Pressure point
{{Short description|Points on body used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine}}
{{other uses}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{original research|date=February 2009}}
{{cleanup AfD|date=January 2017}}
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{{Chinese
|title = Pressure point (穴位)
|pic = Chinese meridians.JPG
|picsize = 240px
|c = 穴位
|p = xuéwèi
|w=hsüeh-wei
|bpmf=ㄒㄩㄝˊ ㄨㄟˋ
|j=jyut6 wai6*2
|poj=hia̍t-uī
|h=hied5 vi55
|wuu=yiuih入 we去
|kanji=急所
|romaji=kyūsho
|kana=きゅうしょ
}}
{{Alternative medicine sidebar |traditional}}
Pressure points{{efn|group=footnote|
- {{zh|s=穴位|p=xuéwèi}}
- {{langx|ja|急所|kyūsho|tender spot}}Andrew Nathaniel Nelson, The Original Modern Reader's Japanese-English Character Dictionary, Tuttle Publishing, 2004, p.399. [https://books.google.com/books?id=gtYHbyI9xPEC&pg=PA399]
- {{langx|si|නිල/මර්ම ස්ථාන|Nila/Marma Sthana}} (in Angampora)
- {{langx|te|మర్మ స్థానం|Marma Sthanam}}
- {{langx|ml|മര്മ്മം|marmam}}
- {{langx|ta|வர்மம்|varmam}}
}} derive from the supposed meridian points in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Indian Ayurveda and Siddha medicine, and martial arts. They refer to areas on the human body that may produce significant pain or other effects when manipulated in a specific manner.{{Cite web |url=http://spa.exeter.ac.uk/drama/staff/kalari/healharm.html |title=To Heal and/or To Harm: The Vital Spots (Marmmam/Varmam) in Two South Indian Martial Traditions |work=Kalarippayattu |access-date=2016-03-01 |publisher=Department of Drama at the University of Exeter |last1=Zarrilli |first1=Phillip B. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160209235036/http://spa.exeter.ac.uk/drama/staff/kalari/healharm.html |archive-date=9 Feb 2016 |language=en |url-status=live}}
History
File:USMC-100912-M-5332N-146.jpg instructor]]
The earliest known concept of pressure points can be seen in the South Indian Varma kalai based on Siddha.{{Cite web
| url = http://www.varmam.org/articles/HistoryOfVarmaKalai.php
| title = Thirumoolar Varmalogy Institute - Articles - History of Varmakalai
| last = Institute
| first = Suresh K Manoharan, Thirumoolar Varmalogy
| website = www.varmam.org
| access-date = 2016-03-01
}} The concept of pressure points is also present in the old school Japanese martial arts; in a 1942 article in the Shin Budo magazine, Takuma Hisa asserted the existence of a tradition attributing the first development of pressure-point attacks to Shinra Saburō Minamoto no Yoshimitsu (1045–1127).It is also called Internal point.
Takuma Hisa Sensei, Shin Budo magazine, November 1942. republished as {{cite journal
|last = Hisa
|first = Takuma
|title = Daito-Ryu Aiki Budo
|journal = Aiki News
|volume = 85
|date = Summer 1990
|url = http://www.aikidojournal.com/article.php?articleID=497
|access-date = 2007-07-18
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071011104105/http://www.aikidojournal.com/article.php?articleID=497
|archive-date = 2007-10-11
}} "Yoshimitsu [...] dissected corpses brought back from wars in order to explore human anatomy and mastered a decisive counter-technique as well as discovering lethal atemi. Yoshimitsu then mastered a technique for killing with a single blow. Through such great efforts, he mastered the essence of aiki and discovered the secret techniques of Aiki Budo. Therefore, Yoshimitsu is the person who is credited with being the founder of the original school of Daito-ryu."
Hancock and Higashi (1905) published a book which pointed out a number of vital points in Japanese martial arts.{{cite book |author1=H. Irving Hancock |author2=Katsukuma Higashi |title=The Complete Kano Jiu-Jitsu (Judo) |publisher=G. P. Putnam's Sons |year=1905 |isbn=978-0-486-20639-4 |oclc=650089326}}
Accounts of pressure-point fighting appeared in Chinese Wuxia fiction novels and became known by the name of Dim Mak, or "Death Touch", in western popular culture in the 1960s.
While it is undisputed that there are sensitive points on the human body where even comparatively weak pressure may induce significant pain or serious injury, the association of kyūsho with notions of death have been harshly criticized.Felix Mann: "...acupuncture points are no more real than the black spots that a drunkard sees in front of his eyes." (Mann F. Reinventing Acupuncture: A New Concept of Ancient Medicine. Butterworth Heinemann, London, 1996,14.), quoted by Matthew Bauer in [http://www.chinesemedicinetimes.com/section.php?xSec=122 Chinese Medicine Times] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122104312/http://www.chinesemedicinetimes.com/section.php?xSec=122 |date=2009-01-22 }}, vol 1 issue 4, Aug. 2006, "The Final Days of Traditional Beliefs? - Part One"{{Failed verification|date=June 2019}}
See also
References
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{{martial arts}}
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Category:Martial arts techniques