The Truth about pressure points

75 Pages·2014·1.48 MB·English

by  Andy Curtiss

cOmbat application techniques series
The Truth about pressure points

Basic pressure point locations, angles of attack and attack weapons in Self Defense
By

Andrew Curtiss
Table of Contents
Contents
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 1
The Truth About Pressure Points Copyright © 2014 Andrew Curtiss ........................................................... 2
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 4
Pressure Point Defined ................................................................................................................................. 8
Mechanical Failure Versus Pain Compliance .............................................................................................. 15
High Percentage Pressure Points ................................................................................................................ 28
Attack Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 44
Sensory Overload ........................................................................................................................................ 57
The Anatomy of a Knockout........................................................................................................................ 63
Why didn’t it work?..................................................................................................................................... 66
The Death Touch Myth ............................................................................................................................... 70
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 73
About The Author ....................................................................................................................................... 74
The Truth About Pressure Points Copyright © 2014 Andrew Curtiss

Introduction

My name is Andrew Curtiss. For those of you reading this book that are unfamiliar with me, I wrote
Combat Application Techniques: Principles of Destruction, 1984 Redux “Say Hello to Big Brother” and
Economic Collapse. I am also a professional Mixed Martial Artist . So the question is what do I know
about Combatives, Self Defense or the subject matter of “Pressure points”? First off, to address the
Comabtives and Self Defense question. I am a life long martial artist with advanced black belts in
Taekwondo and Shurite Kempo / Kenpo. I have been a competitive Folk and Greco Roman Style wrestler
for most of my life and have studies two grappling martial arts with advanced belt rankings in each
(Kano Jiu – Jitsu / Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu). In 1995 I was an amateur kickboxing world championship
runner-up and not even a week later won the American Independent Karate Association National
Championships in 3 separate divisions at the black belt level competing as a Brown belt.
I have trained in Muay Thai and several different military hand to hand Combat systems. I have
instructor certifications in various Combative styles. I began teaching Women’s Self Defense courses
since the mid 1990’s and have also worked with police and law enforcement agencies since around the
same time period. I have trained military units in hand to hand combat since the year 2000. My book
Combat Application Techniques: Principles of Destruction was based on the program I personally
developed for my Special Forces A Team in 2003. I have written articles for major publications such as
“The Counter Terrorist Magazine” and have written for several online Ezines as a subject matter expert
in martial arts and self defense. I am an approved U.S. Department of State Instructor for tactical skills
and specialize in Defensive Tactics. I am currently sought after by several private security organizations
to teach Defensive Tactics to those participating in the US Department of State High Threat Program.
In regard to what I know about “Pressure Points” and Vital Targets; this is where it gets interesting.
When I was young, one of my Taekwondo and Karate instructors the late “Master” Royal Seymour
studied under the renown Karate Master and “Black belt Hall of Famer” Hidy Ochai. He would teach me
the “Bunkai” or the actual meaning either overt or hidden in Kata. Within many of the Kata or Forms are
various joint manipulations, nerve and pressure point strikes. The concept of Bunkai is more prominent
today with the advent of the internet and the speed of communications technology than it was over 25
years ago. When I was a youth practicing martial arts the secrets of Bunkai and hidden attacks were
generally only reserved to be passed from teacher to student. With that said Master Seymour or “Roy”
as those close to him referred to him, taught us to read and interpret the Kata we practiced. He shared
many of the pressure points that he learned from Ochai.
Years after I’d begun my training with Master Roy at Cady’s Academy of Martial Arts in Boonville New
