To be perfectly honest, I believe trying to hit "pressure points" is a waste of time. And time is really why it is that. You don't have the time to try to hit pressure points, you need to move in and hit or kick wherever the opening is and forget about trying to make contact with any pressure points. At least that is what I was taught by two teachers I respect greatly, and makes sense to me.
You do have time - often people confuses; confrontations, assaults, combat, fight - they all move in different areas of comfort. In confrontations and assualt, you have time - whereas in a combat / fight the difficult of such application increases!
Takes no longer to hit an area rich in PPs such as the temple, neck, floating ribs or lower abdomen. If you connect, bonus, if you miss you still have the same force of strike had you just attacked an opening. No PP exponent is going to wait for a particular point to be exposed. They will either create an opening or use an available one. :asian:
marlon
Master Black Belt
David this was a very interesting direction that stopped. Could you continue it.
Respectfully,
Marlon
Pardon my butting in, but from this book I read, "The Secret Art of Pressure Point Fighting" by Vince Morris, pressure points are basically physiologically critical points of human anatomy.
To what I know, in this case, for a "knife hand to the neck", one could aim at the general neck area and hit muscle and cause some damage, or one could aim at the "pressure points" beside the windpipe, and hit a carotid artery (there should be one at each side) and cause an instant knockout or a major stun at best, death at worst.
Hope that was helpful. Thanks for reading.
To what I know, in this case, for a "knife hand to the neck", one could aim at the general neck area and hit muscle and cause some damage, or one could aim at the "pressure points" beside the windpipe, and hit a carotid artery (there should be one at each side) and cause an instant knockout or a major stun at best, death at worst.
Hope that was helpful. Thanks for reading.
SahBumNimRush
Master of Arts
There are differing view points in my Dojang about the use of pressure points. In my personal experience, there are those that work on everyone, nearly everyone, and only on some people. What works to disorient one person, may not do ANYTHING on another.
That being said, I use them as an addition to my techniques. As the example stated previously about striking ribs vs. LV 13. If I were striking the ribs already, why not have a more precise target to strike that MAY work more effectively on SOME people.
There are different types of "pressure points," IMHO. Nerves, arteries, and other vital points (temple, trachia, solar plexus, etc.) and then there are acupuncture points. Vital points work on everybody, but the Nerves, arteries and acupuncture points have varying degrees of success for multiple reasons. Not everyone has a nerve or artery in the same place, so finding it in the heat of combat is difficult. Some people are more sensitive to these areas as well, even if you can find them. Acupuncture points are found by using cun measurements, which are different in size depending on the opponent. There are landmarks on the body to help find them, but this also makes targeting them in the combat difficult.
So for these reasons, I don't reccomend relying on them, BUT I would encourage people to add these points as TARGETS of your own techniques.
Oh, and btw, this is my humble opinion. I have no FORMAL training in specific pressure point striking. I am formally trainined in acupuncture, medicine, and anatomy/physiology however, so I think I know a little bit about the points themselves.
That being said, I use them as an addition to my techniques. As the example stated previously about striking ribs vs. LV 13. If I were striking the ribs already, why not have a more precise target to strike that MAY work more effectively on SOME people.
There are different types of "pressure points," IMHO. Nerves, arteries, and other vital points (temple, trachia, solar plexus, etc.) and then there are acupuncture points. Vital points work on everybody, but the Nerves, arteries and acupuncture points have varying degrees of success for multiple reasons. Not everyone has a nerve or artery in the same place, so finding it in the heat of combat is difficult. Some people are more sensitive to these areas as well, even if you can find them. Acupuncture points are found by using cun measurements, which are different in size depending on the opponent. There are landmarks on the body to help find them, but this also makes targeting them in the combat difficult.
So for these reasons, I don't reccomend relying on them, BUT I would encourage people to add these points as TARGETS of your own techniques.
Oh, and btw, this is my humble opinion. I have no FORMAL training in specific pressure point striking. I am formally trainined in acupuncture, medicine, and anatomy/physiology however, so I think I know a little bit about the points themselves.
I have included the above quote because it is so true. The highlighted para is the crux of the matter. Most instructors haven't got the first idea of the vital points and the styles that are focussed on the sport aspect of MA have no need for vital points. IMHO, in kata all strikes, kicks and all "blocks" are directed at specific points. :asian:In Yiliquan, we make use of pressure points extensively (even though this is the karate forum, I figured since Kenpo/Kempo was in this thread, too, it would be okay if I chimed in...).
We have three levels of points - Stunning and Painful, Temorarily Disabling, Killing and Crippling.
In our forms, we acknowledge four levels of breakdowns - Obvious (punch is a punch), Hidden (punch is a block), Secret (throws, breaks, joint locks) and Mysterious (striking points).
Every strike is meant to go to some striking point. My teacher has always quoted his teacher as having said: "If you do not strike a vital point every time you strike, you may as well slap your opponent across the face."
The forms (and I do not want to debate forms again) contain the strikes and the angles that allow for the proper application of the strikes. Without a teacher that knows the applications, they will be lost to the first group they are not taught to. Subsequent "generations" will then also be without that information, and so on.
Once you have been taught the principles of form breakdown, it is easier to understand other forms, even from other styles, though it is unlikely you will be able to unlock all the information contained in them...
And logically, the end proof, is the fact that old traditional martial arts were form for the sole purpose of defeating an aggressor quickly, with no wasted movements. :asian:
SahBumNimRush
Master of Arts
How very true! MA, in general, has become so watered down over the years because of its focus (i.e. adapted to be taught to school children, sport, etc.. .) However, the foundations of the forms are still there, and even without a knowledgable instructor, with a little bit of knowledge, investigation and work you can find many of these meanings "hidden" within the forms. Too bad ever new student didn't get a decoder ring with their uniforms when they started!
