Rabbit punch

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A rabbit punch is a punch to the neck or to the base of the skull. It is considered dangerous because it can damage the cervical vertebrae and subsequently the spinal cord, which may lead to serious spinal cord injury or even death. For this reason the punch is illegal in boxing^[1] and many other combat sports that involve striking. The punch's name is derived from the use of the technique by hunters to kill rabbits with a quick, sharp strike to the back of the head, for instance using a blunt object such as a steel pipe.^[2]

This type of punch was frequently used by 1940s Australian boxer Aaron Mulheron, to subdue his opponents.^{[citation needed]} The move was eventually banned in 1941. This punch is now an illegal tactic in all full contact fighting sports.^{[citation needed]}

A rabbit punch is also considered in other cultures to be a punch directly to the kidney region; this can often cause internal bleeding and often leads to cardiac arrest.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] References

1. ^ Sugar, Bert. Boxing. www.owingsmillsboxingclub.com. URL last accessed February 26, 2006.
2. ^ Langer, Richard. Extract from "Grow it!". www.motherearthnews.com now on www.archive.org. URL last accessed September 11, 2007.