that head smash you see in movies a valid weapon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 28, 2002, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855 "2002-08-28T01:14:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Marine\_One](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marine_one/32/3461_2.png) [@Marine\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marine_One)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/1 "2002-08-28T01:14:33Z")
Sometimes Arnold or Bruce or Vin will turn around and butt the bad guy in the head. Forehead to forehead. The bad guy goes down like a ton of bricks and Arnold or Bruce or Vin just continue with what they were doing. If I did this, I’d start screaming like a little girl. Do people really do this? Is it a valid form of defense or did the movies invent it? ---
**Author:** ![AboveAverage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@AboveAverage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AboveAverage)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/2 "2002-08-28T01:41:51Z")
Isn’t the skull the hardest bone in the body? You would think that a headbutt would hurt the butter as much as the buttee. Maybe if it was forehead to face but other than that…I think it’s just movie stuff. Unless the adrenaline is flowing and you don’t feel it. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/3 "2002-08-28T02:05:04Z")
Next time catch then in the nose, not the forhead. That works well. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/4 "2002-08-28T02:12:44Z")
Head-butting, imo, is much over rated. Do it _anywhere_ in your enemy’s head, and it hurts you. Do it anywhere else, and you leave yourself open to all kinds if trouble. Tag it “Emergency Use Only”. Use a weapon. That’s what they’re for. KILL!!! Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![JocoseBanter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@JocoseBanter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JocoseBanter)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/5 "2002-08-28T02:21:28Z")
I’d say forehead to the nose might work. Never tried it but I image that cartilage would give before my skull would. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/6 "2002-08-28T02:29:02Z")
Actually, forehead to forehead would have about the same impact on BOTH parties. I’ve usually heard it as use your forehead to smash the enemy’s bridge of the nose. FWIW, the hardest bone in your body is part of the skull, but it’s not the forehead. It the [temporal bone](http://www.tbregistry.org/body/tempbone.htm), which surrounds and protects your inner ear. The top of your head is pretty hard and can really hurt someone’s knuckles if you turn your head down at the last moment before they strike. It’s fairly hard to butt with this portion of your skull so the forehead is the next best thing, especially if your arms are pinned. ---
**Author:** ![GopherGod72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f0a364/32.png) [@GopherGod72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GopherGod72)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/7 "2002-08-28T02:31:36Z")
Whats the quickest easiest way to disable roughneck thats about to demolish you then? ---
**Author:** ![g8rguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@g8rguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/g8rguy)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/8 "2002-08-28T02:36:02Z")
Assault rifle? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/9 "2002-08-28T02:54:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GopherGod72 \* > \*\*Whats the quickest easiest way to disable roughneck thats about to demolish you then? \*\* Beg? Whine? Cry? Kiss him on the mouth? ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Toby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b3f665/32.png) [@Uncle\_Toby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Toby)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/10 "2002-08-28T04:26:37Z")
Nutting or “the Glaswegian kiss” is indeed a useful form of combat under certian conditions such as when your opponet is too close for you to do anything else. It is perhaps for this reason that it has reached it’s apogee of development in the crowded pubs of the United Kingdom. Ideally you strike the front of your forehead, an area mostly backed up by sinus, against a softer part of your opponets face, the nose is good, avoid the teeth unless you’re sure they’ll come out. Both parties will suffer somewhat under all circumstances but if you’re affraid of a little blood you should try cring like a little girl when threatened and hope people won’t hurt you. A good deal of the advantage comes from being the one who strikes on the same principal that jumping off a 5ft table is no big deal but jumping down 5ft when you don’t know where the ground is will break your legs. ---
**Author:** ![Wearia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wearia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wearia)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/11 "2002-08-28T04:42:41Z")
I head butt all the time. Forehead to forehead. If you angle your head right it doesn’t hurt at all. The other person however gets stunned. If your really good you can do 2 or 3 in succesion. Maybe it has to do with pain threashholds? You can take the pain but maybe the other person can’t? Either way its a good last resort. Er, I mean… Violence is wrong… ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/12 "2002-08-28T05:44:18Z")