York, I was introduced to another great instructor who specialized in Joint manipulations, standing
grappling and pressure points. This was the late Master Stan Hart. Stan Hart is also renowned for his
skills in standing grappling and “Pressure point Knockouts”. Master Hart was a personal student of Taika
Seyu Oyata. Master Oyata was famous for his family’s unique style of kempo/ kenpo that emphasized
the use of joint striking and manipulations as well as pressure points. Formerly known as Ryu-Kyu
Kempo Karate,Master Oyata changed the name to Ryu-Te Kempo after 1995. Master Oyata passed on
22 June, 2012. He was 85 years old. It is notable that another famous martial artist also studied with
Oyata. His name is George Dillman. Dillman trained along with Oayata, Hart and others for a short time
and then decided to break away and write books about the art embellish it and its many knockout
techniques and even make claims about “No touch knockouts”. I will further discuss the “No Touch
Knockout” myth later in this publication. It was during my time training under Master Stan Hart as a
student along with my teacher Master Roy, that I truly began to understand both Kata Interpretation
and Pressure Points. It was through the hours, months and years of being the Uke or in laymen’s terms
“practice dummy” that I not only learned which nerve attacks were high percentage and which one’s
were low percentage. It was as a student of Master Hart, that I also learned the art of how to choose
which strikes work the least amount of time. I also learned how great masters of their trade develop
great showman abilities.
Being that I have always been a competitive combat sports athlete in sports such as wrestling,
submission grappling, kickboxing and even mixed martial arts, one learned quickly that some of these
attacks worked only in the dojo and some worked well in the street. Very few appeared to work well
against trained and conditioned athletes that resisted. Eventually when tasked to develop a program for
my Special Forces Team, I would have the opportunity to talk with surgeons, Doctors, specialists with
advanced degrees in kinesiology and bio mechanics, that I would gain an even firmer grasp on the ever
mysterious subject of pressure points.
It is my intention with this publication to give you, the reader a solid and firm base in the subject of
Pressure Points, what they are exactly, how to best employ them, which ones are high percentage and
which ones are low percentage and also to perhaps clarify any misconceptions one may have from
watching chop suey and Ninja flicks I know, that there are those hard core folks out there who swear up
and down that the “Dim Mak” (Poison Hand) is real and so are “No touch Knockouts” that rely on one
focusing their essence or “Chi” and throwing “Chi balls” at their enemy. I also understand that there
are those out there who place entirely too much value and weight in the art one studies or the belt
draped around one’s waist.
For those out there who stand by their belief in that which has no scientific backing,……believe on, my
friends. However, I have trained with those who I consider the very best in this field. They learned from
the best in that field. I have bared witness to several failed pressure point demos by the masters and
have also attempted to learn the true anatomy and physiology of the matter. I am ranked as a black belt
in a style that has curriculum and use of such acclaimed techniques, and I have vetted many of these
techniques both on the battle fields of the War on Terror, on the streets recovering fugitives wanted for
felony warrants and in the arena of man on man competition. When deciding to attack my experience or
credentials that can be verified, ask yourself this….”What background credentials or basis do you have
to disprove the facts I present?” For me the proof is in the pudding. Show me.
With that said I am assuming that most that have purchased this publication are interested in the truth.
That is why I decided to title this “The Truth About Pressure Points”. Hopefully I can give you the
precious information that took me years to uncover through the tireless pursuit of the mysterious
“Pressure Point Holy Grail”. Remember, I’m not saying that none of them work. I am saying that there
are often times more reliable ways to disable an attacker that require less skill proficiency and motor
skill. I am also not claiming to be a “Master” in the art of Shurite; however I have attained the belt of
second Dan Black belt. This means that I’m definitely not a novice. This work is by no means a
comprehensive study on pressure points. My hopes are to share the techniques that I know are the
highest percentage and that are also the most practical and easy to apply. I would like to thank you for
your patronage in purchasing this book and sincerely hope that it can be of some service to you in your
training and self defense journey.

Enjoy.

