"Cowards Punch" deaths

[stui magpie]

One punch kills have become more prevalent in recent years, being largely responsible for Sydney's lock out laws, coining the new term "Cowards Punch" and lots of media and over the weekend resulting in the death of a 19 year old man.

Now I don't understand the logic behind belting someone from behind who's basically minding their own business anymore than I understand picking a fight so all your mates can then pile in and kick the shit out of someone on the ground, but what I really don't get is how people are dying so often?

Not all the one punch kills have been from behind, but many have. Throwing hands at each other has been going on forever, boxing matches used to be bare knuckle, people have been getting pissed and getting in fights since alcohol has been around.

So why are people seemingly dying now from a single punch in greater numbers than ever before?

Is it because those doing the punching are likely to have some form of martial arts training and actually know how to throw a punch better than the average punter in the past?

Are people just bigger and stronger than in the past? Having muscle definition from lifting weights doesn't necessarily mean you're stronger overall than someone who does manual labour for a living.

The back of the skull isn't as thick as the front, is it just location of the hit?


Is it the punch that causes the problem or the head hitting the ground when they fall stunned?

Is there just more media coverage and people used to get killed in bar fights just as often but wasn't as heavily reported?

I'm no neuro surgeon but to get brain damage serious enough to kill you or put you into a vegetative state would need a fair amount of trauma to the brain. Short of actually breaking through the skull and directly inflicting that damage, surely you're relying on the brain crashing against the skull from the shock of impact?

Modern diet may possibly have a detrimental impact on bone density but that doesn't explain why the brain is seemingly more fragile than it used to be.

Any clues?

[5150]

I'm running with a namby pamby generation of kids that are sheltered from contact sports, rough housing and socialising (the real life one, not over the Internet) so that the first time their noggin gets a floggin is when they turn 18 and head to a night club and a fellow namby pamby who doesn't understand any fight code clonks the poor namby pamby from behind while his bro films it and then a couple of his Twitter pals stomp him on the head.

Either that or the BCA code which includes more reo in todays footpaths to ensure they are harder and more robust.

Or coward punches are a this generation thing. I can't recall too many people getting pounded without looking or nailed by 6 thugs back in the my day. Whipper Snappers

[Woods Of Ypres]

the unwritten rules of a fair fight no longer exist today. hitting a bloke from behind was a big no-no. also was 'kicking a man while he is down'.

these rules no longer exist due to a number of factors including bad parenting, drugs, people desensitized to violence, 'biffo' culture.

yes, the damage is done when the skull hits the ground at velocity creating a cerebral haemorrage. the blood accumulates in the brain wall pushing again the brain and brain stem, rendering coma ie 'brain dead'.

my dad died from similar but not from a fight. once you are brain dead you are perfect candidate for organ donor. I would assume that happened to that poor kid at Diamond Creek, they donated his organs too.

[stui magpie]

Not arguing but it still doesn't explain it.

I've copped a few punches in my time, generally shrugged them off except one time I copped a hammering, including having my head bounced against the concrete wall up the stairs of Russell St police Station which cost me best part of a week in la la land. I don't get how 1 punch can suddenly kill so easily.

[Woods Of Ypres]

i have seen a video of it and heard the sound. imagine dropping a bowling ball on concrete from 5 feet.

[Dangles]

I'm gonna go with increased media coverage. Maybe there's some stats somewhere?

[HAL]

[David]

[stui magpie]

[Wokko]

Hits to the back of the head are like an 'off' switch for vital body functions like heart beating and breathing. In Mixed Martial Arts, hits to the back of the head are banned under all circumstances because of this.

It's just not somewhere you want to hit or get hit, but these idiots are KOing people unawares (the most likely hit to KO you is one you dont see) and their heads are hitting the ground/curb OR their getting hit there from behind.

Also as others say, media attention; I'm sure there are a lot of barfight deaths from back in the day that never even got mentioned in the obit, let alone a front page Herald article.

[Culprit]

I find it amazing the uproar. We allow venues/pubs to serve copious amounts of alcohol and are surprised when sad incidents like this happen. This is not the first issue from that venue and it won't be the last.

The person involved should be handing themselves in as his face has gone viral across all forms of social media. No doubt when arrested his legal team will say he was tampered with, assaulted by his Father and no doubt an ice user to limit any jail time.

[Woods Of Ypres]

[HAL]

Should it be the first issue from that venue and it won't be the last?

[think positive]

[Culprit]