Kyusho Jitsu or the art of using pressure points or vital points is the subject of this article. You can guess that from the title, huh? There are around 108 pressure points used in martial arts. Points may correspond to Chinese Medicine Meridians, Yin / yang, Shichen Times, Element Theory, or may be related to the location of blood vessels and nerve channels. Does it matter how you classify the point location as long as the technique works? It could be if you are a stickler for martial arts. If you are a fighter or a street fighter, it may not be that important.
In the human body there are about eight magic points where, if struck correctly, it can cause instant death. I am not going to discuss these points for obvious reasons. I don’t want to be responsible for an asshole trying to kill one of his classmates using one of these pressure points.
From what I have learned from various sources is that pressure points can be divided into two basic categories: friction points and impact points. Some points are both. You also need to understand the angle and direction the point needs to be hit in order for it to be fully effective. It also matters how much penetration is required to activate the point. With some points, just one touch will activate the point where others require a substantial amount of force to use.
Locating the points is relatively easy. Find where blood vessels or nerve canals cross a bony area or are near the surface and that is where a Kyusho point is likely to be found. Using an acupuncture chart is also helpful in locating the points, but it is somewhat overwhelming. There are several good books available that show the points. One of the best I’ve come across is The Art of Striking by Marc Tedeschi. There are excellent pictures and diagrams of the points in this book and several other texts by Mr. Tedeschi. It also does a good job comparing several different arts and their respective techniques. Another excellent reference is The Bubishi, Patrick McCarthy’s Karate Bible. They should be in your library for point reference only.
Now that you have a pictorial reference and a good description of the points, how are you going to learn them? You can get a list and a magic marker along with a willing subject and start drawing points in strategic places. This is a very difficult way to learn the points and remember them and it makes your partner look like they have some type of smallpox. I was there, I did that. It doesn’t work that well. A better way is to get a list of your techniques, maybe your kata, or maybe the lists of jujutsu techniques if that’s what you are studying. For self defense like Krav Maga or Haganah you have lists of the techniques used. With the techniques in hand and a willing partner not so covered in points, you can proceed to learn the points. Select a technique, see where you hit or grab that technique, and find the corresponding pressure points. Use that method to learn as many points as is practical. I found that we use practically the same points to do all the techniques that are basic to our system. We use the Dan Zan Ryu technique lists, Shotokan karate kata, and Haganah lists. In approximately 4th kyu and above, the techniques are practiced with immense control but at full speed and with endurance. It allows you to find out what works in a fight.
For a basic introduction to the techniques, grab your partner, or hit or kick as you have been taught and note where those locations are on your partner. Easy with contact. Getting hit on the nose really cuts down on enthusiasm. Once you have located half a dozen points, you can begin to memorize their location using pointer techniques. You may have to do a bit of research to figure out the angle and direction of the hit or pressure, but now you have a good start to getting your points. Note: Don’t actually hit the tips just to see if they work, they can be lethal or paralyzing. Pressure point practice should be no more than 15-20 minutes per week.
I once had an instructor. I respect him very much for his accomplishments and his abilities. But he once mentioned that the pressure point thing didn’t work out. Then he began teaching pressure point shots. With around 600 to 700 pressure points located on, on or near the surface of the skin, it is difficult not to grab or hit a pressure point. The question is, will that point produce any effect if it is struck or pressed? The trick is to hit specific spots in a fast-paced, dynamic situation, like a fight. Not all pressure points work the same for all people. Some people are more sensitive, others are less sensitive when you hit or grab a pressure point. Better to have a backup plan and use it. I teach 1-5 punches, throw the opponent to the ground as hard as possible and then finish him off with some kind of constriction.
A friend of mine who we will call Al is a long time Judo player. Recently, he discovered that if he modified the input of his O-soto gari (mountain storm or outside harvest shot), he could throw his uke with such force that the uke was knocked unconscious upon landing. When we started discussing his technique, we found out that he was, on his tackle and kazushi, hitting Stomach 9 and 10. His uke was knocked unconscious even before the pitch started. Stomachs 9 and 10 are located in the carotid sinus on either side of the neck. Now, it can be argued that there are several mechanisms that can cause a person to lose consciousness. The first is the meridian theory where if you hit two points on the same meridian at the same time, you can produce unconsciousness. Another is that under the carotid sinus there is a rod receptor that monitors and regulates blood pressure. Hitting this point sends a message to the brain that the blood pressure is too high and the heart momentarily stops causing unconsciousness. Another theory is that hitting the carotid sinus forces blood into the brain through the carotid artery. The brain is the sensitive organ that cannot handle excessive pressurization and causes uke to pass out. Now, does it matter what the mechanism is as long as Skippy hits the ground?
