BUDO SPIRIT
"I can only show you the door, you're the one that must walk through it.".......Morpheus
Acupuncture’s Evil Twin: The Dim Mak Death Touch
Enter Enter the Dragon was his last completed film. Six days after it was released, Bruce Lee, one of the biggest icons of martial arts cinema died a sudden and mysterious death. But was he the victim of the legendary dim mak touch of death as many of his avid fans have claimed?
Known in Cantonese as dim mak and in Japanese as kyusho jitsu, the touch of death is legendary among martial arts nuts. The idea behind the death touch is somewhat mysterious: apparently there are several “meridians” or body lines where “chi” or energy flows through. According to Dr.Crcil Adams, “A blow or squeeze applied to certain pressure points on these lines will supposedly put the whammy on the victim’s chi, leading to incapacitation or death.” Medical journals have even reported numerous incidents where seemingly mild trauma to the described dim mak pressure points results in disproportionately serious injury. But is this all a load of baloney? Is dim mak real or not?
Never take your eyes off your opponent… even when you bow” Bruce Lee
The guys over at Martial development, point out that dim mak does not actually signify “death touch” as many budding westernized ninjas would have us believe. In Cantonese it means something more like “press artery.” Their argument therefore is “Anyone can press an artery right?” They then push home their point by stating that dim mak is not synonymous with pressure points, but arteries and that skilled operators who have mastery over their art can use it against their opponent. Dim mak in their eyes therefore, is like reverse acupuncture, its evil twin. It can be use to cure and to kill.Equally, Dr. Michael Kelly, graduate of the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and author of Death Touch: The Science Behind the legend of Dim Mak has spent years studying the medical effects of dim mak and has found numerous cases to support the validity of the martial art. The book covers delayed deaths resulting from dim mak, knockouts and attacking internal organs, all explained through modern medicine.Are there any Medical Explanations? and where are these points supposedly located?
Don’t try this at home kids! Images by dimmak.net
Commotio Cordis or cardiac concussion is where the heart rhythm is interrupted by a blow, which isn’t of lethal force, yet nonetheless causes heart failure without any structural damage. To inflict this on an opponent would be notoriously difficult, because of the 15-20 millisecond window in the heartbeat cycle where this would actually work.
Rupture of the carotid artery
This carotid artery is located in the neck and carries blood to the head. Any pressure on the carotid sinus (a very sensitive area) could rupture the artery causing a stroke, paralysis and even death. This can be caused by a karate chop or something minor like playing a musical instrument.
Who practices the death touch?
Dr Kelly argues that in the past, knowledge of martial arts was taught only to the most advanced and trusted students. The true nature of the secret martial art therefore remains shrouded in secrecy. The potential application of knowledge after all is power. Now with the internet and numerous books various supposed Dim Mak masters have emerged. Here is a video of them in action:
Ok, But Could Dim Mak be Fake?
Quite possibly. Some of the Kung-Fu masters, claiming to possess the ability to practice the death touch have been exposed as frauds. I’m still skeptical. After all, although many have claimed Bruce Lee’s death to be caused by dim mak and inflicted by Kung-Fu masters who were angry at the icon for revealing their secrets, a more plausible explanation is that he died of a cerebral edema caused by a painkiller. The myth of the death touch could therefore fuel the legend.
On the other hand, it is quite plausible that with intense practice and knowledge, one could be trained to learn dim mak, but I don’t think it’s the precise art some Kung Fu masters profess it to be.
Teaching martial arts to disabled
A group of martial arts students fired fists and legs at each other during a sparring session as instructor Gerald Murphy paced the floor. He paused and turned to an area where David Bigoney and his partner meticulously worked through the drill. Bigoney was off target a few times, although he kept firing. His opponent stepped closer. Listen for him," Murphy told Bigoney, who followed the tapping sound that his opponent made by slapping his left shoulder. When it was over, Bigoney assumed a waiting position for the next round of instructions. Bigoney, who is blind, needed a guide. Two other students in wheelchairs were assisted as they prepared for the next drill inside an aerobics room at Legends Gym. Murphy teaches his disabled students the same drills in which everyone else in his classes participates - no exceptions. They may never discover his entire repertoire. Murphy has been involved in the sport for 40 years, winning state, national and world titles. "Having grown up in the shadow of these guys like Chuck Norris and to be inducted in the Hall of Fame with him, I feel like I've arrived." It's been a long journey that began simply enough. Murphy was 13 years old when he took up martial arts as part of his rehab after being hit by a car. He stayed with the sport and eventually gave up a budding football career while growing up in Daytona Beach. He won his first major title in 1979, when he took the Florida title and won a national championship two years later. Soon after, he gave up his job as a schoolteacher to pursue the world championship. After knocking Brown out with a "tornado kick" in the third round of a scheduled six-round bout, Murphy retired. The knockout kick is still rated as one of the most spectacular in kickboxing. The 1988 event was Murphy's last competition. "I've tried a number of times to make a comeback and then reality sunk in and I said, 'You've done it, you've escaped the sport and you still have all your mental faculties together,' '' Murphy said. "But I do miss it. I'm blessed that I can teach others to do it." His classes aren't a cakewalk. He pays attention to every detail, stopping at times to illustrate a move for the tots in his classes. Every drill limbers up his students. "I feel like it's probably the hardest thing I do in a day," said Gale Drady, a black-belt student. "It takes me out of a comfort zone. It's very structured and it requires me to put more effort than I do on my job and life in general. It's making me a stronger person." That kind of satisfaction, Murphy said, is what keeps him coming back. "It's all the joy that I see," he said. "I watch those guys grow, (and) that keeps me motivated."
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20 precepts of karate-do
By Gichin Funakoshi
Founder of Shotokan Karate Do
1. Never forget: Karate begins and ends with respect.
2. There is no first attack in karate.
3. Karate supports righteousness.
4. First understand yourself, then understand others.
5. The art of mind is more important than the art of
technique.
6. The mind needs to be freed.
7. Trouble is born of negligence.
8. Do not think karate is only in the dojo.
9. The training of karate requires a lifetime.
10. Transform everything into karate, therein lies the
exquisiteness.
11. Genuine karate is like hot water; it cools down if
you do not keep heating it.
12. Do not have an idea of winning, while the idea of
not losing is necessary.
13. Transform yourself according to your opponent.
14. The outcome of the fight all depends on the
maneuver.
15. Imagine one's arms and legs as swords.
16. Once you leave the shelter of home, there are a
million enemies.
17. Postures are for the beginner, later they are
natural positions.
18. Do the kata correctly, the real fight is a
different manner.
19. Do not forget the control of the dynamics of
power, the elasticity of body, and the speed of
technique.
20. Always be good at the application of everything
you have learned.
-Gichin Funakoshi (1867-1957)
Sensei Itosu 10 percepts | |
| Tode did not develop from the way of Buddhism or Confucianism. In the recent past Shorin-ryu and Shorei-ryu were brought over from China. They both have similar strong points, so, before there are too many changes, I should like to write these down.
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 Makiwara | |
Kata | |
Bunkai - application | |
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