Preasure points studies, 26 April 2005

As with a lot of other books on pressure points it is sorely lacking in how to deal with someone who has been struck at these points. Although it does state that these points should be studied under a trained teacher it is more than obvious that the people buying this type of book will experiment.

It also does not go into the effect of the points relative to the power applied therefore the assumption is that a large person hitting a small person would inflict the same damage as a small person hitting a large one.

In my opinion a better buy is Earle Montagues Dim Mak encyclapedia which covers the meridians, levels of damage and how ro heal the areas that have been struck, it also points out clearly the angles and risks involved with each strike.

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Pressure Point Fighting, 8 Jun 2004

The authors have used a series of body photographs to illustrate the Traditional Chinese Medicine energy pathways and acupoint locations. While the illustrations are an improvement, in my opinion, over Mr. Dillman and Thomas' first book, there are a few problems too. Several of the photos have problems with incorrect lighting, occasional out of focus images and lack of detail in certain poses. As such, they are of varying degrees of usefulness. The authors have also elected to use a mixture of black dots and "bullseye" stickers, placed on the skin of the photo subject, to highlight pressure point locations.

The level of information given on each point is not consistently presented. In general, the authors give a description of the point location, and give what they believe is the anatomical structural association of the point (i.e., why it works in that area of the body). Then they usually (but not always) give a block of text marked "Method" in which they give some point activation instructions and occasionally discuss the results of the strike. This lack of discussion on the effects of the strike / rub / slap may leave some readers disappointed. For example, on page 98, they discuss hitting Small Intestine 16 (SI-16), by simply noting "...strike this point at about a 30 degree angle from the back to the front." No additional narrative is given regarding the martial effects of the strike, nor the effects to the body. This is concerning to me, since SI-16 is a very dangerous acupoint. If you strike straight into the point with sufficient force and intent, you can cause a knockout (KO). But there is also an extreme risk of producing emotional side effects. Additionally, with a slightly harder blow, this point has been known to be fatal! None of these issues or risks are discussed, nor are similar issues covered in the majority of the other points.