When to Punch Someone in the Throat (probably never)
I see throat punches in media sometimes, and I wanted to explain why this is such a devastating (and illegal) move. Throat punches are no joke. I've always been taught that in the same way you would never point a gun at something you don't want to kill, you would never punch someone in the throat that you didn't want to kill.
Structure of the throat: the anterior part of the throat is very tender and unprotected. Out front you have the trachea, and behind that you have the esophagus. The thyroid cartilage (this is your Adam's apple) sits at the level of your voice box (larynx). About an inch above that, usually hiding up in your jawline, is the hyoid bone.
The Hyoid Bone: this is a horseshoe-shaped bone that freely sits in the anterior part of the neck (it's not connected to any other bone). It protects the airway, helps maintain neck posture, and assists with chewing, tongue movement, swallowing, and speaking. It's really bad to fracture this bone.
Throat Trauma: with any anterior neck trauma, there is going to be a lot of bruising (ecchymosis) and swelling (edema) in the laryngeal tissue. This swelling can compromise the airway, and the person can literally just die from that. If the force is in the right place and great enough, the hyoid bone will fracture. The bone will usually be fractured in several places. This is likely to also cause asphyxiation. You may also see hemoptysis (coughing up blood).
*I want to note that in strangulation injuries, the hyoid bone is commonly fractured. However, it's only found in 1/3 of homicides from strangulation. *
Timeline: okay, so obviously, the person may just grab their throat, choke, and die. But do you wanna know the part that freaks me out? The fact that patients can be asymptomatic for up to 72 hours (THREE FUCKING DAYS!!!). That's scary because the patient can be fine, they think they just have some bruising and a little swelling, then their throat starts spasming and they die of asphyxiation (crazy, right??).
Fighting: okay, back to fighting. Throat punches are not allowed in any combat sport, not even in no-holds barred (unless it's some weird kumite where you can kill your opponent). But, in normal combat sport this doesn't usually even happen on accident, because most people 1) tuck their chin and 2) know not to EVER punch someone in the neck. If it does happen, people will probably talk about it (like when a rabbit punch is thrown).
The only time I have seen a throat punch is with a kids' class (like 4-8 year olds) and that habit was quickly corrected. I think the only time it is ever appropriate would be in a life-or-death situation, but depending on the laws in your area I have no idea if it would be legal then (because you're probably going to kill that person).
Anyways, main point: don't punch people in the throat, like, ever. They may die, even if it is three days later.
The lower jaws, atlas bone (middle), and hyoid bones of a large whitetail buck found in the Hudson River.
They’re fresh out of maceration (letting them sit in water so bacteria can eat away any flesh still on them). The dark color is likely bacteria, maybe some kind of algae, I’m not sure. It should come out after I put them in hydrogen peroxide for a while.
Hyoid bones (the small J shaped ones) are right around the base of the skull, but I never see them labeled in skeletal diagrams. I actually didn’t know they existed until I was removing this buck’s skull and felt them there. They weren’t connected to any other bones, just kinda floating in muscle & meat. They support the tongue & larynx.
The skeleton is the framework that allows humans to carry out all of these tasks, such as; Walking and running, as well as crawling, jumping, and climbing. At birth, humans have up to 300 bones. With age, however, the bones begin to merge.....
This Week in Dinosaur News: Researchers determine which dinosaurs could stick out their tongues, new dinosaur exhibits, and more
This Week in Dinosaur News: Researchers determine which dinosaurs could stick out their tongues, new dinosaur exhibits, and more
“Convergent evolution of a mobile bony tongue in flighted dinosaurs and pterosaurs” By Zhiheng Li, Zhonghe Zhou, Julia A. Clarke, PLOS One, Retrieved 7/4/2018
Here’s what came out this week in dinosaur news:
Researchers looked at dinosaur hyoid bones to guess what their tongues may have been like
When The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History dinosaur hall reopens it will allow…
Note-to-Self: 2026-01-12
Today, I want to record two essential procedures I have incorporated into my work as a practitioner in specialized kinesiology. As such, I use manual muscle testing to establish communication with Body/Mind/Spirit.
The meaning of hyoid testing for me
When is it time to end the session?
As you go through this Note-to-Self, you’ll understand how they are connected.
A.…
There is only one bone in the human body that isnt connected to another bone. It’s called the hyoid bone. It’s only connected via muscles and ligaments! The muscles in the floor of the oral cavity and the tongue connect to it. Every other bone is connected to other bones, allowing them to stay in place or move correctly.
Located below the jaw (mandible), the hyoid bone aids in swallowing, speaking, and breathing. It also provides structure to the tracheal rings.
It is one of the rarest bone to break, accounting for 0.002% of all fractures in humans. The breaking of this bone is typically associated with strangulations and trauma to the throat.
