Pressure Points – A Realistic View.

I first wrote this article for Fighters Magazine back in the early 90’s before the MMA and UFC revolution that changed many people’s perception of Martial arts forever.

 A former student of mine recently gave me a copy of the magazine which I had incidental lost somewhere over the years.

I read it again and slightly re-wrote it from a grammatical point of view, but the content stayed the same as my belief all these years on is still the same on this subject.

Many Martial Arts techniques have been shrouded in mystery for centuries. When the arts first hit the Western world, tales emerged of super-human feats that these Martial Arts masters could perform, some greatly exaggerated, others that could not be proven.

 I think one of the all-time ‘grey’ areas are the use of pressure points or dim mak, as the Chinese refer to it. That deadly secret death touch that can drop your opponent instantly is an elusive technique that many still, currently, seek to discover.

 Were the ancient masters privy to some magical formula that we, in modern times, are not clever enough to find?

Or is it just a load of sensationalised hype to sell the Martial Arts? All smoke and mirrors with a sprinkle of the power of suggestion thrown in for good measure.

In recent years, many videos and books have appeared on pressure point fighting or Kyusho Jutsu/Dim Mak. Also, some very well-known European and American Martial artists have flooded the seminar market on this subject, allegedly dropping students like flies with their mystical one touch knockout!

In this article, I am going to give my humble opinion on the subject based on my 40 plus years of experience in the Martial Arts field.

 I am a 7^th Dan Instructor in Ju Jutsu, but also have an open and receptive mind to all arts and have practised or sampled most.

 I have also fought at a prominent level in the cage and on the mats, as well as having some real-world experience of violence.

 My findings have been obtained from experience and not based on theory or talk. It’s all been hands on practice.

Firstly, the use of pressure points has been around in the art of Japanese Ju Jutsu since its origins. If you view a video, read a book or participate in Ju Jutsu, somewhere along the line, you will be exposed to Kyusho Jutsu or pressure point atemi-waza.

 It may have been a hidden secret in Karate-do Katas for centuries but not so in Ju Jutsu! In Europe, you can trace books back to before the 1900s that show these points, so somebody previously had to be passing on the knowledge!

The Mystic in the subject increases when a lot of the points are referred to particularly in Chinese Martial arts by their acupuncture/acupressure names.

Striking stomach 9 meridian sounds so much more exciting than striking the carotid artery on the neck or pressing the Governor Vess. 1 26 is much more impressive than the base of the nose/upper lip (philtrum)!

This type of Martial Arts/oriental terminology always arouses the interest and gets the would-be ninjas flocking to the training halls!

Also, the claims of knockout by striking on the arms and legs raise great curiosity and disbelief. This, I have never seen happen and I have struck and been struck on pressure points on the limbs. Although some of them can be highly painful and crippling, to some extent, I have not experienced a complete knockout (i.e. unconsciousness).

I have seen a few people, however, drop like a stone and lose their desire to continue fighting with limb strikes, but usually the perpetrator is armed with a baseball bat or the Muay Thai equivalent, the shin round kick!

Now, there may be individuals in the world that can perform these incredible feats, but they have got to be in the smallest minority and the exception to the rule, and I am still sceptical.

My theory is that there is no mystic to pressure point striking. I suspect any doctor or medical student could tell you the weakest and most vulnerable points on the human body without any Martial Arts training.

I have profound respect for a lot of Martial arts methods/training, as I have initially come from traditional background and trained under many great Japanese masters, but again, I think that too much can be read into the methods. All things Asian are not always correct. Just as today that all things Brazilian aren’t gospel either.

If you ask me about knockout points on the human body, I will tell you that I can think of five.

I call these Manstoppers.

They will work when you land a good, focused, powerful and accurate strike, not touch pressure.

 The points are: Chin/jaw, temple, base of skull, throat/neck.

 That’s it. That’s all of them. Remember, we are talking bare-handed strikes. I realise that a knife stab to the heart, a hammer to the skull or a shotgun blast in the face can do the trick, but this is all based on empty hand atemi, no weapons.

The jaw/chin when hit with a solid punch, palm heel or elbow will cause severe brain shaking inside the cranium, hence the knockout.

