Its certainly not something i would try, but each to his own.

I used my head to block a punch one time. The guy hurt his hand and let out a groan, which cause me to giggle. I then grounded and pounded him.

Haha! That is an old bareknuckle boxing technique. Some guys I know who fight in the cage will do that if they get stuck taking free punches to the head- it hurts them less than getting hit in the face, and the other guy will grow tired of smashing his knuckles, lightly padded or not, into a forhead.

I think the only way you can prepare yourself ro hitting someone in the face is to condition your hands (not by punching bags) but really toughen (sp) your hands up.

its really not as big a deal as people make it out to be i have never had my hands hurt after a match or a fight.

oh and Street Guy i cant help but notice the simalarites in the arts we have taken.

on tyson ..lost of power puncher suffer hand injuries. its not cause they have been conditioed to the glove...its cause they hit hard.

I don't know... I bet if Tyson knew like many of us do how to punch with no gloves he'd probably not have hurt himself. That guy is ridiculously powerful though.

Also- since we were talking about the headbutting punches thing- anyone ever just block with their elbow?

i condition on sand bags to strenthen my knuckles and wrist at wing chun, yet in a fight your can't really spend time aiming for areas of the other persons body.

Knees, Elbows, Forearm and Shins.

At least thats how I try to play the game. If not, backfists and twisting hammerfists work wonders too, and won't hurt your knuckles that much.

I think the only way you can prepare yourself ro hitting someone in the face is to condition your hands (not by punching bags) but really toughen (sp) your hands up.

Not at all. A heavy bag is fine. feel a thai boxers shin....all from heavy bag and thai pads. same for the fist. To be honest, the face itself isn't ThAT hard - nothing you can't get sufficient conditioning for from a bag. What's hard is the skull. I know people who train iron palm who have broken their hands from punching a skull, so that's really no guarantee...