Pressure Point Self-Defense

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In a recent posting on the Ryukyu Martial Arts wall someone asked, “Thoughts on pressure points and an effective form of self defense?” First, I find the question a bit confusing so I will make an assumption in that the person asking was actually asking, “Thoughts on pressure points as an effective form of self-defense?” 

Second, I only have a smattering of experience in pressure point applications. I can only make my personal experiences the basis for the following comments on the question as I restated it.

Third, the human body when subjected to adrenal stress conditions tends to guard against pain, etc., to which pressure points depend on that pain for compliance. Compliance is a whole different ball game from defense of an attacker of a predatory nature (since I am not using social violence, i.e., the monkey dance, because that is almost totally avoidable while predatory asocial is not always, etc.). 

I also tend to believe that applying pressure points for defense tends to allow slippage in that defense, i.e., in other words the attacker through their experience as an adversary will detect it and take actions putting the person back into the OODA loop or even freeze them when the uber great pressure point defense taught fails. 

In my mind pressure points along with other methodologies such as joint manipulation and other methodologies are necessary for those who have to use them according to their job rules of engagement, i.e., police, military and civil security professionals. 

Pressure points as a self-defense system is, in my personal view, to chancy to rely on for defense simply because its effectiveness relies on to many variables of which only one is that adrenal stress condition effects, etc. When under an attack you want things that will make for the fastest and most reliable get-r-done within the SD Square with an emphasis on how to articulate that to others for self-defense to actually work.

As another point, depending on pressure points in self-defense if it fails may result in your escalating things toward something you may not have trained and practiced sufficiently ending up escalating the level of force used making it not self-defense. 

Pressure points do have their benefits but I tend to think that involves pressure points as a minor enhancing tool for other methodologies for defense, i.e., “Multiple Methodologies [actual tactics and attack methodologies of impacts, drives (pushes), pulls, twists, takedowns/throws and compression, etc. are best for stopping a threat]”

In closing, this person may have wanted to find out how it can enhance self-defense since it is a mainstay of many martial disciplines but that brings up another topic I write about, asking questions that actually convey enough meaning to make them more relevant. Remember, it is just one tool and that tool must be one that is relevant and appropriate to any given situation. 

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Example: I was taught on Okinawa, in my karate class, how to apply a pressure/pain point to gain control over someone. As a SNCO I was required to walk “Ville-patrol” on the streets of Kin Village, Okinawan Japan. Our goal was to provide support for our Marines who were partying out in the ville. If they got a bit inebriated and rowdy it was our job to restrain and subdue them, escort them to the base and hope the Japanese Police would allow us to keep our Marines in our control. If the JP’s took over the Marine involved would suffer the consequences and I can tell you back then the JP’s were vastly different than how our Police handle such situations.

Anyway, one of our fellow Marines was really out of control so while the other two patrol Marines grabbed his arms I applied the technique in an attempt to restrain and control. That Marine never felt it, not even a little. Matter of fact when I encountered that Marine the next day he said he didn’t feel a thing and had a bruise on that part of his body he couldn’t explain. In the dojo, it was incredible how fast tough, strong and aggressive Marine students would just drop when the technique was applied yet in reality, not so much. 

Hey, if it works - fine; but if it doesn’t - think about it in training. What exactly are pressure points appropriate for and under what conditions because your life depends on that understanding.