The temple area is the bony tip of the sphenoid bone and is quite thin. A strike here with a heavy punch or elbow can again jar the brain and damage important underlying arteries and nerves, causing a KO.

 The base of the skull houses the cerebellum and medulla, as well as the brain stem and spinal nerves. The medulla/brain stem controls breathing, blood pressure and heart beat. Heavy striking to this area, as with the other, not only carries knockout capability, but also lethal results.

Throat/neck, we all know how vulnerable these areas are, as they house our breathing and blood flow needs to the brain in the shape of the windpipe, carotid artery and jugular vein.

A knife hand blow, arc hand, fore knuckle or choke and strangle can cause unconsciousness or worse.

These are the only reliable knockout points on the body for serious combat

 No- where else?

Well a hard, accurate blow to the solar plexus can empty the lungs of air and paralyse the diaphragm, making it difficult for the person to get oxygen into the body.  It can incapacitate but not knockout.

What about attacking the groin or eyes or slapping the ears?

 Yes, they are highly vulnerable and can be fight stoppers, but rarely can you knock out someone through these points. Remember, this is what we are concerning ourselves with at present.

I previously mentioned that these points were the only reliable ones in serious combat and this takes important understanding.

Most of the pressure point striking or touching when demonstrated is done with a stationary and compliant partner.

In this instance, with a certain working knowledge, you can easily find and work many of the vital spots and get a reaction. Remember, it is easier to apply any technique when the opponent is either expectant or has had the power of suggestion imposed on them.

 Plus, if they are stationary, it is easier to find these small and hard to hit targets. It is a much different story if your opponent is psyched up, adrenaline filled and ready to fight you.

 He will be a moving, elusive and highly aggressive adversary. He will certainly not be allowing you the time to pinpoint some of the targets that are usually promoted as being effective by some experts.

Also, bearing in mind that some of the pressure points are meant to be no bigger than a one penny piece or smaller, it will take a hell of a lot of accuracy to find them in a ‘live pressure’ situation.

Another point worth bearing in mind is that some of these manipulating points are usually shown on the torso or arms of a person wearing no bodily clothing. This is fine to learn where the points are situated, but then, if you work on reality, most of these areas will be covered by heavy shirts, jackets, coats etc, nine. The clothing will nullify their effectiveness, if not stop it altogether.

All these things must be considered if we are looking at practical application of atemi touch pressure points.

Through practical experiment and experience, I am going to list the controlling or manipulating Kyusho Jutsu points that I have found to be accessible and workable under combat conditions. Remember though, it still takes considerable training and understanding of the human anatomy to make them work effectively.

I learnt these points all from my jujutsu instructors as a matter of course and didn’t have to undergo any specialise training or live like a hermit in the Tibetan mountains for 5 years.

Out of the 370 or so acupuncture/acupressure points recorded on the body, I will list 16 that I feel are workable, not counting the previously mentioned areas.

1. Philtrum (base of nose/upper lip)
Highly sensitive point for striking with palm heel or knifehand or pushing up or in with edge of hand or palm heel. Can also be effectively attacked from rear with bony thumb side of forearm in a face bar. Excruciatingly painful!

2. Mastoid Process (cavity behind ear lobe)
Best attacked with a gouging middle knuckle, screwing into this area can gain a release from a close quarter grapple.

3. Hypoglossal Nerve/Facial Artery 
Poking or gouging under the jawline into the soft underside can cause sharp pain and you can manipulate the head from there.

4. Zyomatic/Trigeminal Nerve         
These points are best located under the cheekbones. Gouging with a knuckle or clamping the points between fingers and thumb and squeezing causes severe pain and discomfort.

5. Temples     
Located on the side of the head roughly one and a half inches from the eyes. As mentioned earlier, striking can be fatal to this point. Knuckle gouging can instantly break up a close quarter grapple.

6. Suprasternal or Jugular Notch     
Indentation at the base of the windpipe. A finger poke or spear or a thumb gouge activates a gag reflex here, causing opponent to cough and splutter gasping for breath. Can also be a lethal point but requires pinpoint accuracy.

7. Subclavial Artery  
Situated down below collarbone. I have found this point works best on people with prominent collarbones. Gouge fingers in and down behind the bone. It causes a sickening sensation and the person drops to their knees to get away from the pain.

