Vital Points - Attacks and Consequences

Many martial arts texts and articles refer to "108" vital points with martial utility, and "36" of which are death points.

I have not met anyone who knows which points are in the 108 or in the 36. Chinese scholars place a lot of importance to the mystery of certain numbers - 2, 5, 8, 9, 18, 36, 81, 108, ... My guess is that 108 is just a number, and 36 is another number. My experience on death points (this experience is quite limited) suggests far fewer than 36 points. Likewise, there seems to be a lot more than 108 points with martially useful (but weaker) consequences.

See the page of Ki and Oriental Medicine for details of Meridian Theory and point location. The location of the points is one third of the knowledge on how to use them. The other knowledge is the direction in which to hit them, and the amount of penetration to use for a desired effect.

Knowing where you may hit for a desired consequence is a small part of the actual martial application. The intent of a vital point strike or seize is to stun or weaken or impair an opponent. The points themselves are quite tiny - usually less than 1 cm in diameter, so hitting them requires a lot of precision and entry technique.

The response of the opponent varies from opponent to opponent and varies depending on their level of activation (the more aroused, generally the stronger the effect). Some subjects are pretty insensitive to nerve-related strikes, but still respond to techniques which interfere with blood flow or air supply.

Location of useful points

Firstly, refer to accupuncture dummies or charts. Then validate the points with a partner using lightish focussed taps - using a finger knuckle or the outer end of the ulna (the bumpy bit of the wrist end of the forearm on the pinky side.

Direction to strike

The accupuncture charts show the normal direction of Ki flow. Your aim is to strike contrary to this flow. The strike must be both into the point and contrary to the flow, so usually you hit at about 45 degrees contrary to flow. Eg, for LI-6, strike the centre of the depression on the radius towards the ulnar's bump at the wrist.

Penetration and consequences

Some points are near to the surface, so a focussed strike (eg on LI-6) attempts to disrupt that location to a depth of 1/2 an inch. Imagine you are trying to smash a grape and not damage underlying surfaces. Other points are deeper (eg, like trying to smash a (seedless) peach - so focus deeper. In practice, you usually hold (seize) the limb containing the target.

In application

In application, you need to have had sufficient drilling of seizing/trapping the limb and/or entering/crowding the point location to deliver a strike which is automatically in the right location, direction and depth.

The wrist points are good starters, since there are so many in close proximity (

Tom Osborn.