It’s a movie thing. You can’t hit the other person hard enough to stun him without hurting yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Toby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b3f665/32.png) [@Uncle\_Toby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Toby)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/13 "2002-08-28T05:46:04Z")
I have seen it done three times. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Toby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b3f665/32.png) [@Uncle\_Toby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Toby)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/14 "2002-08-28T05:51:20Z")
Though having said that in only one case was the person knocked out cold and that could have been partly or wholly from hitting the ground as they fell. Two cases were people knocked down and one a man starting to get up and knocked back into a booth. All were in or outside pubs. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/15 "2002-08-28T06:10:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GopherGod72 \* > \*\*Whats the quickest easiest way to disable roughneck thats about to demolish you then? \*\* There are generally three basic things that you (an unarmed and untrained person on the street) can do that are almost guaranteed to end a confrontation: 1. stomp on the guy’s kneecap. This tears cartilage, dislocates the patella, and renders the leg unable to bear weight. If he can’t stand, he can’t fight. You can also kick it really hard either right on the patella or from the side, but both require more force than the downward stomp. You should practice doing it without looking directly at what you’re doing. Wave your hands around as if to beg for your life. The more stuff moving around in his face and the more chicken-shit you appear, the less likely he’ll be protecting his legs. 2. Jab the cartilage just below the opponent’s Adam’s apple with either your index, middle, and ring-fingertips (all together), or the webbing between thumb and index finger. This, if executed properly, can crush the larynx or make the opponent unable to breathe clearly, depending on the force used. 3. Jab the opponent in the eye with your finger. All three techniques require minimal training (some is better than none, of course) and minimal force, as compared to the blows that are usually delivered in a fight. (2) and (3) both require about 1/10 of a second to execute, beginning from a standing position with hands at sides. Since the majority of humans have a reaction time of 1/4 second (from perception to beginning of response), that gives you plenty of time to do it and start to get lost. Regarding the OP, I don’t use my head as a weapon if I can help it. The less impact to your head, the better, say I. Of course, I wouldn’t want to be head butted either. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Horseflesh:_ > **FWIW, the hardest bone in your body is part of the skull, but it’s not the forehead. It the temporal bone, which surrounds and protects your inner ear.** Ok, this is the 3rd bone I’ve heard described as the hardest in the body. The other two are the Heel bone and the jawbone (mandible, I assume). A 2 minute websearch turned up pages naming all three of these. Who has facts on this and can sort the wheat from the chaff? ---
**Author:** ![Lure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@Lure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lure)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/16 "2002-08-28T06:57:38Z")
The most disabling blow I know of when confronted with what you think is a possible violent encounter is a kick,punch,or object thrown at the person’s gonads.The biggest threat you can imagine-unless he’s carrying a gun,is disabled for at least as long as it takes to flee or inflict more damage.You do this before the threat makes the first move. Women can do this move-takes no strength-just smarts. Disclaimer-this could be viewed as an assault by the local gendarmes. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/17 "2002-08-28T12:26:30Z")
In the movie _High Risk_ a guy tried to knock a guard out by bashing him in the back of the head. \*\*\* SPOILER \*\*\* The guard started screaming. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/18 "2002-08-28T12:40:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joe\_Cool \* > \*\* > 2) Jab the cartilage just below the opponent’s Adam’s apple with either your index, middle, and ring-fingertips (all together), or the webbing between thumb and index finger. This, if executed properly, can crush the larynx or make the opponent unable to breathe clearly, depending on the force used. > \*\* Or ever again, depending on the force used. For those who are concerned about such things, this can be a killing blow. ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/19 "2002-08-28T12:42:10Z")
I have had my nose broken several times. (on the sports field) It is not necessarily the pain you feel, or the vast amount of blood that issues out (altough that can be a shock) but the impact waters your eyes and blinds you for a few long seconds. That gives a lot of time for the assailant to do whatever else he feels like doing, if it was a physical attack. ---
**Author:** ![Osakadave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f07891/32.png) [@Osakadave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osakadave)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855/20 "2002-08-28T12:58:57Z")
My friend who is a former pro-Muy Thai fighter, has headbutted people twice in my pressence. Both times he was left standing and the other guy went down. The last time, he e-mailed me the next morning wondering how he got the bump on his head. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-head-smash-you-see-in-movies-a-valid-weapon/125855.md?page=2)