CompleteMartialArts.com - Death Touch: The Science Behind the Legend of Dim-Mak
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List Price: $20.00
Our Price: $13.60
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Manufacturer: Paladin Press
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.8
EAN: 9781581602814
ISBN: 1581602812
Label: Paladin Press
Manufacturer: Paladin Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 184
Publication Date: 2001-11
Publisher: Paladin Press
Studio: Paladin Press
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Editorial Reviews:
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The martial arts world is rife with tales of ancient masters who could cause instant or delayed death or illness by attacking secret points on the human body. But to the Western mind, the concept of striking acupuncture points to disrupt the internal energy, or chi, seems like hocus-pocus. Thus, many serious martial artists dismiss the ancient art of dim-mak (also known as kyusho jitsu), which is literally translated as "death touch," as nothing more than fiction. However, if one can accept the idea that a dim-mak point is an avenue for attacking the nervous system, then it becomes easier to understand how striking specific points or groups of points can devastate the organs and the cardiovascular system. In this book, Dr. Michael Kelly, an osteopathic physician and experienced dim-mak practitioner, explains dim-mak's effects based on medical science. In layman's terms, Dr. Kelly reveals the physiological basis for what is clearly a very real and dangerous method of fighting. In the process of unraveling the mystery of this legendary art, Dr. Kelly makes the true genius of its founders brutally, and painfully, apparent.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: One of the best!!
Comment: I have been in the martial arts for almost six years. I have been studying Dim-Mak for about 3 years. When I read this book, I had a sudden understanding of how Dim-Mak really works. I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone who is studying Dim-Mak. Paired with Mark Tedeschi's "Essential Anatomy for Healing and Martial Arts", this ancient and complicated art will make some sense to you.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Exceeds Expectation
Comment: I realize there are already a lot of reviews, so I'll try to be brief.
First, about the osteopath controversy, in the US, osteopaths have the same privileges as MD physicians, and can take specialty training. I personally am acquainted with at least one osteopath who's an anesthesiologist and another who's a neurologist. I understand it may be different in other countries.
I'm a neuroscientist of sorts, a surgical neurophysiologist, and I approached this book with great skepticism, and only because one of my bagua brothers wanted my opinion on it. I am very surprised and favorably impressed. I also still have serious reservations.
I don't believe in the existence of acupuncture points and meridians, and as far as I know it hasn't been demonstrated that acupuncture, acupressure, moxibustion, or ear candling, foot reflexology, whatever like that, actually work (other than for anesthesia). Up to know I haven't seen why there would be any connection between dim mak points and healing points.
This book does a great job of explaining these things, in a very simple and logical way. The points and meridians are all on nerves, and attacking, or massaging, a spinal nerve (in the arm or leg) or a cranial nerve, can conceivably affect internal organs through convergence in the sympathetic nervous system, or directly in the case of the vagus nerve. The pressure point knockouts could be due to induced vasovagal syncope. The concepts of facilitation, abererant referral, and convergence explain a great deal, including a few things I hadn't previously understood, though I'm sure they're common knowledge in neurology. It ties a lot of things together, and provides a simple, rational explanation for a lot of things that I didn't think could be so explained. So to me, this is very impressive, and extremely welcome. There's nothing New Age or pseudoscientific about it at all, no need to believe in anything ineffable.
All that said, it's true that there's a lot of speculation about things that would be hard to test, and haven't been tested. I personally still doubt if acupuncture and so on work reliably for healing, but this does provide a possible explanation for how they could work.
One of my bagua teachers once pointed out to me that the open secret about attacking dim mak points is, you can't really do it in a standup fight. Once you have your victim down, and maybe a little stunned and unable to defend himself, then you could actually attack dim mak points. I guess Earle Montague claims you can also do it in standup grappling. I don't know. I still think there's plenty of room for skepticism, but for the first time, it doesn't all seem totally mysterious and incredible to me.
I'd like to add that I don't see any constructive purpose for dim mak in modern times. If it works at all, it's dangerous as hell and certainly constitutes excessive force. This should only be an intellectually interesting issue, imho.
On the other hand, this offers some possible validation of acupressure etc. as healing techniques, so further research is definitely indicated.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The way it is.
Comment: In all actuality Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine are Medical Doctors plus. The school is longer. They are required to take the same coarses as a M.D. then additional coarses that specialize in the muscular, skeletal, and nervous system. This is only in the U.S. Other countries have no such requirements, and are pretty much glorified chiropractors.
In my honest opinion concidering what all information is in the book I think he did a damn good job. There really isn't any good research out there explaining why dim mak works. Really the only things I didnt care for were the diagrams, a little hard to follow. Even so he recomends getting an anatomy book. Also you have to have alot of patients to handle the info. But still great info, and definatly worth it concidering it costs like a whopping 16 bucks. Well have fun kiddies.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The best Western medical explanation of Dim Mak to date
Comment: I have a black belt,an earned doctorate, and over a decade experience with pressure points/kyusho jitsu/dim mak. Therefore, I am not unexperienced when it comes to the topic. I can say without reservation that this is the best Western medical explanation of the topic written to date.
