dim-mak (le) face a la science by Unknown

by Michael Kelly

The martial arts world is rife with tales of ancient masters who could cause instant or delayed death or illness by attacking secret points on the human body. But to the Western mind, the concept of striking acupuncture points to disrupt the internal energy, or chi, seems like hocus-pocus. Thus, many serious martial artists dismiss the ancient art of dim-mak (also known as kyusho jitsu), which is literally translated as "death touch," as nothing more than fiction. However, if one can accept the idea that a dim-mak point is an avenue for attacking the nervous system, then it becomes easier to understand how striking specific points or groups of points can devastate the organs and the cardiovascular system. In this book, Dr. Michael Kelly, an osteopathic physician and experienced dim-mak practitioner, explains dim-mak's effects based on medical science. In layman's terms, Dr. Kelly reveals the physiological basis for what is clearly a very real and dangerous method of fighting. In the process of unraveling the mystery of this legendary art, Dr. Kelly makes the true genius of its founders brutally, and painfully, apparent.

Genres: Martial Arts

Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 2001

Reviews

[Raymond Goss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've reread this book leading a martial arts discussion group, which covered physiology behind pressure point applications. It is the best book out there on dian xue/dim mak/kyusho jutsu theory from a western medicine practice. Most of the material is excellent. As a Ryukyu Kempo practitioner for over 30 years and a licensed acupuncturist, I have found the book extremely insightful and I referred to it while I was taking anatomy and physiology in graduate school. There are few things that are not 100% correct on the nerve type explanations, but good enough for most readers. There has been new research since as well that show how some reactions work slightly different. The least informative sections are on applications themselves, but this is just a small chapter. What is missing is the integration of Chinese medicine with the western medicine. The books on the market approach the topic from one side or the other without much integration.

[Nati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool

[Rick Bauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since the 1980's, there has been a growing interest within the martial arts community regarding the application of acupoint striking sequences. In general, a large portion of this interest has been driven by the effectiveness of these types of strikes. With growing frequency, techniques using acupoints are often showcased at seminars and promotional venues by various martial artists. In particular, there continues to be a large number of knockout demonstrations, in which practitioners (trained and untrained) smack a select number of acupoint locations on the body to quickly incapacitate a person. As with all things, the quality level (both in terms of instruction and skill) is often varied, and occasionally lacking. These various types of acupoint and joint lock manipulation techniques are often described as Chin Na, Tuite, Kyushu and Dim Mak, as well as pressure point and vital point strikes.

As the interest in point striking techniques has continued to mushroom, there have been a growing number of incidents where individuals have been struck or knocked out using acupoint strikes; occasionally by younger students attempting to emulate these techniques, absent proper supervision and instruction. This practice is not only concerning, but also highly dangerous, given a number of these techniques have long term associated effects which may manifest slowly over time.

Within the introductory section of Dr. Kelly's book, he correctly notes "... that attacking [acupoint locations on the human body] can adversely affect both the nervous and cardiovascular systems and that this, in fact, is very dangerous." (p. 4) Further, he notes that the motivational premise for his book is to help educate the martial arts community on the potential medical dangers of striking acupoints. In my humble professional opinion and experience, this as highly commendable, and I support Dr. Kelly's efforts in this direction.

In my opinion, Dr. Kelly has done an admirable job in presenting highly complex medical material in a format that can be widely read and understood by the layman martial artist. While I am not in full agreement with some aspects of the book, including certain cause and effect relationships he lists for Dim-Mak, I would recommend Dr. Kelly's book to anyone interested in learning more about the scientific theories involving martial uses of acupoints. I sincerely believe that Dr. Kelly's book will be a great benefit to the martial arts community, and will help educate folks to the potential medical risks that can exist in striking acupoints and performing martial knockouts.