A story of experience
It was the early nineties; I was a young martial arts student who was raised on the idea that the “magic touch of death” really existed. It was on every page of martial arts magazines, there were books written about it, it was all the rage and Jean-Claude Van Damme even made a movie about it. I remember seeing the movie “Blood sport” starring Jean-Claude VanDamme. He played the real-life character of Frank Dux in a not-so-real story fabricated by Mr. Dux for fame. It was the story of a Westerner who trained in the mystical arts of “Death Touch” or “Dim Mak” and became the first champion of an ancient tournament where deathmatches were sanctioned. It was and is to this day quite entertaining. As a young martial artist I knew it then; that was what I wanted to become.
I had been studying martial arts and fighting for years when I was introduced to the late teacher Stan Hart. My teacher and beloved friend, the late Master Royal Seymour, wanted me to attend a seminar with him, where secret and forbidden strikes and points would be taught through the application of traditional Karate or Kata forms. When we arrived they told me that he couldn’t be in the room because he was too young and not a black belt. Master Seymour was on an intimate level with Master Hart and convinced him to at least allow me to observe. The sessions were long days and completely closed to the public. I felt honored and privileged to just be able to watch. Master Hart was arguably the world’s foremost expert in the arts of Hakuda and Hakushu; and a highly decorated master of Ryu-Kyu Kempo. He studied under world famous author and pressure point guru George Dillman. Both Dillman and Master Hart were direct students of Taeika Oyata, whose family art was the Shurite/Ryu-Kyu kempo of today. I watched and paid close attention to how Master Hart taught and demonstrated knockout punches with just a tap or touch to certain areas of the anatomy. I carefully learned the holds and claws that Master Hart would apply to put his protesting students in excruciating pain. So I knew that this was what he wanted to learn and be able to apply to anyone. If only he would accept me as a student.
Almost a year passed and I still wasn’t allowed to do anything but watch this training. Every time Master Seymour and I came back from these classes; He would immediately ask her to do the techniques with me. Many times they didn’t work for me. However, there was an advantage to see; He was learning. Class after class, I would watch and then after class I would become a punching dummy and yes, I would also practice with Master Seymour. Master Seymour took it upon himself to teach me the training. Finally, Master Seymour approached Master Hart and explained that I was learning and that he was, in fact, teaching me. He was able to convince Master Hart to allow me to participate in the classes. I became the dummy of the class. The only thing Master Hart wouldn’t do is knock me out. I was very young. I was still not allowed to perform the techniques. I was what is known as a Uke. That’s basically the one that needs to be thrown and hit. Over the next two years I learned the techniques of Master Seymour and Master Hart on taking a beating.
After two years of taking beatings, I was told that I could finally participate fully; however he refused to classify or certify me in the art. As time passed, Master Seymour convinced him of my diligence in training; he finally accepted me as a full student and years after the first training session I was classified. Through the years I learned pain points, disabling points, knockout points, recovery points, herbs, and more. I saw the stitches applied over and over again. I often performed these techniques and was performed many. I also witnessed the failure of many of these techniques. I was seeing a pattern. certain techniques worked on some and not on others. I also noticed that we never did live training. We always train these techniques under predetermined and choreographed attacks. He was also finding many of the techniques difficult, if not impossible, to apply in wrestling or live fighting scenarios.
Years passed and I joined the army. I started learning military combatives that didn’t focus on small pressure points and mystical targets. I noted the efficiency of learning these techniques and how easy they were to learn. I got involved with the No Holds Barred wrestling; the real “Bloodsport” and I couldn’t execute any of these techniques. In fact, there were no champions who were highly skilled in these mystical pressure points. All the pressure point experts were losing. As the years passed and I did more research on why these methods didn’t work, I began to find my answers.
Why don’t pressure points just work in a fight?
1. In a fight, the heart rate can exceed 180 beats per minute.
When the heart rate reaches or exceeds 180 BPM, we lose all function and fine motor skills. There have been studies showing that expert pianists cannot play a tune after a simple treadmill workout where their heart rate reached or exceeded 180 BPM. This is by design; when the heart rate reaches certain levels, blood flow is directed only to those areas necessary for the fight or flight response. This is how the body is capable of extreme physical feats. Blood only goes to the big muscles needed to run and fight. In most there is only gross motor function. It becomes very difficult for the body to hit small points. even the brain goes into survival mode.
