Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. What a load, right? Like some guy is going to come up and tap you a few times and you’ll fall paralyzed on the ground twitching like a bunny rabbit. It’s good that you’re cynical. Don’t take everything you read and hear and see as the gospel. It’s like they say in Missourah: "Show Me."

Those of use who are martialists at heart actively seek new information and experiences. It’s in keeping with what our beloved Publisher likes to quote from Ayn Rand: "Keep an active mind." Those out there who poo-poo everything are just as bad as those who believe everything. I am neither of those types, so I decided to check into this whole pressure point thing.

Dave Daniel (right), the Pacific Northwest Director of Hogan Karate International, was gracious enough to visit the Kashimunji Dojo on the 21st of February, 2004. We have a small dojo, so we were limited to a small group. Dave brought with him some 33+ years of martial arts  training (18 of which are pressure point specific) as well as Dan McClusky (Dave’s instructor) and Pat Crane (the Director of HKI for the State of Idaho). We were blessed with three talented and energetic pressure point instructors.

The students of Kantan Kyo Jujutsu are no strangers to pressure point theory. We study the healing aspects of shiatsu and massage on a regular basis. However, the destructive applications of pressure points are not the focus of our training. Fortunately, Mr. Daniel is well versed.

The seminar was informal. Dave began by giving us some background on himself and the history of pressure point training in the United States. Mr. Daniel has trained extensively in the past with George Dillman. He has, therefore, been in the inner circle of the pressure point enthusiasts for many years.

After a few minutes of background, we went right into doing some basic techniques. If you’ve ever been to a seminar you’ll understand that most techniques are initially taught "defending from a wrist grab." In thirty-one years, I’ve never had anyone come grab my wrists.  Every training technique has to start somewhere, though, so we worked on defending from a single hand wrist grab.

Dave Daniel explains the pressure points of the arm on "Nabok."

Dave explained that there are 6 key pressure points up the forearm. There are two on either side of the wrist, two halfway up the forearm, and two just below the elbow. I won’t go into any details, as that information can be too deadly if it falls into the wrong hands.*

We proceeded in testing the first point and affecting a release from the wrist grab by attacking the first point. That made it very difficult for the attacker to hold on. It wasn’t that the point caused extreme pain; the grip simply lost a lot of its strength. Dave explained that what we were doing was disrupting the flow of "chi." For those of you who don’t believe in chi, think of it as disrupting the electrochemical signals between the brain and the gripping hand. There is a simple example of this that we will discuss later in the article.

*Obviously sarcasm – Editor.

Needless to say, it was difficult for the attacker to hang onto the wrist once the pressure point was "activated." For the next hour or so we proceeded to train techniques that utilized each of the 6 points that had been discussed in the beginning. During the second hour, we worked on some of the pressure points on the top of the foot and up the sides of the shin and thigh. Each technique affected the attacker a little differently and facilitated the escape of the trainee. I won’t get into how and when and why, because in truth I don’t understand it well enough to explain it.

I do know that when my training partner hit a pressure point, I felt it. Sometimes it was only a light tingle or pressure. Sometimes the point caused intense discomfort. Anyone still dismissing the reality of pressure points must be someone who’s never shellacked their funny bone or had the doctor bounce his or her knee with that little hammer.

For myself, I’ve never doubted that pressure points exist or that they can be triggered to have certain effects on the human body. My doubts have always come from using them in combative situations. Mr. Daniel provided many anecdotes describing how he’s used them in situations as a bouncer and in other circumstances. Those stories are fun and, just like all stories concerning martial prowess, subjective in nature. I’ve heard and read many stories of these types of events, and I take everything with a grain of salt.

I was able to spend some time in contemplation in the weeks following our seminar. I’ve been in discussion with Dave, my instructor, and a few other martialists I know ,bouncing theories and ideas off them. Mulling over what I have learned with what I experienced in the seminar, I’ve come to several conclusions.

First, pressure points are real. There are nerve clusters all over the body that can be stimulated and have either a negative or a positive effect on the human body. I have experienced shiatsu, acupressure, acupuncture, "laying on of the hands" healing, some chiropractic, and some Tokyo massage work in my time (ok, not really the last one). Each of these has had an effect on me not entirely different from Mr. Daniel's pressure point techniques.

A Little Perspective, Take Three (From Your Editor, Phil Elmore)

I can hear the critics howling now.  By including an article on pressure points, has The Martialist bowed at the altar of Traditional Martial Arts, embracing the unworkable?

Well, no.

In my own training at the Syracuse Wing Chun Academy, we strike nerves and pressure points for greater effect when hitting.  While my own instructor often speaks of "chi," there's no need to see this as some sort of mysticism.  Your body is a biological mechanism that operates according to certain principles and has certain vulnerabilities.  Learning to hit its most vulnerable points is not some magical process, but simple science.  It remains science no matter how you dress it up and no matter in what metaphorical terms you describe it.

Where I will state flatly that something is bunk is any scenario in which "no touch knockouts" or the "power of focused chi" is invoked.  This is ridiculous.  No one can knock you down without touching you unless you cooperate.  I'll challenge any of the no-touch-knockout chi-crazies to use the power of their mystic arts on me any day, and I'll even buy lunch if they can knock me down.  They can't.

So, yes, pressure points are real – but don't expect unrealistic things from them.  Whatever you do, don't use questionable techniques or methods you think MIGHT work when you can apply more proven, less risky techniques to resolve the situation.

Second, not all points work on all people and they are subjective to the situation. In truth, this isn’t any different than palm heels and foot stomps. They have a higher percentage of efficacy, but as every martialist knows, nothing works all the time. Some techniques don’t work on some people, period. The key premise, as I understand it, is that you get the opponent's mind and body going in two different directions. Like kazushi in Judo, all it takes is to get your opponent off balance for a split second and you can, if you’re timing is right, bounce him on his butt. That old Arab proverb comes to mind about the camel’s nose in the tent.

Third, as in all demonstrations of martial prowess, the attacker is compliant and the defender knows how the attacker will move. That makes demonstrations more effective and, in truth, more entertaining for the participants. During the seminar I succumbed to the mental questioning of "oh yeah, what if I do this" a few times. I immediately answered my own question and could imagine Dave replying, "if you do this, then I’d do something else” and round and round we go. Instead of going down that path, I told myself to shut up and listen in order to learn something.

Fourth, I did learn some things from Dave and his cohorts. I learned – and Dave explicitly hit on this point – that just like everything else you train, pressure point fighting is not the Do-All-End-All-Grand-Ultimate-Style. Pressure point fighting is simply another tool to add to your skill set. With lots and lots (and lots) of practice you can become extremely skilled at hitting the points on your opponent. With only a little training, you can learn some nasty stuff to integrate into your own style.  You can use this against your training partners and, God forbid, a bad guy who wants to steal your shoes.

The bottom line is this simple:  You can pick up some pressure point theory and see if you can work it into your training, or you can spend your time doing other things. As we say at The Martialist, the choice is yours. I know I’ll be following up as the opportunities present themselves. Every little bit of knowledge is helpful. Besides, as a martialist, I love to cheat.