| That was a comment made by one of my | | | | possible and the opening presents itself these are |
| previous instructors. He then proceeded to show | | | | strikes to specific pressure points. The "soft" |
| us where to strike. Being somewhat kind and not | | | | jujutsu techniques work much better if preceded |
| wanting to cause problems in class I kept my | | | | by a good hard shot that will stun or "short |
| mouth shut as he pointed out about five areas to | | | | circuit" my opponent. It also helps to be |
| strike. I'll be darned if he didn't point out five | | | | aggressive and develop the openings. If someone |
| pressure point locations that relate to Chinese | | | | crosses the line I consider my safety zone and |
| Medicine Theory. Any one or combination thereof | | | | they are being aggressive and their intent is to |
| would cause a standing knockout at the least and | | | | hurt me I do not wait for then to throw the first |
| possible death if struck with sufficient force. | | | | strike but take the fight to them and not let up |
| There is a lot of misinformation on the net as well | | | | until they cannot further endanger me. |
| as in the dojo or dojang and a lot of people | | | | Doing the techniques slow and deliberately is good |
| touting secret techniques that are only available if | | | | to begin with but remember in the heat of a fight |
| you buy their DVD sets for outrageous sums of | | | | you take whatever purchase your opponent |
| money. | | | | offers. Nothing will ever be "dojo perfect" and you |
| It does require study to learn the pressure points | | | | may miss your target. There had better be some |
| and the theory that goes along with them. It is | | | | redundancy in your training and strategic fight |
| most difficult to get a chart of meridians and | | | | planning. But just as in the infantry, plans are good |
| related tsubos (pressure points) and memorize | | | | until the first shot is fired then everything turns to |
| them. It is much easier if you select several | | | | crap, but at least you had a plan. Do the |
| techniques that utilize several points and learn the | | | | unexpected. It is good to train at times with the |
| techniques and the corresponding points. This may | | | | "what if" concept. Keep it simple. Train with one |
| involve punching and striking, kicking, grasping, or | | | | simple movement with lots of techniques that can |
| squeezing. Sometimes it is recommended that | | | | be done with that movement. |
| you get a willing partner and try out the strikes | | | | It is a good idea to fight like you train and to train |
| with a light blow to see if there is an effect. This | | | | like you fight. If you plan on walking around |
| must be done with extreme caution and not done | | | | barefooted then it is acceptable to train |
| for more than fifteen minutes during a weekly | | | | barefooted. It is a good idea to train outside in |
| training session. Some points should be completely | | | | street shoes and even work boots. In Utah it is a |
| avoided as they are very dangerous if you strike | | | | good idea to wear a coat or a jacket about eight |
| them, such as Gall Bladder 3 or Conception Vessel | | | | months of the year so training with a gi is also |
| 23. | | | | acceptable. Your training should also be done in "T" |
| There is more theory to explore such as the | | | | shirts and without "T" shirts when you are all |
| "Elemental Theory" and the cycles of creation and | | | | slimy and sweaty. (Ladies, some discretion is |
| cycles of destruction. There is also the theory of | | | | advised!) |
| yin and yang and the diurnal cycles. To a simple | | | | So can you utilize any pressure points when your |
| country boy from Utah, that is just a bit | | | | opponent is wearing heavy clothing and |
| complicated to digest and learn. Fights are brutal | | | | meta-tarsal work boots? Yes, unless he is |
| affairs and last seconds. You cannot take the | | | | wearing a suit of armor and has every part of his |
| time to figure out if you are going to use diurnal | | | | body covered in iron. In that case you probably |
| theory or if your techniques will utilize yin and | | | | can outrun him. Knees are usually vulnerable even |
| yang or the cycle of destruction. That must be | | | | when covered by work clothes and they have a |
| trained in advance and your techniques must be | | | | plethora of pressure points that can be used to |
| spontaneous, simple and decisive. | | | | takedown or disable an opponent. |
| My long time good friend and detractor Bob was | | | | To be a complete martial artist you need to |
| a Golden Gloves boxer in his youth. Even at 61 | | | | study anatomy. The use of common names |
| years young he has incredibly fast hands and hits | | | | instead of Latin designations will work just fine. |
| like a bull moose on a rampage. He has related to | | | | However, referring to the humerus as the arm |
| me that toward the end of his boxing career he | | | | bone doesn't cut it. Learning the meridians is |
| could not understand why the knockouts were | | | | helpful when you start dissecting your techniques |
| happening so easily. When we got into studying | | | | but it is not totally necessary. Learn the pressure |
| the pressure point theory for knockouts he had | | | | points (about 108 for use in the martial arts) if for |
| an epiphany as to what his hard trained | | | | nothing else than a reference point. The pressure |
| combination punches were doing. Three pressure | | | | points generally follow blood vessels and nerves |
| points struck by a jab, a right cross and a hook | | | | as well as where muscles begin or end. You also |
| punch had a tendency drop his opponent before | | | | need to know the type of point you are using as |
| he could get in the upper cut. | | | | some points are "hit" points while others are "rub" |
| Another good friend Al was a world class Judo | | | | points and you need to know the angle and |
| player (as was Bob). He relates that recently (Al | | | | direction to strike or press or grab a particular |
| is over 64 years of age) his O-soto Gari (Outside | | | | point. Lo and behold this information is found in |
| major reaping throw or what we in Dan Zan Ryu | | | | your katas. |
| call Yama Arashi or Mountain Storm) was | | | | The martial arts are a vast and never ending field |
| knocking his practice partners out when they hit | | | | of study. We do not have enough decades to |
| the floor. After examining his technique we | | | | learn and master everything. And sure enough |
| discovered that he was doing a forearm strike to | | | | when we get to feeling confident that we have |
| Stomach 9 and 10 as he entered the throw. No | | | | mastered our art we learn a new concept and |
| wonder his partner was getting knocked | | | | have to start over learning to apply that new |
| unconscious! | | | | concept to what we already know. |
| In virtually every jujutsu technique I teach, I | | | | TRAIN HARD! |
| teach the entrance with one or more strikes. If | | | | |