2. In a fight there is an adrenaline rush
In extreme situations, our body goes into “fight or flight” mode. Adrenaline spikes and many of our nerve receptors are not sensitive. Dopamine and cortisone drugs that occur naturally in the body are released to help cushion our body from pain in order to get through the survival situation. Adrenaline acts as a kind of kick start in many situations. There have been many recorded incidents of people being shot multiple times in combat and continuing to fight through the situation. Adrenaline numbs the body and triggers many other hormonal changes that can make the ability to execute and feel these mystical pressure points unlikely, if not impossible.
3. Body types are different.
I can tell you from first hand experience that these bumps are highly dependent on body build and type. The leaner and more fragile the physique, the easier it is to access nerves and pressure points. Sometimes if someone is muscular or obese, the techniques may need to be executed differently or may not work at all. Whether someone is taller or shorter decides the ability to access points. Then there is the genetic factor. Some people have a thicker nerve lining than others. The bottom line is that you can take a risk trying one of the controversial techniques, but have a backup plan.
What goals work?
The evil sensei from the movie Karate Kid says: “If a man can’t see he can’t fight, if a man can’t breathe he can’t fight and if a man can’t stand he can’t fight.” This evil fictional character was on to something. I recently had a debate with the father of one of my karate students. She was interested in why I took a more progressive approach to martial arts instead of the traditional one she once trained in. I was a bit pompous and I could not resist the temptation to mock and belittle those who believe and practice the imaginary. “Keys of Death” and pulling “chi balls”. He asked me why he had this stance towards the mystical. I answered yes “because these things cannot be scientifically proven.” He then brought religious faith into the equation by stating that God was not scientifically proven either. He was right, because many believe in an entity that cannot be proven. I assured him that God and faith have nothing to do with our conversation. I started to explain that he only taught things that could be tested and shown to work. We talk about life goals. She had no idea of my experience in this field. I simply explained that I have spent many years training in the mystical theories of striking, as well as the anatomical and biomechanical science of striking.
I explained that there are some things you can’t deny. “If a man can’t see he can’t fight, if a man can’t breathe he can’t fight and if a man can’t stand he can’t fight.” Now I’ll cover some real life goals that are guaranteed to work in any situation:
1. The eyeballs and ts basin
2. Throat
3. Ears
4. Destroy the joints by making them move in the opposite direction to that intended.
5. arteries
6. Any other soft tissue area. IE eyes, ears, nose, throat, neck, muzzle, and base of skull.
These lenses were designed to create bodily functions. by destroying these targets, the body cannot function.
Taking the traditional and mystical in perspective
In the end, I wish to leave the reader some illumination. Not everything is lost. These ancient techniques for hitting and manipulating pressure points are products of a more primitive time when mysticism was a great influence on life. I have personally witnessed and been taught many of these techniques and seen them work in a controlled environment. There is something to it and I definitely believe that these arts should be preserved and passed down as art. I have a strong belief that the principles behind this training have more healing than martial value. When it comes to a life and death scenario, I don’t want to roll the dice and rely on faith. I want to go with what I know will work. Master Stan Hart posted an article on fighting arts.com. the title was “Too Teenage About Pressure Points”. This was an item he never knew existed until after he passed away in 2007. He talks about the practicality or lack of many pressure point attacks. This is something he never talked about directly when I trained with him. He had also devised a web page dedicated to the conservation of this type of technique.
Looking back on the many years that I trained and corresponded with Master Hart; I realize now that he never pushed these methods as street combat or combat use. He promoted many techniques just for defense and as a reactive measure; that at one point he even admitted himself that backlash is not the way to go in a real fight. He always promoted art for what it was and had great love and respect for its preservation. Master Hart was very different from his rival George Dillman, who continues to promote the mystic punch as effective and practical on the street or in combat situations. There is no doubt that his objective is solely monetary.
Conclusion
I teach the art of Hakuda and Hakushu which I was lucky enough to have learned from Stan Hart himself. I have great respect for much of the science behind many of the principles and for the art itself. However, due to the amount of time and diligence it takes to learn these goals and methods, I only train a select few students. I am sure to explain that when I teach pressure points it is only for the preservation of an ancient art that was once lost. I focus more of my teachings to the general population today on practical martial arts.