The Secrets of Kyusho (eBook)

The Results of Using Kyusho

Pain

In most cases, the opponent should be made to stop a particular action by applying pain (e.g., loosening his grip). Following this action is the opportunity to create “holes” for follow-up techniques. Sometimes pain is a side effect (e.g., the dislocation of a joint).

The International Association for the Study of Pain1 defines pain as follows:

“Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage.”

Sensory perception is transmitted by pain receptors (nociceptors) down special nerve pathways and the thalamus to the central nerve system and this leads to the feeling of pain.

The distribution of these receptors across the surface of the body varies according to the body region (up to 200/sq cm of skin). Furthermore, one also finds nociceptors in the muscles and the lining of the intestines; the intestines themselves, as with the brain, have no pain receptors.

Some of the Kyusho techniques have an effect on the nerves and these can lead to uncontrollable signals (such as tingling on the side of the hand with the pinky finger when the nervus ulinaris is stimulated). In addition, it can lead to a tissue lesion of the nerve, as well as the nerve sheath, caused by the mechanical effect on the nerve. Besides this experience, pressure applied to these nerves can cause local and limited circulatory disorders and with it metabolic disorders that lead to extreme pain. Rapid relief is typical once the mechanical problem is removed. One possible complication is the inflammation of the nerve (neuritis).

Pain caused by an effect is called neuralgia and spreads through the area supplied for each nerve (innervation area).

The more often a respective nerve is stimulated, the more sensitively it reacts to stimulation and the feeling of targeted pain is increased as a result.

Not every physical injury leads ultimately to pain. This is because of the filter processes in our central nervous system (stress reliefs or injuries resulting from a traffic accident, competition, war or during sexual intercourse are often not noticed)2, while on the other hand pain without physical injury can also occur (e.g., phantom pain).

Pain resulting in unconsciousness

Pain can result not only from a physical injury, but it can also lead to unconsciousness. This is called a vasovagal syncope (other causes can be anxiety, joy or other types of excitement; also called the “Boygroup-syndrome”).

The cause is an overreaction in the vegetative nervous system. An enlargement of the blood vessels, so that (above all) the blood “seeps away” into the intestines and a relative lack of volume with decreased heartbeat rate occurs, caused by the decrease in venous flow back of blood to the heart. On the other hand it leads to a reduction of the heart rate up to even cardiac arrest. This results in an overall reduction of the supply of blood and/or oxygen to the brain with subsequent fainting occurring.

A vasovagal syncope resulting in death is called reflexogenic cardiac arrest. Further reasons for a death of this kind of fatal circulatory collapse (especially concerning Martial Arts) can be: the Carotid Sinus syndrome following a blow on the carotid artery in the neck, the oculocardiac reflex following a blow in the eyes, a strike or kick at the solar plexus or a kick in the testicles. To make a distinction, however, unconsciousness due to a craniocerebral trauma is quite clearly different to a vasovagal syncope!

The effects of acupuncture

Let us look at the possible effects in connection with acupuncture and their meridian points. It is in this area, however, where much controversy exists between experts in the martial arts. We will therefore try to briefly illustrate the different perspectives.

On the one hand, there is an opinion that the effects are psychological and physiological ones:

An example of this is where, in Germany, the health insurance company accepts the costs of acupuncture treatment for patients with knee and back pains. The decision made by the national health insurance company is based on studies carried out by the Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin on a model framework of 250,000 test subjects and 10,000 physicians (up to now the largest study on the subject of

acupuncture in Germany. According to the results of the study, the rate of success for traditional Chinese acupuncture ( or TCM, traditional Chinese medicine, – “genuine” acupuncture) in the treatment of chronic back pain is not much more than that achieved using “sham” acupuncture (placebo acupuncture), where “false” points are “treated.” However, both forms of acupuncture showed distinctly better success than the standard therapy.

In short, acupuncture actually does work. Where you put the needle in seems not to play a significant role.

Therefore, we come to the question on what its effectiveness is based. This is where the placebo effect3 comes into play. Dr. Michael Freissmuth, University Professor on the Board of the Pharmakologischen Instituts der Medizinischen Universität (Pharmacological Institute of the Medical University) Vienna, sees this as a clear indication of the physician’s “bedside manner.” This is also similar to statements made by Dr. Fabricio Benedetti, a Neurobiologist in Turin, where he sees the context in which the patient is treated as being crucial. The physician’s manner can work on the chemistry of the brain, such that this has a positive effect on the whole organism.4 The placebo effect is not just simply a psychological one (“illusion”). On the contrary, concrete biological changes in the body can be measured as a result of it.

Of course, many analogies can be suggested between the “Professor” in a physician’s white coat and the “Grand Master” with the black belt. Many martial arts masters even reckon that they can create a K.O. at a “distance” without touching their opponent.5 Perhaps one may have the image of an American television preacher who jumps around through the crowd of believers and lays his hand on the next person, who sinks down to the ground as if struck by the Holy Ghost (see the “Boygroup” syndrome on the previous page). Ritual, symbols, and authority all play a major part in this area. Otherwise, why would the doctor rush about with a stethoscope around his neck? This has the same effect as the shaman with his rattle or the red/white belt of the highly qualified martial arts master: “The man/woman is an authority – I can already feel the effect!”

Just how far this trust in perceived authority can go was illustrated impressively in the classic Milgram experiment in 1961 (sadly, it has been repeated several times with the original results since then).

The behavior of the other group or training members also, however, has a strong influence on one’s own behavior (“social reinforcement”).

On the other hand, there are the followers of the mode of working with “ki” (or “chi”), yin and yang energy fields. However, these concepts from the Far East must also always be seen in their cultural background. Those inexperienced in the field of anatomy would describe the pain from knocking the “funny bone,” or more precisely the “nervus ulnaris”(ulnar nerve), as a flow of energy. Yin and yang also have a parallel in neurology through the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve system.6 The reason that they specialize in the use of nerve points in martial arts, often attacking several points simultaneously or one after the other (for examples, see books by George Dillman and Michael Kelly), lies in the fact that the stimulation creates an added effect and thus increases its effectiveness.7 The consequences arising from this are completely impressive because of the effect on the internal organs. (For the neurological background on this, we recommend reading Dr. Michael Kelly’s book Death Touch: The Science Behind the Legend of Dim-Mak.

However, this is where the person training is at a disadvantage: How can you train realistically in a martial art where the main aim is to cause the opponent to become unconscious or suffer heart failure or a heart attack? The possibility of testing the effectiveness of these techniques on convicts – like the “Masters” of many years ago were reported to have done – is, thankfully now nonexistent. Also a “simple knock-out,” as shown often in many courses on the subject of Kyusho/ Dim-Mak, can have lethal consequences if there are pre-existing health defects.8 If you wish to remain on the right side of legal and ethical rules, training of this kind has to remain as just theory.9 The practical difficulties cannot also be underestimated: The effectiveness should be much more when more nerve points are stimulated. This can be up to a combination of five techniques (does this ring a bell?) that all have to be carried out in the correct sequence and precisely located. The possibilities and reasons are, of course, fascinating but the practical relevance is questionable.

The stretch reflex

Muscle spindles are sensory receptors (so-called “proprioreceptors”) within the muscle that primarily detect changes in the length of this muscle. They also protect the muscle from overstretching. When the...