# Can any move kill?



## trueaspirer (Jun 18, 2006)

I was once told that any strike, properly placed and executed, can kill a person. I believe that in general this is true, but I would like to hear other people's opinions on the matter. Any thoughts?


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## Paul B (Jun 18, 2006)

*Edit* Since Mrh's answer  has forced me to be serious.*shakes fist at Mrh* 

I would lean towards anything's possible. It's darn near a rhetorical question,no?


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## mrhnau (Jun 18, 2006)

trueaspirer said:
			
		

> I was once told that any strike, properly placed and executed, can kill a person. I believe that in general this is true, but I would like to hear other people's opinions on the matter. Any thoughts?



I'd consider it alot more likely that it -could- kill someone... just about any punch of kick to the head, with enough force, could cause damage. 

That being said, are you talking about particular *types* of strikes, or a particular *usage* of a strike? If you are talking about a particular *type* of punching or kicking, then I'd agree. If you are saying that something like a footstomp could kill someone, I'd disagree, unless that footstomp is to the head of someone laying down, or you laced your shoe spikes with poison, or they get some kind of complication from the break (broken vessels, infection, etc). The *style* (the action the foot makes) could be lethal (if applied to the head), but the *practiced function* (footstomp to the foot) is likely not lethal... make sense? Your phrase "properly placed" could come into effect here. Is a footstomp to the face properly placed? Its not the common usage (at least in practice), but its effective.

btw, not sure if your art has footstomps, just using them as an example


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## Robert Lee (Jun 18, 2006)

You would first have to have the power need to do this Or you would not  get it done unless its to the throat or such NOw a person can be knocked down hit there head and die from that. BUt really if you do not achive good power in your tools you will not kill with 1 strike. Now some will say yes. But if you have been in real fights or seen real fights how many people died. so target plus power  is the rule. The human body can take alot of punishment that keeps you alive.  when being hit. repeated hits perhaps does much more extended damage.  But things can happen but not that often.


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## Nevada_MO_Guy (Jun 18, 2006)

trueaspirer said:
			
		

> I was once told that any strike, properly placed and executed, can kill a person.


I will go with no, any strike cannot kill a person.

Example would the the dreaded, death buttock strike. You don't hear about that one much.


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## Paul B (Jun 18, 2006)

No..but I have heard of the flying butt pliers..now *that's* a killer for sure. Oh yes.


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## painstain (Jun 19, 2006)

you have to keep in mind that these techniques, long before they were sport or whatever they are in todays world, they were used on a battlefield to kill or incompacitate an enemy. its more about changing the target areas then technique. just an opinion.

with respect,
painstain


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## trueaspirer (Jun 19, 2006)

I was mainly thinking of the solar plexus area...


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## Fluffy (Jul 4, 2006)

Given the correct circumstances, sure - any move can kill.


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## Garth Barnard (Aug 14, 2006)

It depends where on the body the strike is made, how the strike is made, which strike is used, etc, etc, but yes, it is possible to kill someone with a single blow/strike.

So, in answer to the question, yes, but it depends.

Take care,

Garth.


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## Kacey (Aug 14, 2006)

In theory, any strike, properly executed to the appropriate target, can kill... the key, though, it that part about "properly executed to the appropriate target".  Can you kill someone by punching them on the foot?  Seems unlikely... but that same punch, aimed at the carotid, or the temple, or the xyphoid process, could cause pain, unconsciousness, or death, *if* properly executed and focused.  It's that *if* that is key - many people have the power, but not the focus - the ability to hit a specific target - to make such techniques work.


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## MA-Caver (Aug 14, 2006)

So I strike you on the knee and do it exactly in the manner that it's supposed to be done and you'll die? C'mon get realistic okay? Getting into the hollywood ninja mythology that isn't worth spitting on. There are strikes that will kill someone but only to specific areas of the body/vitals and those have to be life supporting vitals. Other stikes will seriously debilitate/incapacitate someone but that's all. 
Becareful what you hear sometimes. It can be :bs:


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## Andrew Green (Aug 14, 2006)

Yes, and anytime you walk outside you could be struck by lightening, and every lottery ticket could win.

But barring some freak occurence there are *very* few ways to strike a person without a weapon that have any chance of killing them.

Few million years of evolution have made us rather durable


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## Brian R. VanCise (Aug 14, 2006)

Andrew Green said:
			
		

> Yes, and anytime you walk outside you could be struck by lightening, and every lottery ticket could win


 
That is what I feel like every time I play the lotto!  Today is the day!
Of course it might help if I bought more than one or two ticket's a year!

