Bunkai, Kyusho, and the Death Touch – Part X

Take a look at the following clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4BC5vrxxHo

What do you think about it? An arm point is struck and the person drops, out cold. Are such things medically possible?

Well, Dr. Kelley claims soft touch knockouts to distant points such as this are based on sound medical evidence. In his book, Death Touch, he explains why he believes this.

I’ll just hit the major points of Dr. Kelley explanation and leave a complete, more in-depth one for those interested enough to read his book. And even my explanation will likely get a bit confusing, at least partly because the names of all of the important elements end in “nervous system”.

From a neurological standpoint (having to do with our nerves), we are made up of two major subsystems – the Central Nervous System (CNS) and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS). The CNS is made up of our brains and spinal cords. The latter system (the PNS) is comprised of all nerves beyond those within our brains and spinal cords (the CNS). Their main function is to connect our brains and spinal cords (the CNS) to our limbs and organs. But unlike the brain and spinal cord, which are located inside hard, bony structures (our skulls and back bones), the nerves of the PNS are largely unprotected, making them much more vulnerable to strikes and kicks.

According to Dr. Kelley and others, it is 1) their greater vulnerability, 2) the way in which the two systems (CNS and PNS) connect with each other, and 3) the structure of a subdivision of the PNS called the Autonomic Nervous System that creates the possibility for the type of knockouts seen in the clip.

Scientists hold that we are the result of 4+ million years of evolution – of adaption and change. Throughout that time, those who had certain qualities survived and those who didn’t, didn’t. One of these is what is called the Fight or Flight Syndrome. When someone or something appeared in our environment that could possibly prove threatening to us, we became wired to either confront the threat and immediately attack or to quickly put as much distance as we could between us and them.

The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), one of the two divisions of the Autonomic Nervous System, is responsible for this, for preparing us to flee or battle. Once activated, it automatically constricts (narrows) and pulls blood vessels deeper, making them more difficult to damage. It speeds up our hearts and raises our blood pressure, increasing blood flow, carrying greater amounts of oxygen and necessary nutrients to working muscles, while also carrying away waste products, enabling our muscles to work at an optimal level. It also shuts down our digestive systems to conserve possibly critical blood flow. And in extreme cases, it can also cause our bladders and bowels to empty, making us lighter on our feet.

The Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS), the other half of the Autonomic NS, creates changes that are the opposite of those created by the SNS – it undoes the Fight or Flight changes so our bodies can recover. It slows down our hearts, dilates (enlarges) our blood vessels, reduces our blood pressure, and slows down our breathing, enabling us to rest and recover.

Excess Sympathetic NS activity (which can be created by strikes to nerves – such as those along the so-called Heart Meridian on the arms – that connect to the same level of the spinal cord as those related to the SNS) can result in heart failure. Excess Parasympathetic NS activity (also vulnerable to strikes to similarly placed nerves as with the SNS noted above) can lead to a variety of problems, including unconsciousness and heart arrest.

According to Dr. Kelley, strikes to the right pressure points, including those on our arms and legs, have been medically verified to produce reactions within our Autonomic NS – either the Sympathetic NS or the Parasympathetic NS – which can cause our blood pressure to rise too high or drop too low, causing internal sensors to shut everything down and leading to unconsciousness.

Have you ever wondered why people having heart attacks often feel pain in their left arms? Well, it’s kind of related to all this. According to Dr. Kelley, it’s due to a process known as convergence. The nerves from the heart enter the spinal cord at the same level (between the same vertebrae) as do nerves from the arm. Reportedly, the pain transmitted from a failing or damaged heart converges with the nerves to the arm, so pain is felt there too. According to Dr. Kelley, the reverse can also occur – not just to the heart but also to other organs. This is the method by which strikes to the arms can reportedly affect our blood pressure and so on and cause a knockout or organ failure.

This is not easy stuff to explain. Hopefully, I got it close to right.

I’ll likely finish this series up next time with my thoughts on what all this means to the average martial artist. Thanks for bearing with me through all this. Please feel free to share your thoughts and corrections.