In reading this book, it must be understood that many things about pressure points are not completely understood by Western science. This book provides an excellent theoretical framework for understanding some complex topics. I have also read some of Dr. Kelly's postings on Kyusho.com and found that he is a very knowledgeable person.
In reading the reviews, I found that one physician agrees with me and one doesn't. I respect both of their learned opinions. When you read the Endnotes at the conclusion of the book you will find that Dr. Kelly is a scholar who has done his homework.
One footnote, an osteopath is a physician, by law, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. You may safely dismiss ignorant comments by uninformed sources to the contrary.
Customer Rating:
Summary: An "osteopathic physician" is an osteopath, not a physician
Comment: "Dr" Michael Kelly appears to have identified a profitable niche market in the overlapping space where bad science meets bad martial arts. Complaints about this book could reasonably be divided into these two categories.
On the science, the problem with the claims made is basically that, beyond fairly basic concepts like the fact that the nervous system is made of nerves, and that most nerves meet the spinal column at some point, they are not true. Most of the technical terms used to describe the interaction of one nerve with another nerve somewhere else in the body appear to me to be madeup words to describe madeup effects. I deeply doubt the credentials of the "professor of neuroscience" who appears to have reviewed this book, because Kelly's scribblings look much more like a rehash of speculative work on Chinese traditional medicine than any solid science.
And this is the issue. Western science simply does not recognise that there are "Dim Mak" points where trauma to the end of one nerve can cause organ damage elsewhere. Neural impulses are trasmitted as extremely subtle electrochemical changes; the pupported effect is out of all proportion to the cause. In traditional Chinese medicine, accupuncture and accupressure points make a lot of difference. I am personally agnostic about whether there is anything to TCM other than snake-oil, but it is clear to me that anyone who is serious about learning about accupressure points should do so from a qualified TCM practitioner and should learn the underlying chi-theory, rather than attempting self-education from a book which tries to translate TCM into a half-genuine, half-bogus framework of neurological buzzwords. (I would note that Western medicine has pretty little time for osteopathy as well, and this appears to be Dr Kelly's field of expertise. Perhaps the book's subtitle should read "The New Age Babble Behind The Legend of Dim Mak".)
If anyone is genuinely interested in "the science behind Dim-Mak", they should consult an anatomy textbook. Most of the key Dim-Mak points are things like the trachea, the liver, the eyes or the testicles. It is hardly rocket science to work out that a punch in the gonads is going to hurt. The rest of the Dim-Mak points simply don't work. The only "nerve point" I am aware of is the major nerve on the outside of the upper thigh which accounts for the effectiveness of Thai leg kicks or "dead legs". But leg kicks do not disrupt one's small intestine.
And now we reach the subject of the martial arts applications. The disclaimer that Dr Kelly aims to "educate" the martial arts community about the dangers of Dim Mak is of course as hypocritical as a Mafia hitman's paternosters. He wants to sell books, to kids who believe that by learning the Dim Mak points from a book they can take a short way round the difficult business of training in the martial arts and become superheroes, taking out the local bully by manipulating Triple Warmer Point 15. I would be more cross about this irresponsible practice if I thought that there was any danger to the public involved in teaching Dim Mak, but there isn't.
It has been known for years and years that acupressure points Simply Don't Work, apart from the ones which happen to be situated on the testicles, eyes, thigh muscles etc. Most of these points are really quite small, and thus very difficult to strike accurately on a resisting opponent. If you have the speed and muscular control to hit three acupressure points in succession on someone who is trying to hit you, then you are a champion boxer anyway, so why do you give a damn about Dim Mak? If this book encourages people to go into a fight looking for tiny points to press on their opponent, then it will result in a few more idiots getting a kicking, and to be honest, I find it hard to get to worked up about that.
I would also like to, by extension, express similar vitriol toward all the books in the "Amazon also recommends" section on this page. Without knowing the specific titles, I'm guessing that they are also part of the subgenre of books aimed at convincing people that it is possible to succeed in unarmed combat without prolonged and uncomfortable physical training. I personally don't have the stamina or interest to carry out such a program of training; that's why I do not pretend to be a badass, avoid confrontational situations in the street and endeavour to maintain a middle-class lifestyle in which the police and nightclub doormen will do my fighting for me. Perhaps I should write a book on this survival tactic of the mystic East (London), but I doubt that "How to Avoid Being Hurt Through Common Sense" will ever sell as well as "How To Disply Physical Prowess Without Effort Through Magic".
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