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Can you die from being punched on the face?

I was watching channel 4 earlier. The guy said his son, died from being a nice person trying to stop a fight. He got punched in the face, had his head hit on the concrete floor, suffer severe head injuries and died.

Reason why I am asking, is that when I was 15, I was punched in the face 3 times by a kid in my year. I didn't go to hospital or suffer any injuries and was thinking if I had a lucky escape.

I seen bare knuckle fights, and fighters take a severe beating in the face and still stay alive.

Maybe there is more to the story then the guy on channel 4 mentioned? I have read loads of stories in the newspaper and on TV, how people died from getting hit the face.

Whats your opinion?

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Reply 1
Why do you need to know this?
Reply 2
It was probably the hitting-his-head on the concrete bit that finished him...?
It happened in green street ;D

Probably if you got hit hard enough
I read somewhere that if you hit someone with the right amount of force in the just the right place on the temple it can kill them.
In 'The Last Boy Scout' Bruce Willis punched one guy in the face so hard that he died, so yes.
Reply 6
I don't understand why you seem to think it's so implausible that someone can hit their head against the hard ground and die after getting punched... It's hardly out of the realms of possibility.
Reply 7
I take it you mean from one punch? As it is obvious people can be punched to death if they are repeatedly punched, but assuming you mean from one punch... There are waaaaay to many variables to say 'Yes you can' or 'No you can't' I mean, it may seem unlikely to getting punched in the face will outright kill you, but what if you were punched into something, such as a wall. But, then, does this count? Was it the punch that killed you, or the force of you hitting the wall. So yeah, too much variability to say for sure. But, IMO yes, yes you can.
lol stupid question is stupid.
Reply 9
It's possible if all the variables are right. It's an unlikely occurence though.
Yes you sure can. It's all about the level of force, the location of the punch, and sometimes just luck.

If you get hit hard but land on your bum, you'll probs be fine. But if you land on the back of your head hard, then you can get head trauma and die.

Also, as for just the punch, if it jarred your brain to an extent where it made contact with your skull, it could get damaged which could lead to a bleed on the brain and consequently death...
For the punch alone to kill you, your head would have to be softish, or the guy doing the punching would have to risk breaking his hand as a result of the force. Alternatively, if some wacky circumstance like the angle of the punch or the exact portion of the face hit is such that it proves fatal, then these two former factors may be irrelevant.
Reply 12
punch nose in correct position, can push nose back into skull, and maybe break some link to the brain (more of a rumour than fact, can happen, but very unlikely for nose to fall back in such a position, unless victim is standing dead still.)
However a punch from the side of the skull smashes the weak thinner part of the skull, its a kyokoshin kaikan move, and i belive it's what masotuti oyama may have used on the bulls he kept killing instantly with his fists. (i dont know how its spelt but the move is pronounced, hippy-konda, iirc fro my dojo days)
it can damage the brain though
Reply 14
It's entirely a game of luck. A guy can get punched with significant force and still walk away relatively unscathed whereas someone else could be punched in exactly the same way, bang their head and either suffer serious complications after or even die.
Look at that guy who was pushed over by a police officer in the G20 protests and died shortly after. I try to avoid fights entirely unless it is absolutely neccessary to defend yourself.
...there's a reason why Channel 4 made a documentary on it.

I'd say that it's quite uncommon.
Reply 16
You can get punched really hard in the forehead and die..
Or you can get punched in the nose and it can apparently cause the bone in your nose to penetrate your brain (not sure if true or urban legend, but I assume it's true).

It rarely happens, though, probably.
I heard that what usually happens with these things is that the punch knocks you out, which then means you're unable to protect yourself as you fall, leading you to smack your head and that's what kills you.
Original post by Anonymous
I was watching channel 4 earlier. The guy said his son, died from being a nice person trying to stop a fight. He got punched in the face, had his head hit on the concrete floor, suffer severe head injuries and died.

Reason why I am asking, is that when I was 15, I was punched in the face 3 times by a kid in my year. I didn't go to hospital or suffer any injuries and was thinking if I had a lucky escape.

I seen bare knuckle fights, and fighters take a severe beating in the face and still stay alive.

Maybe there is more to the story then the guy on channel 4 mentioned? I have read loads of stories in the newspaper and on TV, how people died from getting hit the face.

Whats your opinion?

there is your answer.... yes you can...
Reply 19
I think it has to be lots of punches on the face by a heavy strong man on a small person or the person got hit in the right place. I seen in bare knuckle fights, that if both men are of similar weight and strength, then they don't seem to collapse, they carry on fighting.

I still get nightmares from what happen when I was 15, and how lucky I was. If the person who punched me had hit me in the right area or he was older and stronger. I could of collapse, end up in hospital and died.

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