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Dim-Mak: Death Point Striking
Revealed in this book for the first time are the long-held secrets of a system of deadly strikes to vital acupuncture points at the root of t'ai chi ch'uan. Learn the martial and healing applications of the most dangerous points, plus set-up points, multiple point strikes and neurological shutdown points. For information purposes only.
- GenresMartial Arts
Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 3, 2009
Super applications for Yang Chen Fu Form
May 24, 2021
Dim Mak, the art of striking ‘vital points’ on your opponent to cause pain, damage or even death. Suspend your disbelief and enter a logic and science free zone of meridians, acupuncture, Qi and Eastern mysticism wrapped up in Tai Chi.
Oh, and while we’re here, let’s throw in a mysterious master who, despite generations of secrecy amongst the elite guardians of the secrets of Dim Mak, happened to meet the author on an Australian dock side, befriended him, trained him, revealed the carefully guarded truth and then vanished.
Part of the challenge here is that some of the techniques are probably quite effective, but not for the reasons given by the author. Practical strikes to the face, neck and torso are given unnecessary complexity, tasking students to hit exact points that, amazingly, vary in position by person, and even - hilariously - by the time of day you are fighting them. Attempts to give more precise measurements are complicated by using the ‘cun’ a unit based on the distance between knuckles that, again, will vary by person.
The author is very clear that certain points are more susceptible to death point strikes than others. In some (very few) cases I was able to find, this does appear to have some basis in science. For example, ‘Conceptor Vessel 14’ (located on the centre line of the body just below the rib cage), is claimed to be an “instant death point”. Medical sites I looked into suggest that there are chronic conditions associated with this part of the body, and it can be potentially fatal if it is broken because of the risk of the tiny bone fragments puncturing the lungs or other organs. Death would not be instantaneous.
So, theoretically the mythical ‘death punch’ seen in Kill Bill and other martial arts films may have a slim kernel of truth, but it does not require the B. S. of Chinese medicine, acupuncture, Qi or meridians.
However, examples such as the one above are uncommon and it is unclear whether, in this particular case, the link between science and the ‘art’ is straightforward. Why, for instance, is ‘the point (cv14) “forbidden” even in acupuncture because it is so dangerous’? This is where the theory of meridians and Qi fail to link with verifiable medical sources.
Discussions about ’reversing Qi’, lowering blood pressure or creating sunstroke-like symptoms as a consequence of striking a specific point on your opponent’s arm should be met with scepticism. You won’t find that from the author, who is fully bought in to the pseudoscientific nonsense of Qi.
Avoid.
Oh, and while we’re here, let’s throw in a mysterious master who, despite generations of secrecy amongst the elite guardians of the secrets of Dim Mak, happened to meet the author on an Australian dock side, befriended him, trained him, revealed the carefully guarded truth and then vanished.
Part of the challenge here is that some of the techniques are probably quite effective, but not for the reasons given by the author. Practical strikes to the face, neck and torso are given unnecessary complexity, tasking students to hit exact points that, amazingly, vary in position by person, and even - hilariously - by the time of day you are fighting them. Attempts to give more precise measurements are complicated by using the ‘cun’ a unit based on the distance between knuckles that, again, will vary by person.
The author is very clear that certain points are more susceptible to death point strikes than others. In some (very few) cases I was able to find, this does appear to have some basis in science. For example, ‘Conceptor Vessel 14’ (located on the centre line of the body just below the rib cage), is claimed to be an “instant death point”. Medical sites I looked into suggest that there are chronic conditions associated with this part of the body, and it can be potentially fatal if it is broken because of the risk of the tiny bone fragments puncturing the lungs or other organs. Death would not be instantaneous.
So, theoretically the mythical ‘death punch’ seen in Kill Bill and other martial arts films may have a slim kernel of truth, but it does not require the B. S. of Chinese medicine, acupuncture, Qi or meridians.
However, examples such as the one above are uncommon and it is unclear whether, in this particular case, the link between science and the ‘art’ is straightforward. Why, for instance, is ‘the point (cv14) “forbidden” even in acupuncture because it is so dangerous’? This is where the theory of meridians and Qi fail to link with verifiable medical sources.
Discussions about ’reversing Qi’, lowering blood pressure or creating sunstroke-like symptoms as a consequence of striking a specific point on your opponent’s arm should be met with scepticism. You won’t find that from the author, who is fully bought in to the pseudoscientific nonsense of Qi.
Avoid.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews