The kinetic strikes to the vagus nerve in the pneumogastic sheath on the side of the neck is very effective (hammerfist, knife hand or forearm) in producing varying degress of a knockout as Hock said above and, unless delivered with tremendous power, poses little chance of any permanent injury. Even a light strike like this causes dizziness, and it is often taught to police officers. There is still the danger of really knocking the guy out and having him hit his head when he falls, however (which could be fatal, depending on the circumstances). The vagus nerve and carotids all run along this sheath, so you have both nerve and blood effects. Generally safe with bare hands, but could easily be lethal if you use a weapon.
I have found finger spears to the "hollow" of the throat (just above where the clavicles come together)to be fairly effective and cause little permanent damage. They do set up a coughing/gagging reflex thing, however, so be ready for it. If the other guy has health issues (asthma, epilepsy, etc.), this could go bad fast. This is a shot I would not call lethal force, and I wouldn't use it in a lethal force situation.
Strikes to the back of the neck are potentially more dangerous, but require power and angle. Strong blows there can be potentially life threatening and can cause serious injury to the cervicals and also cause whiplash.
Sleeper holds (chokes) are effective, but can also be fatal, as many police officers have found out to their own dismay, especially after adminsitering a can of pepper spray.
The only really potentially lethal throat blow (by design) I know of with bare hands is the trachea shot, which is generally the Adam's Apple. If you hit the hollow of the throat, you're probably okay, but raise it an inch or two into the Adam's Apple, and you could kill someone (no shot works all the time; we're talking generalities here).
I remember sparring one time with a member of this forum who made a rushing attack on me. I was doing all I could to get out of that rush (it was a karate class) and I backpedaled, turned my face away and stuck my hands out defensively to push him off me. The attack never arrived. When I back-pedaled far enough, I looked around to see why. He was on his knees on the mats, holding his throat with both hands. Apparently, in my haste to escape, I had accidentally jammed my fingers into his trachea. it wasn't a powerful blow, I hadn't een felt the contact, but it hit just right. He told me later that he felt his windpipe collapse, and that he had to suck in really hard, at which time it "popped" open again. He was very hoarse and his throat was sore for several days. I could very easily have killed him, and we were just "playing." This was all an accident. I never even tried to hit his throat. But you can see how easy it can happen, even when you aren't intending to.
I'd avoid the front of the throat if possible and stick to the sides of the neck for strikes, unless a lethal blow is justified by the circumstances. Others here may have more in-depth experience at this, but that was mine and I think it's a generally good rule. I hope that helps.
Ed
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Topic: Deadliness of striking the throat? (Read 839 times)