Whether in Japan, China or India, some martial arts are based on vital points. These are vulnerable areas of the human body to target in order to cause significant damage and knock your opponent down. Do vital points have a real scientific basis?
In Japan, sappō is an art of inflicting bodily damage by pressure (or strikes) on vital points, the kyūsho. These vital points are particularly vulnerable areas of the human body. . An example is the carotid artery baroreceptors, which provide information about blood pressure to the brain. Pressure on this area sends signals that blood pressure is too high, and therefore causes blood depressurization.
According to a publication from the Shotokan Karate School in Chagny (Saône-et-Loire), a good knowledge of these kyūsho is essential for karateka. These areas are dispersed all over the body , for example at the level of the upper part (face, neck, nape of the neck, skull). We should also mention the middle part (chest, plexus, stomach, kidneys, back, ribs) as well as the bottom (legs, lower abdomen).
Eric Garnier Sinclair, from the Art to Stay Alive (ADRV) collective, teaches various arts such as Taiji Qigong, Krav Maga and pankration. In a blog post, the interested party evokes the research of unit 731 of the Japanese army during the Second World War. According to him, this research would prove that techniques based on vital points are mysterious and complex for the uninitiated. In addition, Eric Garnier Sinclair evokes a link with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), especially acupuncture.
One example is punches to the plexus, which can have long-term heart risks. Indeed, many vital points are present at the level of the conception vessel meridian. Also consider the side to side twist of both hands at the "bulges" above the hips. With some dexterity, this kind of technique can destroy the kidneys through a logical natural process.
The expert mentions in particular 365 vital points , 36 lethal, and 72 stun – among others. It can be attacking nerves (and nerve plexuses) to paralyze, or blood vessels to cause blood clots by clogging veins and other arteries. There is also another category of attacks targeting the meridians of the body with the aim of causing death later by blocking the flow of energy. The nerve attack is the most frequently used, being able to target the three parts of the nervous system:autonomic, central and peripheral.
In the West, anything closely related to traditional Chinese medicine is consideredpseudo-science . Nevertheless, martial artists are certain that these points actually exist. Finally, let us quote a reference work in the field:The Sublime and Ultimate Art of Vital Points (1998) by Fujita Saiko and Henry Plée.
