How easy is it to knock someone out with a smack to the back of the head?

Question

After watching countless spy movies, westerns, and TV cop shows, I wonder: how easy is it to knock someone out by smacking them on the back of the head with a pistol, club, etc? Since I'm not willing to act as a test subject, (although I'm pretty sure I'd have plenty of volunteers willing to do the smacking), I'm asking you as the next-best source.

I was wondering: When you get hit in the head really hard, you get knocked out. Why? What causes a person to lose consciousness? This is probably gonna be a tough one, but we think it is just so goddamned funny that I got to ask.

Answer 1

Maybe not a smack, but a hard, well placed hammer fist to the back of the head will do the trick. A person is knocked out when their brain is knocked around in their skull causing them to lose consciousness.

Answer 2

with power nothing much just a story that he bit the dust maybe if you do it with a hammer

Answer 3

its quite easy depending on how prepared someone is for the strike, what force u hit them with and with what object u hit them. the reason people go "nighty-night" after taking a shot to the back of the head/neck region is bc its where the body's brain stem( connecting the spine to the brain) is located, its a nexuses of major nerves, and it basically controls ur body and all the things that keep u alive, after receiving a severe blow ur body goes into shock, which causes u to lose consciences, ur body reacts to protect u from to much pain thats why u go out,

DONT BE A **** TARD AND GO AROUND HITTING PEOPLE IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD OR SPINE

you could kill or paralyze the person  

Answer 4

It can be done, but it isn't that easy.

Many movies do not depict the actual proper technique.  Simply 'karate chopping' someone on the back of the head will not do much unless you are seriously good at it.

Most knock out punches occur when a strike hits someone in the jaw and the mouth is open, or direct strikes to the temple.

However, muay thai high kicks are aimed to land on the back of the head and cause a knock-out.

So---yes it's possible.  Not it's not easy.

Answer 5

The brain floats in cerebral fluid inside your skull.  When your head takes blunt force trama then a knock out will usually occur if the impact is great enough to make the brain bounce off of the insde of the skull since the brain floats in cerebral fluid.  The effect of the brain being knocked off the sides of the human skull causes the brain to short out much like an eletrical system in a severe thunderstorm.  The electro magnetic pulses in the brain are interupted by the force of the skull and BOOM!!! G'night!!!

Hope that answers your question thoroughly.

Answer 6

Don't punch people in the back of the head, thats for sure. You're looking towards a broke hand. Your best bet for a knockout is probably a brick

Answer 7

haha ha ha      ha ha haha

hard. thats how.

Best Regards,

THE MAN

Answer 8

I can't do it by the back of the head, but the back of the neck I can.

Answer 9

Before I read the description to your question, I was already forming in my mind my answer... something to the effect of, "it must be very easy, based on the tv shows I've watched in the past!"

I think it must take a pretty good blow, and probably in the right spot.  I'm guessing it's a LOT harder than what we've been led to believe.