Pressure Point Defined

Having spent many years training in various martial arts, there always seems to be some confusion as to
the term s Pressure Points, Vital Targets, Nerve attacks and the likes. Much to the surprise of this writer,
I learned that Pressure Points have more uses than just for martial arts attacks. In the Army we learned
the term Pressure Points referring to places on the human anatomy that stop blood flow when direct
pressure or a tourniquet is applied to. Can these lifesaving parts of the human anatomy be used to
disable or destroy an enemy or to gain the competitive edge on an opponent?
Websters Defines Pressur Point as:
“: a place on your body that can be pressed to stop tension or pain
:a place on your body where a blood vessel is near the bone and can be pressed to stop bleeding
: a place, area, or situation that is a source or possible source of problems : a point where pressure is
applied or felt”
The Dictionary goes on to explain the Full definition of Pressure Point
“:a discrete point on the body to which pressure is applied (as in acupressure or reflexology) for
therapeutic purposes
:a point where a blood vessel can be compressed against underlying bone to slow blood flow and
control bleeding”
There is also a Merriam Webster’s Medical Dictionary which defines the term Pressure Point.
“:a region of the body in which the distribution of soft and skeletal parts is such that a static position
(as of a part in a cast or of a bedridden person) tends to cause circulatory deficiency and necrosis due
to local compression of blood vessels—compare bedsore
:a discrete point on the body to which pressure is applied (as in acupressure or reflexology) for
therapeutic purposes
:a point where a blood vessel runs near a bone and can be compressed (as to check bleeding) by the
application of pressure against the bone”
So the dictionary suggests that the term Pressure Point is subjective to the context in which it is used it
may be used medically as a location where direct pressure or a tourniquet may be applied against a
bone in order to stop excessive bleeding. It may be used in terms of reflexology as a point on the body
for which pressure is applied for therapeutic purposes. Pressure Point may also be defined as either a
physical or metaphoric term, for which case it is a location, place, area or situation that is a possible
source of problems. It can be further defined as a place where pressure is applied or felt.
Now that we have defined the term Pressure point can we separate it or refine the definition from the
term Vital Target or “Nerve attack”?
Further defining pressure point we can refer the term “Nerve Attack” to the definition of “location,
place, area or situation that is a possible source of problems. It can be further defined as a place where
pressure is applied or felt.” Going back to the days when I trained under Master Hart, he would go to
great lengths explaining the definitions of terms like Tuite, Turite, Shuite and Shurite. As a young
teenager this depth of meaning and definition didn’t hold much significance and one could only believe
that these types of teachings were taught only as a vehicle for preservation of the art. However the
truth of the matter is that the meaning and definition of the Kanji was every bit just as important as the
techniques themselves. This was especially true when it came down to deciphering the Bunkai or
(Hidden meaning) to many of the techniques.
The example of this would be the word “Tuite/ Turite” or (Grabbing/ Gripping Hand) and the term
“Shuite/ Shurite”, which refers to the “way” practiced by those originating from the area known as Shuri
the old capital of the “Ryu-Kyu Kingdom”. If one remembers correctly from earlier, I mentioned that
Master Oyata’s art was originally called Ryu – Kyu Kempo however, it is The old Ryu – Kyu Kingdom in
Okinawa where Master Hart and Oyata’s Martial art form Originated. Okinawa is also where the original
style of “Turite” or “Tuite” developed from the Chinese grappling art of Chin Na from those who
migrated from China. The point of this is that we clearly see the melding of techniques from Okinawa
which the original “hard striking” styles of Karate originated and the grappling, locking and clinching
techniques brought from China. This clearly defines the nature of the art that Master hart wanted to
teach a hard grappling and striking art.
Now back to separating the terms Vital Target/ Point from Pressure Point. The term Vital Point can be
defined below. Because no dictionary resource this writer has found has the definition of Vital Target,
one is forced to give the definition of two separate terms “Vital” and “Target”.
Vital defined by Merriam Webster’s:
“: extremely important
: needed by your body in order to keep living
: very lively or energetic”
Vital is a small word with very broad meaning Webster’s goes on to continue the “Full Definition” of
Vital.
“: existing as a manifestation of life
:concerned with or necessary to the maintenance of life<vital organs> <blood and other vital fluids>
:full of life and vigor, animated
:characteristic of life or living beings