Pressure Points & Martial Arts
In martial arts, pressure points are areas of the body where people can apply pressure or strike in order to cause pain. They can be used to release an attacker’s grip on your arm, cause spasms by striking the solar plexus, etc. The most controversial subject regarding martial arts pressure points is the validity or invalidity of Dim Mak (or Death Touch).
Pressure points are used by many martial arts such as Kung Fu and Karate. The martial arts most associated with pressure points fighting is Kyusho Jitsu.
Amazon – Pressure Points
What is a Pressure Point?
A pressure point is a place on the body where a nerve ends, branches off like a “Y” or crosses/overlaps with another. According to Kyusho Jitsu, there are 350 plus pressure points on the body. But only a percentage of them are usable for self defense purposes. Many pressure points are located around joints in the body. The knees are one of the best examples.
Types of Pressure Points
According to Kyusho Jitsu, there are 3 types of pressure points:
- Touch Points – These are activated with a simply “touch.” Please note this does not mean a “light touch.” A press would be a better word to explain it.
- Rub Points – This is a similar idea, however with a different type of action.
- Strike Points – For self defense purposes, strike points are usually the most focused on point pressure points.
Examples of Martial Arts Pressure Point Targets
- Strikes to the back of an opponent’s hand (i.e. an opponent is grabbing a person’s shirt and the student strikes their knuckles against the back of the opponent’s grasping hand).
- Strikes to the solar plexus.
Self-Defense Pressure Point Techniques
Kung Fu Pressure Point Techniques
Reference Sources
- Kyusho Jitsu pressure point information kindly provided by Grandmaster Art Mason, Kyusho Jitsu, https://kyusho.online/