Leathal Pressure Points

wikihow.com

How to Learn Martial Arts "PressurePoints"

Send fan mail to authors

Edit Article

12 Parts:Understanding pressure

pointsHeadNeckShoulderThroatJaw

zoneForearm/creviceHandsTorso regionFeetPossible therapeutic

usesPracticing the pressure points

The traditional definition of a pressure point is a point that, when

pressure is applied, produces crippling pain. This is learnt in a

chinese martial art called Dim Mak based on acupuncture pressure

points,but this art is very restricted and needs and understanding of

Chinese acupuncture points.Because of this I can only provide

information on on fragile areas that we'll call vulnerable points.

This is used to exploit a weakness or vulnerability in the human

body to gain an advantage over an opponent. When using these

pressure points one must be particularly careful as it is easy to kill

someone accidentally, such as a friend or even an enemy. At that

point, you enter the legal system, which generally does not know if

you were really defending yourself or were actually the aggressor,

and in some cases, that may not even matter. This leads to the point

that, more important than the technique, is the mindset that you use

How to Learn Martial Arts "Pressure Points" about:reader?url=http://www.wikihow.com/Learn-Martial-Arts-%22Pres...

1 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

in training, which is, of course a personal philosophical decision, but

one which requires much thought and consideration of when what

you practice must be put to use.

Ad

Part 1 of 12: Understanding pressure points

1

Learn about the body's very vulnerable areas: These are

commonly known as pressure points. The points include the

eyes, the groin, the shins, etc. In general, things to consider

include:

Use kicks that use the wide of your foot for the shins (if you

know them) as they will make it harder to miss.

Pull your foot back quickly when kicking to the groin so your

1.


2 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

foot won't be caught. The nose is easily broken with any

strike.

Ad

Ad

Part 2 of 12: Head

2Edit step

1

Striking the flat of the forehead forces the head back with

little resistance and will actually rock the brain within the

skull, causing a concussion, or worse. Beginners should use

the heel of their palm, rather than a fist. The same holds true to

the back of the skull, just below the horizontal ridge. (The front

has one too, above the flat.) The ridges are strong enough to be

1.


3 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

used as weapons in their own right, so avoid them.

2

Temples: The temples are the thinnest part of the cranium, so a

good blow here (one-knuckle punch is ideal) can cause

concussion, hemorrhaging, or even death. Do not actually strike

a training partner with this move.

2.


4 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

3Temple 2: When this area is hit, the victim may be rendered

unconscious, in some cases dead. This can be achieved using a

"phoenix eye" punch which involves extending the index finger

(search online for an image). Do not attempt to use this punch

unless you are in genuine danger.

Ad

3.

Part 3 of 12: Neck


5 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

1Neck/sleeper: This is another more obvious pressure point but

is very complicated in application. Get behind your assailant and

wrap one arm around his neck, using your radius (forearm bone),

apply pressure to the external carotid artery (just to the side of

the throat where you feel your pulse beating), slowly lowering

them to the ground as you do so. You can increase the pressure

by pulling your arm toward you with the other arm, and breathing

in as you do, puffing up your chest. You can also place the hand

of the squeezing arm in the elbow of the other arm and push the

head/neck forward with that other arm. If they show no signs of

weakening a sharp blow to the back of the head will disorientate

them giving you a chance to run.

To counter: Turn your head toward the elbow. The crevice will

not press on your throat, and you will be able to breath.

Circulation will still be a problem, so you must be quick. Grab

1.


6 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

the elbow with the closest hand and use the pressure point

there. This will loosen their grip, but they will likely not give

up. Combine pulling down with biting, foot-stomping,

head-butting, eye-gouging, bringing your heel to their groin,

shin-kicking, rib-elbowing (turn your hips), hair-pulling, and

anything else you can come up with.

Ad

Part 4 of 12: Shoulder

6Edit step

1

Look for the collar bone. Once located, jab your fingers behind

bone and force to the ground (this needs to be performed within

about 1/4 second in an actual assault).

1.


7 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

Ad

Part 5 of 12: Throat

1

The easiest way to strike is probably with a knife hand

(karate chop) turned up side down. A fist will have trouble

fitting between the jaw and collarbone. You can also grab and

squeeze the throat, and even give it a good yank to dislocate it

and make breathing impossible. That is, of course, quite lethal

and should be used only as a last resort when there is no other

alternative.

Ad

1.

Part 6 of 12: Jaw zone


8 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

8Edit step

1

Under the jaw: Grab the neck on the front and reach under the

jaw. Squeeze while pressing upward.

1.


