Customer Rating:  
Summary: This jackass is going to get someone hurt
Comment: I'm loathe to repeat criticisms already offered, so I'll simply add the following. The idea of accupuncture meridians being viable, practical options in a violent confrontation is almost too silly to warrant a serious critique, but it seems sufficient interest exists in the idea, much of it directed at the most visible purveyor, George Dillman. Even if such vital points WERE real, effective targets, and I'm by no means conceding that at all, consider the facts... Recall any of your own real fights, or, failing that, ask any inner city policeman or military combat vet; the loss of fine motor skills that comes with the adrenaline dump of an actual fight is a well-known reality. If you could accurately attack tiny, precision targets in a controlled situation, dream of doing so when REALITY strikes at your own mortal peril. Mr. Dillman's book shows him attacking basically a human crash test dummy, squared up nice & proper directly in front of him and not in any semblance of a real fighting posture. Besides the afforementioned adrenaline dump, an assailant has an unreasonable tendency to MOVE and aggresively impose upon one's space when it's "game on". Bottom line, and this is with the understanding that Mr. Dillman wants his readers to believe "...and YOU TOO can do it with sufficient devotion", I'll quote Phineas Taylor Barnum: "There's a sucker born every minute, and two waiting to take his money", and "No man ever went broke by underestimating the intelligence of the American people". Enough said.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Pictorial Reference
Comment: The general format of the Dillman books are introduction to pressure points, applications, and comparison of application of the Dillman system to karate. The books are primarily pictorial and have relatively little verbiage.
As a practicioner of Shorin Ryu and Small Circle Jujitsu, the Dillman system (based on Dillman books' contents) appears to be a fusion (with slight tweaks) of Okinawan Shorin Ryu Karate and Small Circle Jujitsu. Further investigation indicated that Mr. Dillman studied under a Shorin Ryu Grandmaster and studied with Small Circle Jujitsu Grandmaster and founder Wally Jay.
I gave this book and other Dillman books four stars (I did not write reviews for all the Dillman books based on time constraints) for the following: eventhough I think these books make good introductory and refresher/reference books, they failed to incorporate and emphasize falling and landing techniques. I recommend the Small Circle Jujitsu video series and Shorin Ryu instruction for those seeking additional knowledge. One should also consider "Dim Mak" or pressure point strikes as additional reference.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Interesting But Inaccurate
Comment: As a kung-fu practitioner and acupuncturist, I found a good deal of the information contained in this text to be inaccurate. The effects of striking some of the points shown in the book are incorrect and in any event, real combat happens much too fast to try to strike a number of the (minor) points suggested by Mr. Dillman.
Moreover, many (acupuncture) points must be struck with various type(s) of power in order to be effective. You cannot simply give them a solid whack and expect much. Knowing where the points are located is only part of the equation. You have to develop, through special training, the type(s) of force needed to adversely stimulate these points.
It's a cute book, but falls short of the mark.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Must Have for Any Serious Martial Artist.
Comment: Of course it is just the beginning and it doesn't contain EVERYTHING (no one book does)...that is why there are other Dillman/Thomas books (they are being written all the time).
If you are already a pressure point practitioner from another group, you will have lots to say about how basic it is, etc. But, if you want to begin pressure point training in the Dillman Method, this is the one to start with.
It is the perfect book for who it's for and certainly the best out there at the time it was written. Buy the whole Dillman Series of books and you'll have quite a collection of pressure point fighting material. Then get to a qualified instructor and you're all set.
This Book is where I started. Top notch book!!!!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great content, but not a LOT of content
Comment: I am a former member of Grandmaster Dillman's association, Dillman Karate International, and have met him on two occassions. Grandmaster Dillman is kind of a cantankerous, bullish man, but is very knowledgable in his art, and can tell a great story. The best way to describe his personality would be "likable grouch". The best way to describe his skill would be "most impressive".
There is some great information in this book, and I recommend it to anyone unfamiliar with using pressure points in fighting. Dillman covers the basics of pressure points, then compares some typical kata applications (bunkai) with his own interpretations which utilize pressure points. Dillman's kata applications are all quite good, though his comparisons to typical applications may be viewed by some as a bit unfair, as a kata can have many, many interpretations. One thing worth pointing out is that, in Dillman's fighting method, there are no blocks -- traditional karate techniques such as the downward block (gae-dan uke) are interpreted, in Dillman's method, as strikes, usually accompanied by a hold where a chambered fist is.
If there's one thing negative I have to say about the book, it's that there isn't a whole lot of content presented -- what you get is some good information, but you don't get a lot of it. I had already learned most of what's in this book during my first few weeks of instruction, and for me this book serves mostly as a refresher. Also, the cover price is a bit high considering the amount of content, but Amazon's price is a lot better.
One other thing I'd like to say is that the people of Dillman Karate International are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. I'm still new to martial arts, having only begun serious study in the Fall of 2001, but I was amazed at the first Dillman seminar I attended at how friendly everyone was. Here I was in a room filled with people learning and perfecting skills in fighting, and you could literally walk up to anyone there and ask for help working on a technique, or ask them to try something out, and they'd do it. My mother is very religious and had us in different churches when I was a kid, and I am not exaggerating when I say that the people I met at Dillman's seminars where nicer than anyone I'd ever met at a church.
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