Tang Soo Do
Arnis & Karate Center
Chief Instructor: Arthur
Cohen 6th Dan
Pressure Points: Selecting The Right
Ones
Anyone seriously interested in self
defense should consider “pressure point” training to add another tool to
their toolbox. “Pressure points” can compliment any self-defense system
and in many cases has already been incorporated into most of them. As
anyone who made a study of “pressure points” can tell you, there are
many points, they take a certain amount of skill and accuracy to perform
and they can produce different results on different people. The
question is how many do we need and how should they be selected.
Understanding that they may be required to be performed under great
stress, the reliability of fine and complex motor skills come into
question. Up to now, most martial artists considered pressure points to
be good if they hurt and little consideration was given to the medical
implications of using pressure points. As you can see, there are lots
of things to consider in selecting the “right ones.”
What are
“pressure points?” “Pressure points” is not a medical term. When the
word is mentioned, almost everyone knows what you mean but it is not as
clear cut as one might think. Instead “pressure points” include a
broad variety of sensitive areas around the body which could respond to
a minimum amount of pressure. While knowing the exact type of tissue
affected is not necessary to their operation, for an instructor or the
inquisitive mind it is of interest. One area that might be called a
“pressure point” is a “trigger point.” This is an area of increased
irritability in a tissue, which when compressed is tender and refers
pain in a specific pattern. A second area is a motor point which is the
location of entry of a motor nerve into a muscle. Motor nerves activate
either muscles or glands. A third area is vascular tissue or blood
vessels. It is known that arteries have neurovascular bundles that are
often richly supplied with pain receptors. When these are pinched or
struck, great pain or incapacitation could result. Additionally, bone
being living tissue is also sensitive to being hit or pressured.
Completing the list we could add connective tissue like cartilage,
tendons, ligaments and muscles. Knowing where the sensitive areas are
located and how to apply force is knowledge that has been accumulated
over time and passed down through the generations.
Because the
subject of pressure points is so broad, it had to be simplified if it
were to be effective in the fluid, fast passed and dynamic encounters
often found in combat. More isn’t always better. In fact, more is often
worse. Too many points require too much practice and might even confuse
the brain in making the appropriate selection during a combat situation.
Enter the law enforcement community. The martial arts are the basis of
all movements performed in police defensive tactics. However, the law
enforcement community has more encounters with “bad guys” on a daily
basis than most. As a result, they provide a good testing area for
what is needed and how things work. Defensive tactics has specific
requirements which when reviewed are very much the same criteria that a
martial artist serious about practical self-defense would require. They
want something that is effective, that is reliable and that is simple to
apply. We must also add that which is medically documented. We want to
know the medical implications of applying these pressure points for two
reasons. First, we are likely to practice these techniques on each
other. Can we hurt our partner or ourselves in training? Second, in the
street, confrontations are governed by a concept called the “force
continuum.” This is a set of legal guidelines established by the
criminal justice system. It establishes reasonable force in response to
threats. We shouldn’t be responding with a lethal response to a
non-lethal threat. Some situations require a low level force for
compliance.
Enter Dr. Les
Knight of the Defensive Tactics Newsletter and a system called ISC
Control Points. In the early 1990s, Dr. Knight assembled a team that
included police defensive tactics instructors, martial artists and the
medical community. They attempted to review all pressure points being
used by the martial arts and law enforcement communities. From this
large selection of pressure points, they eliminated many which were
difficult to locate or apply. Remember, clothing can be a factor in
making some difficult to apply or in-effective in street encounters.
They selected a small number of effective points distributed around the
body that met their needs. After conducting a number of studies with
hundreds of participants, they found none were 100% and some were not
reliable enough to be counted on and so had to be eliminated. They were
searching for a success rate of about 90% or better. They then reviewed
these points in a medical symposium composed of a broad number of
disciplines including neurology, cardiology, chiropractic, pain
management and acupuncture etc. Some were eliminated because of the
danger of either practicing in class or the serious medical consequences
that could result in actual use. From all of these they selected a small
number of points, approximately 17 to be exact, that could be
effectively used and reasonably justified. These points are
continuously being evaluated as new data from the street or the medical
community come in.
Dr. Knight and
his team found that some commonly used “pressure points” presented
serious medical risks when practiced on a training partner. This
included the commonly used mandibular angle, a pressure point located
below the back of the ear. It was discovered that a large percentage of
the population suffered from some form of Temporal Mandibular Joint
Syndrome (TMJ). This debilitating syndrome could be made far worse by
practicing on the mandibular angle. In one case, a young woman, months
after attending a seminar, was unable to bite into a sandwich. The
problem doesn’t always appear immediately and is extremely difficult to
treat.
Another point
that raised some serious concerns was the knockout strike to the neck.
As we age, plaque begins to build up in the artery walls. The strike to
the neck which impacts on the carotid artery could knock plaque loose.
Since the blood from the carotid artery feeds directly to the brain,
this could result in a stroke or even death depending upon what part of
the brain is affected. So repeatedly knocking each other out during
practice could have serious or lethal consequences.
Additionally, a
spot called the “jugular notch” located in the throat area just above
the collarbone is another popular pressure point that was removed. A
medical review suggested that the blood vessels in this area could be
easily damaged and cause bleeding which could result in a laryngeal
spasm. While under life and death combat conditions this target might
be justified, the risk of injuring a training partner during practice
was enough to get it eliminated.
A fourth
commonly used pressure point that was removed attacks the nasalis nerve
at the base of nose. Care must be given when practicing on many people
in class because the finger becomes a dangerous germ carrier. As more
information becomes available about the risk of blood borne pathogens,
this is a very serious concern that could easily spread a contagious
disease. An added concern was that having fingers so close to the mouth
might enable your opponent to bite them. Biting could have serious
implications even if you win the battle. While any of these four points
might be justified and effective in a street encounter, they can not be
justified if they injure a training partner.
Here are some
additional tips concerning pressure point training. Control points are
only one tool to accomplish a plan and are seldom a plan all by
themselves. They should be worked in to compliment your current
self-defense training. It is important to recognize that practice makes
permanent, not perfect, only “perfect practice makes perfect.” It is
suggested that this type of training be acquired under the supervision
of competent instructors. While books and videos can help refresh your
knowledge, they can’t correct your mistakes.
Since it was
developed, the ISC Control Point program was exclusively taught to the
law enforcement community. Now this research and training is available
to members of the martial arts community. Judging from how quickly the
program has been spreading; there appears to be great interest in the
martial arts community.
Written by
Professor Arthur Cohen, B.A., M.A.,6th Dan
Head-Instructor Tang Soo Do Karate & Arnis Center
Director of Training ISC Control Points
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Telephone: 516-541-8090
email:
acohen@becomestreetwise.com
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