Pressure points are not scientific anatomical locations. They are areas of the body that are particularly susceptible to incapacitating pain or injury. Some seem obvious and are therefore usually well guarded. While more obscure locations can be a total surprise to the attacker, which is always a bonus.
Different people react differently to pain stimulus. If the attacker is using alcohol or drugs their pain sensitivity can be dulled, also. So it is hard to judge what kind of response you will get. Therefore it is appropriate to use as much force as you can muster when you deal with these areas. Although it isn’t necessary to injury the assailant, sometimes all that’s needed is enough to convince him that a spirited defense will be made and you will not be a passive victim.
Sometimes all you need is to inflict adequate surprise and/or pain to cause him to lose his grip on you so you can escape. Sometimes causing an injury is warranted to keep him from chasing you.
Let me dispel a couple myth for you. There is no secret spot on the body that, when pressured will cause instant unconsciousness. Apparently that only happens on Star Trek. Secondly, you cannot instantly kill someone by driving their nose up into their brain. You will hurt them, but it does not cause instantaneous death.
Some of the pressure points are:
* Temple Area
* Eyes
* Ears
* Nose
* Throat
* Elbow joint
* Wrist
* Back of Hand
* Collar Bone
* Solar Plexis
* Ribs
* Between Shoulder Blades
* Kidneys
* Groin
* Upper Inner Thigh
* Knee
* Shin
* Instep
* Achilles Tendon
This is by no means a complete list, sometimes it just depends on what’s available within reach.
Parts of your body that you can strike with:
* Fist
* Knuckles
* Knife Hand
* Palm Strike
* Elbow
* Knee
* Feet
Fingers are good for eye gouging, and pinching. The back of your head can head butt (so can the front, but less likely to cause damage to you). Elbows are a favorite of mine, they can be used forward or backwards; they can be reinforced by clutching the associated fist with the opposite hand (assisted elbow strike).
Awareness of pressure points should be an integral part of any self defense plan.
Author's Bio
Su Ericksen is a first degree TaeKwonDo black belt and has taught self defense workshops. She lives in the Midwest with her family and works at a large medical center in the cardiology clinic.
Please visit her website: Self Defense-4-Women.com. You may contact her through her website.
4 comments to USING PRESSURE POINTS FOR SELF-DEFENSE
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Unknown Dear Ocho-Onda,
I have not been training my MMA lately and have become so fat!!! Thus, I thought it wold be better to get back into shape and action :-). My apologies for the late publication of your comment because my laptop crashed! Major tragedy.
You are right in that the secret depends on training which determines strength and accuracy.
Yes, even a small magazine if rolled up into a make-shift weapon is lethal enough to terminate an enemy if used to strike at the right place.
Do you still train? It gets more difficult as we age, affecting both strength and speed.
Take care and happy sparring :-).
Cheers.
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Anonymous This is most interesting. I have a friend who never goes for any form of massage. Her reason? There are pressure points that can make one lose consciousness. Is this true?
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Unknown Hi Andrea,
Many of my cousins are martial arts exponents and instructors running their own schools. I am the weakest of them all but have listened to some of their explanations in their bid to teach me self-defense. Your friend is right- which is why I have only been for massage only TWICE in my life.
Here are some pointers that I learnt:
1. Striking the attacker on the eyes with an object, finger or a knuckle can cause partial or total loss of vision. The eyes are considered to be very effective pressure points in self defense.
2. The next pressure point to remember is the eardrum. Clapping strongly somebody on the ears can lead to rupture of eardrum, affect the attacker’s balance and coordination; it may lead to a permanent hearing loss.
3. Striking your attacker horizontally on the nose will rupture the nasal portion of the angular vein. This can interfere with breathing, and lead to significant blood loss.
4. If you can deliver a strong blow to the tip of the chin or jaw line just below the hinge you will render your attacker unconscious.
5. A high-impact blow to the temple could be lethal.
6. A blow to larynx or the trachea even if it is not very strong can interrupt breathing, send blood to the lungs, and can cause death. Ah - this is where an old magazine can help...
7. A blow to the base of the skull to cervical vertebrae can cause paralysis and be permanently debilitating.
8. Hitting carotid arteries which run on both sides of the neck can cause severe pain and loss of consciousness.
9. Hitting testicles is self-explanatory.
Remember, the goal is to get away from your attacker safe, not to punish anybody. If a strike to one area doesn’t work, go for another area as quickly as you can. Once your attacker is disabled, my cousins will always remind me to run for safety!!!
So, what we have seen in kung fu movies is true indeed.
Take care, dear Andrea.
ocho-onda The secret to it all, the determining factor lies within the type of training and conditioning that varies in different styles and disciplines.
Training and conditioning determines the strength and effectiveness of both offence and defence.
Boxers are known to develop a higher resistance to body blows,wrestlers for locks and falls......
Kung fu styles have develop powerful grips and strikes,TKD is ferocious in their kicking techniques.....
However, there are certain no go areas,like mentioned in the post up , where a fatal blow can kill - temple, neck (adam's apple),sternum and scrotum - instantly.