Striking is not always a decisive technique, but it is easier to do than trying to apply a joint lock to an opponent who does not want it. The joint locks are always decisive (locks are broken, fasteners are controlled. Yes, they are interchangeable according to your intention) when applied correctly. Now, wouldn’t it seem wise to “short-circuit” an opponent with a punch to the side of the nose or under the ear or carotid sinus before applying joint block? Even a quick kick to the groin can give you time to apply some joint locks. It is best when your opponent cannot resist your efforts to inflict pain and discomfort. Joint locks also use pressure points.
Consider that your opponent is always at your 12:00 o’clock position. As he or she attacks, take a strong step to the 11:00 o’clock position and without hesitation hits the stomach 9/10. You will have ½ to ¾ of a second to do whatever you want, from continuing to strike to blocking a joint, to throwing, or a combination of all that is indicated. It doesn’t matter if it’s a karate oi-zuki or a forehand cross. Timing is everything and if you hit hard enough, Skippy will be in dreamland.
So how big is a pressure point? In acupuncture they use sharp needles to stimulate and work the points. So the points are not very big. Accuracy is everything. So if drunkenly enraged Skippy tries to turn off your lights, can you hit that pencil-tip-sized sweet spot to land him in dreams? Probably not. First, Skippy’s attack will cause an adrenaline rush and he will lose most, if not all, of his fine motor skills. Even if you’ve trained to wait for the adrenaline rush, your abilities will degrade a bit. Therefore, his techniques must utilize gross motor skills and would work best if he caused any mechanical damage to Skippy. It is in those gross motor techniques that you must find the location of the pressure points and train to hit them under pressure. You have an area the size of a quarter (.25 cents) to hit. The presses must be more precise. How you train is just as important as what you train. Training is specific and under stress you will do exactly what you have trained yourself to do.
Let’s examine the removal of Figure 4 from my system [also known as tekubi shigarami in jujitsu] and count the pressure points used in this simple but effective technique.
Step 1: The attacker throws a straight forehand crusader or forehand lunge punch to your face.
Step 2: Move to the 11 o’clock position and do a sweep block. [ne gashi uke is not really a block but a deflection]. Timing is everything, so if you wait too long, you will be hit with your opponent’s other hand. While making the detour, grab the attacker’s right wrist with your right hand. In fact, slide your hand down the arm while grasping the wrist and pulling the arm to the back right.
Points used: Heart 6 and lung 8 on the wrist. As you slide your hand down the attacker’s arm, you are also stimulating the arm’s fire and metal meridians. The fire meridian is on the little finger side of the arm. The metal is on the thumb side of the arm. There are points along these meridians, but we won’t worry too much about them.
Step 3: While grasping the attacker’s wrist with your right hand, squeeze hard and use your left hand to palm the corner of the attacker’s right eye. Strike upward and inward 45 degrees toward the front of the head.
Points used: Triple Burner 23 and Gallbladder 1. In fact, this is a double meridian strike and if done hard it will cause unconsciousness. If it is struck from back to front, you can pry the eyeball out of its socket. Be careful during training.
Step 4: Immediately hit the inside of the elbow with the left radial bone. Use this blow to bend the attacker’s arm back over his right shoulder. Reach out your left hand and grab your own right wrist to do figure 4.
Points used: Lung 5. Hitting this point will trigger a cross reflex and prevent the defender from hitting you with their left hand.
Step 5: Move your left foot in a big arc to the rear right. This will create a void that your opponent will fall into. Remember that nature abhors a vacuum and will seek to fill it. Settle in nature with Skippy.
Points Used: When you start to move, use your right forearm to hit the brachial plexus between the opponent’s biceps and triceps.
Step 6: With the attacker on the ground, keep him on his left side to restrain his left arm so that you cannot hit him. Place your left knee along your jaw line and your right knee on your floating ribs. Put his elbow directly on your stomach. Press down with your knees and pull back with your hands. Go slow with this in practice because it hurts a lot and you could dislocate your partner’s wrist.
Points used: locate them and count them, there are a lot.
After submission, move to a defensive position.
Using pressure or Kyusho points in a fight is feasible, but requires study and practice.
Hard train.