Brian R. VanCise
www.instinctiveresponsetraining.com


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## Kenpodoc (Aug 14, 2006)

trueaspirer said:
			
		

> I was once told that any strike, properly placed and executed, can kill a person. I believe that in general this is true, but I would like to hear other people's opinions on the matter. Any thoughts?


Add this one to the long list of Martial art Myths.  The dreaded stomp to the big toe could shear the toe right off if wearing the appropriate foot wear but still could only kill the reciever if you postulate a wound infection uncared for or perhaps a secondary "Flesh eating bacteria." (I once watched a woman go from a 2 cm red spot in her groin to an open wound with a dead leg (the patient also died) in less than 4 hours.)

I suspect that most martial arts strikes will not kill a person unless you are incredibly Lucky/Unlucky.  

Jeff


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## searcher (Aug 16, 2006)

Anything IS possible.   A grape or watermelon seed could kill.  Though very unlikely.   Application is the key.


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## TraditionalTKD (Aug 30, 2006)

No, not every strike can kill. Certain areas of the body must be struck with enough penetrating force to accomplish this. Also, you are much more likely to cause death with a certain strike to a vital spot than with a different strike to the same area. There also many other factors that come into play.
Example: a front kick to the stomach most likely will not kill you. A well executed front kick to the dan jeon region can definitely kill you.


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## punisher73 (Aug 30, 2006)

> _I was once told that any strike, properly placed and executed, can kill a person. I believe that in general this is true, but I would like to hear other people's opinions on the matter. Any thoughts?_


 
The thread's question was about a strike PROPERLY PLACED AND EXECUTED, why are people bringing up nonsense things about stepping on a big toe and such?  The question has more to do with the type of delivary (strike) than target selection.

I would disagree with the "any strike" part though.  Now if it were narrowed down to a specific type of strike then maybe.  I can shoulder strike someone, or hip strike someone to help set up for another technique or as part of a technique to unbalance them, but I don't see anyway that either of those strikes even to a lethal area are ever going to kill someone.


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## evenflow1121 (Aug 30, 2006)

Sure given the wrong place at the wrong time scenario I mean anything is possible, but generally I would say no, not every move can kill, there is however a higher tendency of seriously injuring or killing a person by executing certain techniques to certain areas than others.


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## hwarangdo-adam (Sep 4, 2006)

some shots can kill but most do not


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## Dillon Hall (Oct 11, 2006)

OK. Look, sure it is "possible" that any move can kill. With that in mind, it does not mean that you are able to do so. Situation is everything and the amount of training and power and aim and delivery of the technique is SO important. 
It is a strange question to ask if any technique can kill. Sure it can. But that does not mean it will.


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## Dillon Hall (Oct 11, 2006)

I suspect that most martial arts strikes will not kill a person unless you are incredibly Lucky/Unlucky.[/quote said:
			
		

> I disagree Completely! There is a huge distinction between a Martial Art and a sport. Maybe in a sport you would be unable to kill with a blow, but in a Martial Art you train to be a lethal weapon. I hav been training for 12 years in Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan and I certainly believe that most of our techniques are lethal if used under the correct circumstances (that's why you have more than one technique, to change your technique based on the circumstances). In a fight (or a real firght between two experienced people) there is very little "Luck" involved.


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## Touch Of Death (Oct 11, 2006)

Considering a blood clot can go to the brain and kill you, yes any strike has that potential. Most human bodies are resistant to this, but the elderly should not be doing a whole lotts head locks and kneck cranks, cuz you never know.
Sean


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## searcher (Oct 12, 2006)

Dillon Hall said:


> I disagree Completely! There is a huge distinction between a Martial Art and a sport. Maybe in a sport you would be unable to kill with a blow, but in a Martial Art you train to be a lethal weapon. I hav been training for 12 years in Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan and I certainly believe that most of our techniques are lethal if used under the correct circumstances (that's why you have more than one technique, to change your technique based on the circumstances). In a fight (or a real firght between two experienced people) there is very little "Luck" involved.


 

Again, it all has to do with application.   I agree wholeheartedly with there not being any luck involved with a strike that kills or does not kill.   I would also like to add in that the one wielding the technique has a bunch to do with the level of lethality that it has.   I have seen some pretty poor MAists that would have difficulty applying any technique.


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## Vastarakanuten (Nov 11, 2006)

I can't imagine a crack in the ankle or hands killing someone but then there are pressure points there which for all i know could have fatal connections.  So I'm gonna say 'maybe'.


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