9 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

2TMJ: Support the head with one hand. With the other, follow the

jawline to the highest point, just under the ear, where it meets the

bump in your skull. Apply pressure inward and upward towards

your ear. This is painful and makes speaking very difficult. If

possible, a person will try to move away from it, hence the

supporting hand. A single-knuckle punch (the second middle

finger knuckle) to this spot could dislocate the jaw.

Ad

2.

Part 7 of 12: Forearm/crevice


10 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

1Forearm/crevice: The crevice of your forearm is made entirely of

muscles and tendons, so there's lots to work with. Grab the

elbow with your thumb on top. Place your fingers on the back of

the elbow for a good grip. squeeze the tip of your thumb toward

the tips of your index or middle finger. You have to reinforce the

thumb with your fingers, or you'll lose leverage. Press the thumb

into the middle of the crevice, into either side of the crevice, or

into the lump on the outer forearm formed when you make a fist

(the brachioradialis). Experiment with this one. It can be rather

tricky.

Ad

1.

Part 8 of 12: Hands


11 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

1Back of the hand: If you are grabbed, look directly at the hand

of your assailant, and with either a regular or single-knuckle

punch, strike the bones in the back of the hand. When practicing

with a partner, give it one good shot, so you're not doing it all

day. It only hurts for a minute.

1.


12 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

12Edit step

2

Pinch the fingers for a simple defense. When punches are

thrown, catch one in your armpit and lock down tight. Grab the

upper inner part of the elbow jointthis needs to be done fast.

Pinch down hard one finger on each side. This causes

excruciating pain and will make your opponent's arm feel like it's

breaking.

Ad

2.

Part 9 of 12: Torso region


13 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

13Edit step

1

Sternum: Strike with a single-knuckle to the bone in the middle

of the chest. It has no muscle and never much fat, so it is very

vulnerable, and if struck properly can break in two down the

middle. You can also strike the pectorals like this. EDIT: Breaking

the sternum can cause a punctured lung or worse. Be very

careful with this and do not practice on friends.

1.


14 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

2Solar plexus: This is a bundle of nerves deep within the center of

the abdomen, thought to be responsible for the physical feelings

of deep emotions. By striking the area just below the sternum,

where the ribs join on the front of the abdomen, you affect this

bundle of nerves and cause the diaphragm (breathing muscle) to

contract violently. This is "knocking the wind out" of someone. It's

a very easy target. This can be countered by flexing the abs

quickly at the time of impact, which is accomplished by breathing

out or yelling (kiai).

2.


15 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

3Love handles: Place your hand flat on the side of the abdomen,

between the ribs and hips. Roll your fingers in toward your

palms. Do not pinch. Pinching does next to nothing. This will

work on any body type.

3.


16 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

4Ribs: The ribs have very little covering, regardless of the body

type, and only thin muscle between them. To break them, raise

the arm to extend them, reducing their ability to reinforce each

other, and step towards them when you strike. A palm-down knife

hand works very well for this. Uppercuts also work for this as

they seem to be designed to get right up under the arm, which is

what you're aiming for. The rib areas protected by the muscles of

the chest or back will not be easily broken, if at all. The lowest

ribs connect only to the spine and so are especially vulnerable to

breaking.

Ad

4.

Part 10 of 12: Feet


17 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

1Feet: Look down at the foot, and using your heel, raise your knee

as high as you can, and stomp on the arch of the foot as hard as

you can. Because of its structure, it can easily be broken. Do not

strike the toes. It will hurt, but you certainly won't break

anything. Try each with light pressure and see which hurts more.

Ad

1.

Part 11 of 12: Possible therapeutic uses


18 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

18Edit step

1

If feeling drowsy or can't concentrate using both pointer

fingers, apply pressure. Apply this pressure to temples, the

flanks of the bridge of your nose and the corners of your eyes

about 5mm from the bridge of your nose.

1.


19 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

2Headaches are a pain. Temporary relief or dulling of pain can

be achieved by using the appropriate pressure point.

Front of head: Massage both temples

Middle/top of head: Apply pressure to point just above ears.

Back of head: Place both thumbs just behind ears and trace

backwards until you find the point where your skull ends.

Move another mm inwards and apply pressure.

Ad

2.

Part 12 of 12: Practicing the pressure points


20 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

1Bear in mind that speed is key in a fight. If you're stuck

fumbling with a pressure point, you're going to get knocked in

the head. Practice often, practice safely. Practice as if you were

in a real fight. Start slow, and get the placement down. Then, use

all the intensity and speed that you can. You fight how you

practice, so if you're practicing slow or sloppy, that's how you'll

fight, and you probably won't last long.

If your focus is on speed, breathe normally (Bak Mei Kung

Fu). Your arms can move faster than your lungs. While

controlled breathing etc. may provide power, it sacrifices the

speed of your arms.

1.


