Historical Snapshot: The Top Five Bare-Knuckle Targets by Mark Hatmaker

In what now adds up to 43 years [and counting] of loving research in the area of old-school dealers of pain I have come across many unusual blows and quite a few sources naming this or that bit of the human anatomy ideal for delivering a walloping blow.

What follows are the targeting observations of an old-timer himself, boxing journalist Earl Raab, writing in 1943, on what he found to be the Top Five Targets from the Bareknuckle Era.

ONE-“Beneath the Ear”

There are many resources that put targeting the ear fairly high on the list but in Mr. Raab’s findings this bit just below the ear delivers many happy returns.

TWO-“Between the Eyebrows”

An ungloved blow here was found to give a high-percentage percussive effect.

THREE-“The Pit of the Stomach”

This would later be called “The Solar Plexus Punch” as made world-famous by Bob Fitzsimmons.

FOUR-“The Heart”

A highly coveted blow and ungloved it still has exceptional disconcerting wallop. A particularly deadly form of this blow was covered in detail on ESP RAW #198

FIVE—

Well, I’m going to hold this one back for my RAW Subscribers. It is a particularly devastating blow. Mr. Raab has it at #5 on his list from the bare-knuckle era when the so-called rules were a bit more loosey-goosey, but this same blow seems to hold the #1 spot in the American Frontier Rough ‘n’ Tumble tradition.

More on this #1 & #5 choice and the wily ways it was pursued in an upcoming RAW volume.

Also, and in my opinion, equally intriguing the targets that were specifically unsought. Makes sense in light of an un-gloved human hand, and one of the “chump” targets may surprise as is offered often in modern incarnations of street work. Perhaps, the men who threw hands for centuries ungloved know a thing or two about a thing or two.

[For more Rough& Tumble history, Indigenous Ability hacks, and for pragmatic applications of old school tactics historically accurate and viciously verified see our RAW Subscription Service.]

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