The Submission Judo Archives
Atemi Waza by M. Tripp
From The Mixed Martial Arts.com
ATEMI-WAZA: STRIKING THE VITAL POINTS Without a doubt, more myths exist about this subject than any other in the "Martial Arts". Stories about Òdelayed death touchesÓ, knocking out a person by just touching them, "secret" nerve strikes or pressure points, abound. TO DATE I have yet to see ANY scientific proof of the actual existence of these techniques.
In my opinion these ÒstoriesÓ are told by instructors to keep students by the promise of "occult knowledge". Who wouldn't spend money to learn secret knowledge that would give us great power over others? Also, it allows the instructor to keep the training at a level that will keep students, instead of driving them away.
Keep in mind that most schools come from a "sporting" or "traditional" base. I strongly believe in using sporting events to develop certain skills, but if the end goal is winning a medal, then you will never learn effective self-protection methods.
The problem with the "traditional" approach is we are in the 1990's. What someone thought was a wonderful idea when men rode horses and used swords, may be a stupid idea now that goblins travel in packs, armed with assault weapons! The person running the school is in business to make money, as they should be. But the things a person needs to do to prepare themselves to survive a violent assault are things that drive the paying student out the door.
Other schools are teaching a "new age" religion. Filling students heads with nonsense about mystical powers, secret techniques, and "death touches". It's no wonder when the average "martial artist" finds him/her self in a violent encounter, they end up a battered loser! If a .38 special bullet fired into a person only stops them about 50% of the time, JUST HOW EFFECTIVE DO YOU REALLY THINK A PUNCH OR KICK IS?
"Well, I'll just use Dim Mak or Kyusho-jutsu to hit nerve centers that would drop an elephant". No, you won't! Do you know what the "Tache-Psyche" effect is, and what it does to you? When you're looking the Goblin in the eye, and you're in the grip of "Tache-psyche", the motor skills of the fingers and hands break down! Slap, tap, rap, or nerve strikes to spots the size of a dime, are IMPOSSIBLE under extreme stress. Believe me, when you are looking at six men who plan to beat you to death, you're going to be under stress!
Another VERY IMPORTANT consideration today, is the HIV virus and the fear of AIDS. The one knuckle strike to the point under the nose and above the upper lip was and is a very powerful Atemi-Waza strike. However, the strike will split the lip, and his teeth could cut your hand. His blood is now in your open wound! That is an unacceptable risk in today's world.
Before we get into what does work; Let's break down the Atemi-Waza of Kodokan Judo
ATEMI-WAZA = ATE-WAZA (Striking) + MI-WAZA (Vital Points) Ate-Waza breaks down to Ude-Ate, or striking with the arm, and Ashi-Ate, or striking with the leg. Although there were and are many strikes in Ate-Waza, in Kodokan Judo we limit ourselves to the following. They have been selected as to the ability to perform them under extreme stress.
UDE-ATE: Yubi-saki-ate (Striking with the fingertip) Ago-oshi (Jaw Twisting); Ryogan-tsuki (Both eye poke); Suri-age (Forehead Up thrust) Kobushi-Ate (Striking with the fist) Tsuki-kake (Stomach Blow); Tsuki-age (Uppercut); Yoko-uchi (Hammerfist) Tegatana-Ate (Striking with the edge of the hand) Naname-uchi (Nasion strike); Kiri-oroshi (Direct Head Cut); Ushiro-dori (rearward cut) Hiji-Ate (Striking with the elbow) Ushiro-ate (Reverse strike); Ago-hiji-ate (Jaw Strike); Ushiro-dori (rearward cut)
ASHI-WAZA (Striking with the leg) Hiza-gashira-ate (Striking with the knee) Ryo-te-dori (Knee strike from two hand seizure); Hiza-otoshi (Dropping knee) Sekito-ate (Striking with the ball or the foot or instep) Ke-age (Testicles Kick); Mae-geri (front kick); Mawashi-geri (circular kick) Kakato-ate (Striking with the heel) Ushiro-geri (rear kick); Yoko-geri (side kick); Ashi-fumikomi (stamping kick)
MI-WAZA (Vital Points) Again, legend has it that there are 142 of these spots. The classic Judo Atemi are: 1. Tendo; The Bregma, the spot on the top of the skull, near the center 2. Uto; The Nasion, the spot between the eyes. 3. Kasumi; The Temples 4. Dokko; The mastoid process, the spot behind the ears. 5. Jinchu; the Philtrum, the spot below the nose. 6. Kachikake; the throat 7. Sui getsu; the solar plexus 8. Getsu'ei; Floating Ribs 9. Denko; Kidneys 10. Myojo; Lower Abdomen 11. Tsurigane; Testicles 12. Shitsu-kansetsu; The Knee Joint
In Kodokan Judo, our use of Atemi-Waza is to prevent our attacker from thinking about anything other than pain. You cannot think of two things at the same time. It can't be done. If you're thinking about what just hit you (called "damage assessment"), then you can't think about hitting! It is very important that you develop the ability to find, and strike, these areas under any and all conditions. Your life, or the lives of your loved ones, could one day depend on your ability at Atemi Waza.
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