Some forms and styles of kung fu fighting, including Wing Chun, include the study and use of pressure points. When applied properly, pressure to particular areas of the body produces excruciating pain. This weakness or susceptibility in the human body can help you achieve victory over an assailant or attacker.
Pressure Points Defined: A pressure point is literally a “tender spot” whose entomology can be traced back to the meridian points in traditional Chinese medicine and ancient martial arts. A pressure point is any area on the human body that may produce significant pain or other effect (for example, movement in a particular direction) when pressed, squeezed, or touched in a certain way.
We have many classes that teach the valuable Wing Chun techniques associated with finding and exploiting pressure points, and even our summer after school programs touch upon these to a point. At Sifu Och Wing Chun we emphasize self defense as a means to get away from an attacker through any means possible. While we teach respect, discipline, and self-control, when it comes to protecting your family and loved ones, teaching and training in the aspect of applying and exploiting key pressure points in the human body is something we don’t shy away from.
Some Particular Pressure Points
- Very vulnerable areas: The eyes, the testicles, the shins, etc.
- Forehead: Striking the flat of the forehead forces the head back with little resistance. Beginners should use the heel of their palm.
- Shoulder: Look for the collar bone and once located jab fingers behind bone and force to the ground.
- Throat: The easiest way to strike is probably with a knife hand turned upside down.
- Under the jaw: Grab the neck on the front and reach under the jaw and squeeze while pressing upward.
For those of you thinking that learning about pressure points is way too much for a summer camp in Lakeland, FL (or even an adult class), we tend to ask two questions: “What would you do to keep your kids safe?” and “If you weren’t there, what would you want your child to do to keep him or herself safe?” If your child is grabbed, assaulted, or taken by a 200 lb adult, we want to instill some simple skills to even the playing field and give them the skills to escape a potentially dangerous situation. It’s hard enough for a full-grown adult to stop another adult, so what self-defense skills do you want your child learning? We can teach them and do so in a responsible and respectful manner.
