Caine - Krav Maga: Knotty Pressure Points For Self Defense

All these treatments are excellent for healing injuries and maintaining the strength of Krav Maga practitioner, but knowledge of pressure points can be used offensively as well. Fighting arts such as Krav Maga lay emphasis on pressure point attacks such as death touch, are believed to have evolved simultaneous to the healing arts. Because of the highly dangerous and mystical quality of these skills, the techniques were jealously guarded. It was only in the late twentieth century that Westerners were able to understand and utilize these systems for attacking the body. Although it may seem unlikely that even an exceptionally well-placed strike could instantly kill an opponent, the effectiveness of such a strike cannot be disputed.

Results can range from involuntary muscle responses and partial loss of motor functions (from damage to nerves serving muscles), to loss of conscious - for reasons which remain unclear, but hint at neural involvement .

Due to differences in body type and training, not all pressure point attacks will have the desired effect. Some people with naturally decreased sensitivity are seemingly unaffected by this sort of attack; other Krav Maga practitioner endure painful training procedures to deaden the susceptible nerves and pressure point regions. In a person with a taut, muscular body, the tsubo is pushed close to the surface, or close to the bone, and is therefore more easily triggered. Consequently, very muscular individuals are generally more susceptible to pressure point attacks than people with a high body fat content. Assuming that you are not applying a death touch attack, a pressure point attack can actually be a less injurious form of defense:

By manipulating a bodys weak points, it becomes possible to immobilize or restrain an attacker without causing serious or permanent injury.

Using this form of attack you can stun the body rather than seriously damage it. Another added benefit is that attacks on some points, like Stomach, which will be discussed later elaborately in the next chapter, inflict significant pain, but leave no permanent marks. Pressure point attacks can be just as effective when executed by smaller people and can be a tremendous advantage in defense against a much larger attacker. Since the sensations are so intensely focused, and the point is often located just beneath the bodys surface, it does not require much strength to make a big impression. The pain generated by a precise attack is generally of the shooting or radiating variety, and will often affect more than one part of the body. The sensation is immediate and difficult to withstand.