Pressure Point Strikes In Kenpo

[DavidCC]

In my opinion, I think that no-touch knockouts should be labelled "hypnosis 101" or better yet "fear 101".

:lool:
Now that's one brave stand you made there. I bet it took a lot of guts to post such a radical opinion

 

[IWishToLearn]

Sounds like sex to me.

LMAO!

 

[kidswarrior]

Just as an after thought... If you can find a copy of the Ed Parker, Kenpo, there are charts in there that show locations, and list possible weapons to hit them with, and the possible outcomes. And, interestingly, there are a lot more... Doc has a handle on that, but, believe me, it's much more intense than just getting to the location and hitting it.

Just got Vol 4 of Infinite Insights in the mail yesterday, and you were right. Good stuff. Thought I knew quite a bit about pressure points. Hah! Thanks again for the tip. :wink2:

 

[MJS]

Excellent topic Mike.
Yes, I do pay attention to such things. I have taken lessons in Kyushojitsu for over a year and a half now....which isn't a martial art, but rather a body of knowledge and methods of activating Kyusho, or pressure points.

If I wasn't already pretty much half a foot out the door to get to work I'd type a LOT more.
But the short of it...Yes, I find the use of pressure points to be VERY helpful! The added effect that you can get, the added result that you can achieve with little effort is pretty increadible once you learn how to do it.

...I'll try to remember to get on and add more later.

Your Brother
John

John,

I'm interested in hearing more on this from your viewpoint. Are these types of strikes worked on in the AKKI?

Mike

 

[Brother John]

John,

I'm interested in hearing more on this from your viewpoint. Are these types of strikes worked on in the AKKI?

Mike

Yes and no.
It's not an official bit of AKKI curriculum really. But there was a video of Mr. Mills DROPPING someone, knocking them out with a finger-whip. I know the person he knocked out and I know the pressure point he struck. I don't envy the man the headache he must have had upon revival. sheesh....

Kenpo, whether AKKI or otherwise, does deliver strikes to locations that are VERY useful in terms of pressure points!!! Take the EPAK version of 5 Swords!!! Pretty much each and every strike!! Seriously. Check this site and look into the charts (VERY VERY handy resource by the way) www.acuxo.com
then think of the strikes in 5 swords
or
thundering hammers.....

or just pick a tech and check it out!
You'd be amazed...
Sometimes there needs to be a change in the exact trajectory or method of execution in order to opimize the effect on the kyusho point, but really.... in many cases we're already going to those zones!

also: Just a side note.
I have the UTMOST respect for Mr. Mills, my instructors and the AKKI; still very fond of them all, but I'm no longer a member of the AKKI. Still doing Kenpo, still train in what I've been taught, but my path is no longer w/in the AKKI organization....I've gone on from there. Studying other things and such.
just an fyi....becuase I don't want people to think that what I say is "AKKI-doctrine" or anything.
it's just little old Bro. John now....


Your Brother
John

 

[MJS]

Yes and no.
It's not an official bit of AKKI curriculum really. But there was a video of Mr. Mills DROPPING someone, knocking them out with a finger-whip. I know the person he knocked out and I know the pressure point he struck. I don't envy the man the headache he must have had upon revival. sheesh....

Kenpo, whether AKKI or otherwise, does deliver strikes to locations that are VERY useful in terms of pressure points!!! Take the EPAK version of 5 Swords!!! Pretty much each and every strike!! Seriously. Check this site and look into the charts (VERY VERY handy resource by the way) www.acuxo.com
then think of the strikes in 5 swords
or
thundering hammers.....

or just pick a tech and check it out!
You'd be amazed...
Sometimes there needs to be a change in the exact trajectory or method of execution in order to opimize the effect on the kyusho point, but really.... in many cases we're already going to those zones!

also: Just a side note.
I have the UTMOST respect for Mr. Mills, my instructors and the AKKI; still very fond of them all, but I'm no longer a member of the AKKI. Still doing Kenpo, still train in what I've been taught, but my path is no longer w/in the AKKI organization....I've gone on from there. Studying other things and such.
just an fyi....becuase I don't want people to think that what I say is "AKKI-doctrine" or anything.
it's just little old Bro. John now....


Your Brother
John

Thanks for that!! That link was very interesting and I plan on taking a more in-depth look at it. Looking at the little bit that I did, I can see what you mean by looking at the chart and then looking at a technique! Good stuff!:ultracool

Mike

 

[DavidCC]

I agree, Bro. John, it is amazing how kempo (and kenpo) combos seem to gravitate towards what we call "kyusho points". My teacher is a KI Instructor, and we've found most of our techniques require only minor modificaiton to take advantage of various Kyusho "techniques".

