Eh, once siblings get to be the roughly the same size, I think they throw punches. Christ knows, my brother and I had some knock-down, drag-out brawls.

Certainly the two of them will have been sparring regularly pretty much their whole lives - and I would think that once Sam got to be taller than Dean, Dean would be unlikely to pull his punches within that context. (Probably not before then either, actually, since they'd sincerely want Sam to be able to protect himself properly?)

Fun vid with Supernatural as different movie types [link]

Sibling relationships really are the sole kind where the people in question can beat the crap out of each other regularly and no one lifts an eyebrow or says anything about it being abusive.

Signed,
Glad To Be an Only Child

Snerk.

I have 8 years on my brother, and I wasn't allowed to pick on him until I was no longer bigger than he was...which was right around the time I left for college. He has gotten much more interesting since then.

He's got about a foot on me now, and is near double my weight, but I still think I could take him.

Older brother "beat up" younger brother all the time, little brother loved it and would shout "again! again!" and wouldn't start crying until Parents showed up in driveway. I didn't beat up little bro, all I had to do was lightly pinch his shoulders like I was giving a massage and he'd buckle in agony. Later, we chased each other around with kitchen knives with real intent to draw blood, although we never did because Mom would get mad.

Aw, heck, if I didn't get a fat lip from one of my brothers at least once a year, I felt neglected. In retaliation I was the master of the stealth knife handle against the back of the head. Our butter knives had heft to them, let me tell you.

Okay, I'm an only child, so I'm going to have to bow to all of you with brothers and sisters who say it's perfectly normal for siblings to punch one another (or as Matt says, "beat the crap out of each other"). I will say that I've taken an informal poll around here, and people shake their heads at me and say that yes, there was a certain amount of roughhousing but they didn't beat on each other.

This morning as I was brushing my teeth one of the reasons that the interaction between Sam and Dean bothers me so much occurred to me - Sam doesn't fight back. Now I know there are those of you with a more comprehensive memory of everything Supernatural than I have and who will quickly correct me if I'm wrong, but until Sam gets out of Bobby's demon safe room and Dean confronts him, I don't remember Sam fighting back.

Some very mild spoilers (possibly speculation) from JA here. He also clarifies season six rumors.

Principal photography on season five begins July 2.

Happy. Making.

I will say that I've taken an informal poll around here, and people shake their heads at me and say that yes, there was a certain amount of roughhousing but they didn't beat on each other.

Well, yeah - but, sweetie, were any of them "raised as warriors"? And able to take down the school bully with mad ninja skillz at the age of twelve*? 'Cause I'm guessing no. (Unless you talked to ita.)

*Wee!Sammy must have been older than twelve in that ep, since Wee!Dean looked about 20, but I can't remember how old he was supposed to be, if we ever found out. 14, maybe?