In my opinion sir, there is entirely too much time spent "intellectualizing" the arts, coupled with an insatiable appetite to know the "why" of every thing you do. Studying human anatomy, acupuncture, etc is a waste of time for most.
To use a sports analogy, that is the job of "master coaches." You have coaches and you have players. It has always been that way in the arts as well. You had your warriors who "did" the fighting, and you had the scholars who taught them "how" to fight. The scholars had the experience of time, and acquired the knowledge gradually fueled by their experiences and augmented by his own scholar coach, which allowed their experiences and knowledge to merge and be validated, so they ultimately take ownership of the material.
Everyone wants a short-cut. It's human nature. Everyone thinks you can go find a book or a video somewhere that will help you learn "how." That's what they've been sold. But, they don't exist on any level no matter what anyone tells you. A noted martial arts junkie and medical doctor is constantly asked similar questions, with similar responses.
"There has never ever been a contextual codification of the myriad of sciences, and physical biomechanical functions associated with any combat methodologies." (My paraphrase) If you examine a book on the sport of western boxing, (the most simplistic of all combat), it is essentially a picture book and only a shell of the nuances of what it takes to be successful in its applications. (After all boxing only has four strikes and footwork. Should be simple, right? Until you get in the ring.)
Many have been led to believe by the American Martial Arts environment it's just a matter of a simplistic study of "motion," and a repetition of ideas associated with combat scenarios, and sparring interactions. While these are not bad things, they do not impart significant knowledge and only limited skills.
Not only is there no reason to learn "points," but there isn't a way to learn them the way martial artists need to use them for many reasons. The most in-depth examination of acupuncture points and nerve cavities is not even designed martial use.
The science of acupuncture is a healing science, that many don't even believe, (although western medicine has definitively proved its effectiveness for that purpose and has accepted it), and you can't even learn that aspect without a knowledgeable teacher, over time and experience. This healing aspect compared to martial applications is simple.
When you lay a person down and begin acupuncture therapy, you can be reasonably sure of the general locations of the cavity or pressure points you need to access. Then (from a physical perspective), you need to know the angles, amount of pressure, depth of penetration, etc to achieve the desire effect.
What you have never heard and what martial proponents who "sell" nerve strikes don't know, is that nerve cavities open, close, move, and change sensitivity predicated on subtle, and not so subtle changes in neuromuscular and sub-skeletal postures and alignment. Even if you had all the other information, a simple change in an attackers weight distribution could make the knowledge invalid for the circumstances presented.
I see these multi-striped, bricked-out keyboard warriors all over the forums discussing complex theories and concepts of motion and combat. Then you look at them and discover they can't even move in a neutral bow properly, if they have one.
They have all the plays of an American Football game memorized, know the offense and can discuss defenses strategies all day long, but don't have the physical skills to play. They sit in front of their play station, (computers), and are men among men.
My students move mechanically sound, efficient, have the ability to defend themselves, and will hurt you significantly. Ask them about nerves points, and they can name a few they've picked up during their training.
I don't emphasize them but we use them. I don't teach them but they know where they are. I don't teach postures, but they know what postures present what they need. None of them are experts in nerve strike, but if you throw a punch at them, they will hit every one that is exposed at the right angle and sequence, because they have the biomechanical skills to do so.
So the information is more complex than being an acupuncturist, and it changes from one jiffy-second to the next in a combat scenario. It would be like a medical doctor performing heart surgery on a runner, while he's running the 100 meter dash. Find me a book or video that can teach that, and I'll buy it myself.
Am I trying to discourage you? No. But then, I'm not selling anything either so I can tell you the truth. Pick up any school brochure or peek at a website and they sell you how "easy" it is to learn self-defense. On one level they are telling you the truth, but they shouldn't tell you that you can be a "scholar" one day doing what they teach. But if they told you that, then you'd have to ask how they got there.
Work on your mechanics. Unfortunately, there's no book or video for that either, just a bunch of "false prophets."
"Keep the change."
