Pressure Points, Types of Martial Arts Styles

Learn about pressure points and its use in the different types of martial arts and martial arts styles

Pressure points remain among the most misunderstood aspects of the martial arts...

The reason for this is that some marketers in the realm of the fighting arts have promoted the concept of as being secretive striking targets that can lead to immediate knockouts. Such hyperbole is unfortunate because it generally leads to a complete misunderstanding what these points are and how they work.

Now, these points really are nothing magical.

DEFINITION:

A more accurate description of what they are would be nerve centers in the body. When hit or manipulated, the body will react in a manner that seems not much different than an electric shock. Namely, the nerve endings become overloaded and various reactions occur.

Now, some may assume that this is rather ‘out there' but it isn't. When a boxer is knocked out due to a punch to the jaw, this is a "pressure point" knockout as the nerve endings in the jaw, neck, and mandibles are ‘ignited' due to the impact of the punch.

Again, these are merely nerve endings that are shocked when impacted or manipulated.

This video shows you the pressure points and what kind of strike would work and the results of that strike...

When you are not wearing boxing gloves and not limited to certain rules or techniques, you can strike or grapple with these points in a variety of different ways.

--For example...

• bare knuckle strikes to the nerves in the arm can lead to the ‘deadening' of the arm;
• strikes to the solarplex region can lead to knockouts;
• and the grabbing and seizing of certain points on the limb can make locking easier due to the enhanced ability to manipulate the limb.

Yes, there are many more benefits and components to this manipulation than most people realize. That is why the study of it can prove to be valuable.

There are many different arts that promote the study of pressure points.

Tai chi, Okinawan karate, Preying Mantis Kung Fu, and Indonesian Silat are all arts that heavily promote the study of pressure point strikes and manipulation. Of course, there are many other martial arts that promote them.

Regardless of which particular art you study, there will be a need to invest a lot of serious time in the study of how the points are to be attacked in order to arrive at the proper result.

While there are certain techniques and maneuvers that can be learned relatively quickly, expertise in the field could take some time. That is understandable because manipulating or striking will rely heavily on accuracy and precision. This can only be achieved through deliberate study and practice over an extended period of time.

This is fine because investing such time can lead to the expertise in the area which certainly can improve capabilities.

And that is certainly the main benefit of learning such information.

While some may have misunderstandings about these nerve endings, there are many professionals that have great insight and expertise on this area of martial arts. Studying what these professionals have to offer may lead to a significant gain in the understanding of how to use such knowledge for reliable self defense.

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