It's a really fun area for experimentation!

but out of all the people I have met or read about, the pinnacle of nerve striking/manipulation within Kenpo (or kempo) is Dr. Chapel. I probably shouldn't even qualify that to be within Kenpo! The consideration of posture of the attacker and the changes it makes in the availability of various points, added tremendous depth to the KI work we were already doing. The consistency of application of kyusho techniques is greatly improved when you pay attention to the posture of the attacker.

 

[BigKiai]

OK, here are my choices for a top 30 list of ‘intermediate’ level pressure points as I alluded to in earlier post. jdinca also mentioned some of these and their value. My list is not meant to be scientific, viz., some of these technically may not be nerve centers at all, just places that hurt more than others when struck or pressured. Acid test if you’re in doubt about one of these: knead/hit yourself (or have a friend do it) in these places, and see if it hurts (e.g., knead the philtrum with your second knuckles). If it doesn't hurt, don’t use it. If so, you’ve added a tool. For me, that’s enough to be called a pressure point.

I classify them as intermediate because they’re not that difficult to locate (don’t need to pinpoint) and as Flying Crane said, you don't usually need 100% accuracy. I don’t teach these analytically, i.e. from a list, or in any order (except that the first dozen or so, I emphasize to women's/elementary kids self-defense students). Instead, I teach them organically, as they come up in the course of a class. So, some may get more attention, some less. But somewhere around, say, green or brown belt, I would expect a student to know the value of these targets for striking, kneading, twisting, squeezing, ripping, scratching, biting, and as leverage for a takedown. All can do severe damage. Some are very dangerous to the opponent, and can cause severe injury or death. If you haven’t used any of these before, please proceed with caution as you teach, and use them only in emergency situations (and to the nay Sayers and the jaded, let me say up front that, yes, I have personally been to funerals where a routine fistfight turned deadly when one person accidentally hit a pressure point and got way more bang for his buck than either side bargained for; I have also seen the effect in the training hall, for example: an open tiger’s mouth/web hand actually delivered to the Adam’s apple—by accident/carelessness; or, a backhand to the ear. Neither was anywhere near full power or speed, yet delivered significant pain and stopped the ‘opponent’ dead).

They are listed here in no particular order, beyond the caveat above. BTW, I’ve even given the list a name in case anyone wanted to use it. Better yet, please make suggestions and let’s improve it.

The Dirty Thirty​

1. Groin
2. Shin (front)
3. Inside of thigh (kick, hit, pinch)
4. Inside of knee
5. Philtrum (just under nose)
6. Adam’s apple (can be fatal)
7. Eyes (can maim)
8. Carotid artery (about midway between side/front of neck—can cause stroke)
9. Inside of shin (especially on planted leg)
10. Side of neck
11. Feet
12. Ear (cuff/boxer slap)
13. Ankle
14. Clavicle (strike: knife hands work well; pressure/takedown: drive fingers down behind clavicle)
15. Temple
16. Base of skull
17. Lower abdomen (between belly button and pubic bone)
18. Outside of knee
19. Solar plexus
20. Brachial nerve (top, inside of forearm, about 6-8 inches above wrist)
21. Vastus externus (middle/back of thigh, about halfway around between side and back).
22. Floating ribs (especially sharp, glancing blows; or, can act as spring from direct blow)
23. Front of armpit
24. Point of chin
25. Jaw hinge (can seriously injure/do long-term damage)
26. Underside of upper arm (1/3 up between elbow and shoulder, or 1/3 down from shoulder)
27. Wrist (top/underside)
28. Small of back (can cause spinal damage, paralysis)
29. Back/hollow of knee
30. Coccyx (Tailbone: can seriously injure)
31. Achilles tendon
32. Upper back (between shoulder blades: can cause paralysis)

OK, so I couldn’t cut it down to an even 30. Nothing stuck out to me as not fitting for this level of training (through about brown belt, or maybe 2 ½-3 ½ years of training in non-belted arts).

(NOTE: the MT encyclopedia has an excellent reference to human anatomy, with great graphics, where these could be easily pictured).

Responses?

That's a great list - thanks for sharing. It seems only practice and repetition help me in developing more accuracy when trying to hit the pressure points.

 

[kidswarrior]

That's a great list - thanks for sharing. It seems only practice and repetition help me in developing more accuracy when trying to hit the pressure points.

Thanks, Big Kiai. :ultracool You make a good point. Wasn't the concept attributed to Confucius: The harder I work and the more I learn, the more good luck I have? I'll never be a pressure point expert, but maybe more practice and repetition can make me a decent pp user.

 

[kidswarrior]

By coincidence, just came across this in reading Kane and Wilder's The Way of Kata: "Nerve strikes are 'extra credit'." Haven't gotten to the actual chapter where they address this, but I find it an interesting idea. Doesn't this kinda go back to the original post by MJS on how important are nerve strikes to kenpo?, and are they hit and miss, or something we practice?