8. Carotid Artery       
Classic knockout point on the beck. More accurately, it is the carotid sinus that you attack. The sinus monitors blood pressure in the head. If struck with a knife of squeezed in a stranglehold, the sinus incorrectly sends a signal to the brain telling it that blood pressure is too high. The brain then sends a signal to the heart and the heart slows the blood flow. Result = unconsciousness. You have cleverly fooled the body’s safety switches. Some ‘experts’ in the field say that to open up this point, you must first touch two other points on the wrist. I leave that open to debate. I have KO’d two people in training (accidentally) by just striking the carotid sinus on its own with moderate fore. Please beware. Do not strike this area in fun; it is very dangerous.

9. Brachial Artery      
Located on inside of upper arm, roughly situated where the seam of a jacket would run. Pressing on this point, you will feel a pulse beat. Gouging with a knuckle can cause pain enough to gain a release from a lapel grab. Punching this point with knuckles can send a ‘pins and needles’ feeling right down to the finger tips and in some cases, paralyse the arm for some while.

10. Radial Nerve        
Best found on the mound of the muscle on top of the forearm. Again, if you are grabbed by the lapel or wrist tightly, this area will be taut. A hard knife hand blow to the target can gain a release and a numbing of the arm with inability to open and close the fingers.

11. Tricep Tendon     
Sometimes referred to as ‘Golgi’s point.’ This is a favourite attack point of the late great Ju Jutsu master, Wally Jay. The actual spot is just where the triceps head on the back of the upper arm disappears into the elbow joint. If you strike here or knuckle gouge/rub when the arm is straight, it causes extreme discomfort and controlling effects. Overlooked but highly effective point.

12. Femoral Artery/Nerve    
Located high on the inner thigh by inguinal fold (crease of upper thigh and groin). Spear finger attack and gouges will have an instant effect. Can break up ground grappling positions and from standing can buckle the leg. Must penetrate deeply for maximum effect.

13. Peroneal/Femoral Nerve
Favourite spot for the Muay Thai shin roundhouse kick. Outer edge of thigh, midway between hip and knee. You may remember this spot from old school dead leg of ‘Charley horse’. A hard shin kick or an elbow whilst kneeling can collapse opponent’s leg and take the fight right out of them.

14. Inner Thigh (Femoral/Cutaneous Nerve)          
Open to the same attack as above with related results.

15. Sciatic Nerve       
Right in the centre of the bicep’s femoris muscle on back of thigh. Best attacked with a heel stomp when opponent is face down on the ground. Will paralyse leg for some time.

16. Tibial Nerve                     
Centre of calf muscle. Open to the same attack with equivalent results as number 15.

So, there you have it. The pressure points I feel will work in ‘pressure’ situations. Remember though, there is no 100% guarantee.

 Some people, you can touch on these points and they will writhe immediately in shock and agony; others may only feel minor discomfort. But it is horses for courses. If it gives you an opening for one of the ‘Manstoppers points’, then it has served its purpose.

Pressure points must not be your main arsenal of weapons, nor must they be relied on to the point of forgetting other techniques. Also, currently with the selling of stronger alcoholic drinks and unfortunately the use of pills, tablets and various other forms of drugs, your attacker may be immune to these points!

In closing, I just want to recap on the fact that we are dealing with barehand techniques alone. Some of these points and others can have a more dramatic effect if struck or jabbed with weapons like batons or Yawaras. Also, areas like the elbow joints and knee joints can be smashed and dislocated with blows and kicks, but I don’t class these as pressure points. They can be termed as ‘structural damage’. I have just isolated the ‘pain points’ of the body for discussion.

I am sure that some of you out there may disagree with the things I have said, but that is your privilege. You are entitled to your opinion as I am mine. But remember, I have based my knowledge on a lot of pressure training scenarios and real-world experience. This is a far cry from the dojo teaching scenarios with a willing and compliant partner.

Finally if you are a true believer in the pressure point knockout theory, why haven’t we seen these skills in the Octagon?

I don’t feel there is any magic to this subject, just knowledge of anatomy and physiology and the weaknesses of the human body, plus ‘know-how’ on how and where to attack THE points!