Pressure Points: Kyusho Jitsu & Dim Mak
Know The Facts...And They Can Be Used To Your Advantage
Kyusho Jitsu and Dim Mak, the arts of attacking vital spots on the human body that cause an extreme response to a small action. We have all seen the videos. The unassuming out of shape man defends himself from stronger or more physically fit attackers by simply touching a spot (or multiple spots) on the attackers body, putting him into a fetal position on the ground, writhing in pain or knocked out all together.
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This is not reality. It will not work in the ‘street’ or in a BJJ match, or a cage fight. These super deadly pressure point techniques are not fight-enders on their own, nor are they as incredibly effective as some may wish you to think.
People who teach pressure points as a stand alone system typically like to use strange words, such as meridians, chi, and you will hear them talk about gallbladders lungs, and stomach when they are touching their partners neck or arm for example.
The idea is that the meridians are points on the body connected by chi. By striking certain meridians you stop the flow of chi to certain meridians located on vital spots of the human anatomy (organs for example). Then you see a crazy demo where the instructor slaps his partner and he drops unconscious, then they revive him through a process of strange steps like sitting them up, crossing their legs, and smacking them in the back of the head.
This is not how pressure points work. Pressure points are real, but they are not magic. If I punch you in the chin and you are knocked out, that is a pressure point. A point where if you apply enough pressure there will be a reaction (while being as efficient as possible). Relying on a standalone pressure point will not work, but using them in conjunction with fundamentals of BJJ, MMA, Kickboxing or any full contact martial art can be an effective mix (if interested check H Kick Boxing Fundamentals by Henri Hooft).
It is fun to believe in crazy one touch KO martial arts magic, but it is not real nor was it ever the intention for pressure points in martial arts. What is real is hard training and thinking with a critical mind. Use “pressure points” but know why they work, do not take mystic jargon as an answer and most importantly, pressure test this stuff. Spar and see if it works under stress, be safe, do not just kick your training partner between the legs or poke his eye out, we know what those will do and the reactions you will get. Related to pressure, you might be interested in Pressure Passing Mastery Against Modern Guards by Lucas Pinheiro.
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