Disabling strikes (hand to hand combat)?

Question

I was thinking about some movies, and even anime where people would make quick and precise strikes to points of the body, and they would shut down certain functions, immobilizing an arm and so on. I was wondering if this is real, and where I could find a chart that lists where these points are and what they shut off.

Answer 1

they are real and there are called "Chakra points"

Answer 2

It is definitely true that you can hit certain points of the body, and shut down functions, I was in Tae Kwon Do for a while and they would teach us, most of the points are pressure points and nerve endings though. As for a chart I am not sure off hand.

Answer 3

You are talking about advanced techniques that an instructor probably would not even admit existed unless you had been a student of theirs for a VERY long time!

Answer 4

Speaking from experience, yes there are certain areas on the body that are venerable to attack that will cause some disabling effects.  These are usually used in conjunction with a whole lot of other technique.   The problem with them are that the points are normally pretty small and must be struck in a particular way.  This automatically leans it toward only high level Martial Artists.

Normally they cause a temporary disruption of normal activity.  IE, you strike a certain point with only a thin layer of muscle over a nerve.  This causes the muscle to temporarily press on the nerve and not allow the proper signals to pass.  Anything that that nerve serves will "go numb" for however long the nerve is not sending/receiving.   This time is usually extreemely short, less than 1 second, causing what feels like a jolt of electricity.  Done properly by a Master, it can work for several minutes (which is scary).  That makes the area feel like its asleep.

The reason that you do not see this in MMA is threefold.  One, many of the strikes are illegal for safety reasons, and Two,  most MMA fighters do not put in the time in one particular style to learn these things.  And Lastly, these areas are hardened and many are eliminated by muscle mass, which most MMA guys have due to the many hours of vigorous workouts required to survive the MMA fights.

Answer 5

Dim Mak. if you want to learn all these things learn acupuncture

Answer 6

I've been wondering about this for a while, too.  I haven't found a chart or anything for it, but there is a site that will give lessons on pressure points (just google "pressure points" - it's one of the first ones).  If you hit the right nerve, it disables the nerve temporarily, which disables or hinders their movement for part of the body.  If you can hit someone's "funny bone" (actually a nerve between bones) hard enough, it will paralyze their lower arm for a few seconds.  At the least, it will make it feel numb.  Also, I believe there is a nerve somewhere around the armpit that can disable the entire arm when struck.  I've read that there's one that paralyzes the entire body somewhere between the ear and the neck, but have been unable to find it (in reading or physically).

Answer 7

well I'm really into the martial arts.... i have like over twenty black belt friends... and I'm on my way. And what you speak of are crane techniques. these are very precise, hitting in a sensitive area, like the eyes throat.... and so on.

my favorite crane techniques in flashing daggers... but there are better

Answer 8

There are charts and such, but you have to learn how to use it not just where it is because you need other "activation" points as well for certain effects. I would suggest you find an accupuncture school, or take up a martial art that incorporates kyusho.

Edit- to the guy below me talking about not using it in MMA... The use of points to effect people can and do cause great physiological damage. For example a combination of strikes reducing blood perfusion to say the kidneys would cause them to shut down. That would lead to killing the opponent. Its the same with the small joint manipulation and other "vital areas"... Too dangerous for sport entertainment.

Answer 9

I think what you are talking about is pressure points.

http://www.tpub.com/content/medical/1427...

Answer 10

If there was any truth to this, it would be an excellent defense if you were taken down by a grappler.  Imagine, he takes you down and you jab him on the magic spot with your fingertips, and zap, his arm is paralyzed.  Strange I have never seen this used in any of the hundreds of mma matches I have watched. Until I do, I will remain a skeptic like you.  

As for acupuncture, doctors recently did a study where they compared the effects of "real" acupuncture using the authentic Chinese spots vs. "fake" acupuncture, where they inserted the needles at random.  Both groups of patients reported the exact same results for pain relief!  Acupuncture has been shown to be somewhat effective for relieving pain and alleviating symptoms of illnesses that have a strong mental component.  It appears to work via a combination of the placebo effect and the endorphins that are released when you feel the pinprick of pain.  It has absolutely nothing to do with "chi flow" or "meridians," as multiple studies have shown.

Answer 11

That, if even possible, takes years and years of education and practice. Not to mention immense speed, power, and accuracy. Look up Dim Mak, Accupunture, or Accupressure. Hope this helps. (Best Answer?)

Answer 12

lol... you guys kill me.

Ok, the body is covered in nerves which can affect other parts of the body. In addition to that body organs can be struck with conccussion strikes affecting their operation. It is possible to knock somebody unconcious, for example, by striking somebody in the temple, or affect their vision by stricking in the back of the neck. However.... it isn't like flipping switches and punching keys. There is no magical button you can push on people and they fall to the floor. Even pressure points vary widely from person to person. I recommend Master Wally Jay's pressure points for grappling as a book that covers the body really well (there are several the advanced book is more in depth). There are martial artist that specialize in so called Dim Mak pressure point striking but they are not new to the martial arts and they train to identify and strike very hard in a specific point. They usually also train in more conventional self defense. No sane martial artist is going to rely on one exotic technique to protect themselves. They are all going to have basic self defense down pat first. As a final word of advice, not everything out there is fake, however, tv is... well tv. Leave it at that.

Answer 13

The thing about pressure points is that a lot of them dont work on everybody and some are almost impossible to get at in a furious struggle.

All the following are pressure points that are listed on any chart

new or ancient and work everytime .

eyes

ears right on or behind /below

throat

temples

eye brows and upper lip and jaw hinge

carotid artery

collar bone

solar plexus

liver

spleen

lower abdomen

groin

center of the thigh outside

inner thigh

knees side front back

side of shin bone

instep

back of the hand

radial nerve in the forearm

These are all fairly easy to get at but a knowledge of the most effective hand /foot form is required.

Example direct blows to the thigh are not allowed in competition but the muay thai round kick is.A direct blow from a strong side kick has not only the potential to destroy the nerve paralyzing the leg it also has the potential to crack or break the thigh bone.

For a more complete list THE BUBISHI  is reccomended.

Answer 14

its probably real i think you should go on a martial arts website

Answer 15

pressure point strikes exist

the basic physics behind it is to know the energy streams of the body, and to be able to cut off the energy flow  to certain areas.  this is usually done by causing serious trauma to arteries or nerve junctions on the body.  however.  it requires precise hard hits to a very exact location.  against a moving target the chance of getting such a strike in are as close odds as winning the lottery...