How to Headbutt?

Is it best/strongest to headbutt with the front of the head or the more knuckle parts closer to the temple ?

 

I think you probably want to figure out what headbutt technique you are using.

Most head butt is done with the front top of the head, but works best because you are smashing UP into the face of the opponent. So top of head (crown part) is harder than their nose/face. Especially if you bring their head into the top of your head at the same time you hit them (kind of like how a knee strike does more damage if you bring the opponent into your knee as you strike them).

However, if someone hammer fists or downward open palm slaps the top of your head, it might knock you out. So top of head is not the best place to be hit with a hand/fist. You may have heard that the front/top of the head is good for breaking an opponent's hand, like when they punch you. This is under the assumption that you can jam their punch. Most don't have a tight fist until just before the fist hits, so when you jam the punch with the front/top of the head, they are hitting you with a loose fist, and this is why their hand can break. If you actually took a fully tight fist hit, that's a bone on bone hit and could go either way.

The side front of the head (where horns would be), I believe is actually harder than the front/top of the head. Where the top/front of the head is used with a slightly upward head butt, the side front/horns are used with a slightly downward head butt. The downward head butt is a little more risky, so I think it is best only for really short range. The target is not the front of the face of the opponent but the side of the head -- I think temple, the area behind the ear, or the cheek bone.

Note: the upward head butt targets the face, but it can also target the back of the head/neck from behind the opponent. This is something only to be trained slowly for safety.

 

A not from personal experience. When practicing, never headbutt a hanging bag.

 

Why risk head trauma? If you are in a fight, why make the situation worse. I think the idea would be to protect the face/head, and of course the rest of yourself.

 

Because it's not a risk if you do it properly

There is a reason headbutts are banned in contact sports and it is not because of the danger to the person throwing it

 

If

 

My old instructor

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyEB4eTYuxg"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyEB4eTYuxg[/ame]

 

Attempts at laconicism aside, there is a better case against punching due to risk/reward ratio - if you are afraid of injury then don't fight

The headbutt is devastating and a low risk-high reward move when applied correctly. Inner city hoodlums have used it for years for a reason

 

When discussing headbutts it often seems like people outside the UK ask "Why would you do that!?!?" while people from the UK ask "Why WOULDN'T you do that?".
It does seem quite a UK centric thing to do.
Too many cold and wet PE lessons playing footy.

 

It has a definite UK flavor!

 

The Guvnor using his head....

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DraD1LFGkr8"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DraD1LFGkr8[/ame]

 

Not many people can make the words "I'm doing a lot of poetry" sound threatening.

 

I seen a few in Rio Heroes. Brutal isn't the word for it. They're so nasty and unexpected.

 

Nearly ended up in a HUGE bar fight because of a headbutt in an MMA match....was in Bloomington, Normal in about 2001

Basically there was a bar - Wild West IIR - that you signed up for either Sub Grappling, boxing or MMA (as an aside Kyle Watson, TUF alumni was in our posse that night and won his sub match). One of our crew Tony signed up for MMA and was told "no headbutts"...the ref however forgot to tell his opponent and about 2 minutes in Tony had the guy in guard when BOOM!!! He dropped the nut!

We all jumped up screaming profanity, the ref DQ'd the guy and things looked like a 20 a side battle was about to go down!!! I grabbed the ref and asked him "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot was that Cow Excrement???" and the ref explained his error....I then had to jump in the middle and act as "cooler" for the sides

Calm heads prevailed but my boy Tony was bust open and had concussion for days...off one butt

Crazy times, but great memories!

 

Must be a UK thing. Around here we don't have to state no headbutts in MMA bouts because they aren't ever allowed

Speaking of head butts, most are showing videos of the top/front of the head. Here's a video (have to skip to near the end) of the head butt using the "horns", or the downward head butt. Right to the temple area.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1mt_nVOZh4"]Lethwei vs Muay Thai Headbutt KO - YouTube[/ame]

 

That was Bloomington, IL so nope, not a UK thing and was before most people even knew what MMA was

 

The past, how does it work?

 

Love this headbutt tutorial.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFLnKJtfs4M"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFLnKJtfs4M[/ame]

But whatever you do don't gluuur at 'im. Stuuur at i'm but don't gluuuur at 'im.