21 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

2Practice on yourself and with a friend. Everybody is different

and has different levels of pain tolerance. Where one point may

be on you could be an inch to the left on someone else. Some

don't feel it at all. The more people you can practice with, the

better you can be at approximating where a point should be and

finding it when it's not there.

Tap out. When practicing with a friend, have them tap their

thigh loudly to show that you are doing it properly and need to

stop. However, they should only tap if it hurts. False

confidence doesn't work in a fight.

2.


22 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

22Edit step

3

Practice your focus. Always look directly at your target. If your

eyes aren't there, your focus isn't.

3.


23 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

4Hone your techniques. Key things to bear in mind when

practicing include:

Use the tips of your fingers and thumbs for techniques using

either. This works like a needle, focusing all the force into the

very tip of your finger/thumb, multiplying the pressure per

square inch (psi). You wouldn't sew with the side of a needle,

would you?

Keep your knees bent, at least a little, at all times. More so

when doing techniques. This gives you stability and power.

Locked knees must be unlocked for you to move, increasing

your reaction time. If you're standing straight up, you're like

an upright piece of wood, ready to be pushed right over.

4.


24 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

5Move your weight toward the direction you're putting

pressure. If you're pressing down, bend your knees. If you're

pushing forward, step that way or turn your hips towards it.

For greater force when punching, vision the target spot to be

slightly further than the real one. (not recommended for

training except with the use of a punch pad).

When striking, twist your hips with it. This is a building

block of martial arts. It starts your weight moving and is more

often than not the source of power in techniques.

5.


25 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

25Edit step

6

Practice the recoil. When striking, once you've made contact,

pull back quickly. It's almost like bouncing off of what you hit,

except you want to recoil quickly enough to prevent the energy

you're putting into the target from coming back into your body

part. This keeps the energy in the target and causes more

damage, especially in bones. This will increase the chance of

breaking bones and reduce the chance of the enemy simply

grabbing your foot or hand.

6.


26 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

26Edit step

7

Yell. In martial arts (Japanese, anyway), this is known as a kiai. It

must come from your diaphragm, truly releasing your inner

power. It gives you confidence and startles your attacker. By

flexing your abs for it, it also protects your solar plexus. This kiai

can be the difference between pressure points working or not.

Ad

7.

We could really use your help!

Can you tell us about

Video Games?


27 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM


Cooking?


Email and Instant Messaging?


Bluetooth?

Tell us everything you know here. Remember, more detail is

better.

Please be as detailed as possible in your explanation. We will take

your detailed information, edit it for clarity and accuracy, and

incorporate it into an article that will help thousands of people.

Don't say: Eat more fats. Do say: Add fats with some nutritional

value to the foods you already eat. Try olive oil, butter, avocado,

and mayonnaise.

Tips

Using pain pressure points is basically squeezing muscles. Feel

around your own body and you can find lots more.

Research. If you don't understand something here, look for more

information, especially from a teacher. Wikipedia is


28 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

recommended.

You can't win a fight with pressure points. Learn punches and

kicks.

These are martial arts techniques, so the best advice is to find a

real teacher. Be careful not to join a McDojo, however. See How

to: Choose a Martial Arts School for help on that.

Always use this for self defense only.

Fighting is about speed but also strategy. When fighting a bigger

opponent you must look at their eyes, footwork, stance,etc. You

must ask look for weak spots. Like if they have had a past injury

and they favor a certain limb.

Warnings

Be careful. Mistakes result in injury, death, or an upset friend, so

always have a partner's permission. When striking in real world

scenario, only resort to pressure points when everything else has

failed and your life is in immediate threat (for example, the

opponent has gun/knife). Hitting grandma on throat and killing

her just because she spanked you won't stand in court as "self-

defense". That is why it is better to learn martial art like Aikido

rather than relying solely on "pressure points".

Beware of your opponent trying to counter you in certain moves

such as the sleeper. Their hands and legs are all free and can be

used as weapons or for grabbing you back. These techniques


29 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

are used in many different martial arts. Such as taijustu (quick

hand too hand contact).

When using striking points, it should be obvious, but do not

actually strike your partner, and do not aim directly at your

partner. Go to the side of their body to minimize the chance of

an accident. The back of the hand and the sternum should be

okay, but head, groin, legs, and feet are off limits. Even experts

make mistakes.

Beware of any pressure point advice that seems "magical". It is

most certainly not. Though often based on acupuncture and it's

effects, which seem to be gaining some respect in the medical

community, they are certainly not effective or quick enough for a

fight. The goal of using pressure points in self defence is an

immediate result, and it's a simple fact of anatomic physiology

that striking someone's arm in a certain way will not stop their

heart.


30 of 30 9/3/2015 12:20 AM

Documents

Leathal Pressure Points