How to Learn Martial Arts "Pressure Points"

Co-authored by Tsahi Shemesh and Eric McClure

Last Updated: September 18, 2024 Fact Checked

While there is no such thing as a “pressure point” as depicted in the movies, there are certainly plenty of sensitive parts on the body that you can use to your advantage when you’re being attacked. Striking a vulnerable area on your opponent’s body can turn a fight in your favor by knocking them down, disarming them, or helping you gain control of their body. Major targets on your opponent’s body include the eyes, neck, knee, groin, and gut. Only hit an opponent in one of their sensitive areas if you’re being actively attacked, as hitting or kicking a vulnerable area can cause permanent damage and may even lead to death.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Pressure Points on the Head

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1
Hit your opponent’s temple to disorient them. The temple is located 2–3 in (5.1–7.6 cm) behind and slightly above the eye. Striking this point on the body is painful, since it’s one of the softest locations on the head. Use a closed fist or open palm to slam against the side of your opponent’s head, disorienting them and giving you time to prepare your next move. This will also cause your opponent to raise their arms up to protect their head, giving you access to their body.^{[1]
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- The temple is so sensitive because it’s the point where 4 different bones in the skull fuse together. It’s especially dangerous to hit this area though, because the bone structure is weaker than other parts of the skull. Using an open palm can reduce the odds that you kill someone when doing this.
Warning: You can kill someone by striking the temple too hard or by puncturing it with an object. Only strike an opponent’s temple as a last resort to preserve your own safety.
2
Gouge an attacker’s eyes to subdue them and restrict vision. Spread your index finger and middle finger out 2–3 in (5.1–7.6 cm) and quickly strike both of your opponent’s eyes with the tips of your fingers.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Tsahi Shemesh
Self Defense Trainer

Expert Interview. 17 September 2019.} As they raise their hands to protect their face, use your nondominant hand to either hold the back of their head, move their hands away, or strike another part of their body.^{[3]
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- if you keep applying pressure to your opponent’s eyes after striking them, you could damage their optical nerves and permanently blind them.
- This is a good way to get away from someone if they’re attacking you. They can’t chase you if they can’t see where they’re going.
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3
Use a fish hook to control your opponent’s head and neck. To fish hook an opponent, slide your index and middle finger into the inside of your attacker’s cheek. Then, pull on the skin at the side of their mouth while maintaining pressure to restrain them and keep them from turning their head. In a grappling situation, fish hooking your opponent will allow you to control their head and give you the upper hand on your attacker.^{[4]
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- You can snap someone’s neck doing this if you pull too quickly and too hard.
- Try to avoid sticking your fingers in between your opponent’s teeth while doing this. If they bite your fingers, the move could backfire.
4
Punch or chop the side of the neck to make your opponent dizzy. When you find an opening, strike the opponent on the side of the neck, roughly 3–4 in (7.6–10.2 cm) under the ear where their neck starts to slope into the shoulder. This is the location of the carotid artery, which supplies blood to the brain. Hitting this location hard will disrupt your opponent’s oxygen supply and cause them to become dizzy.^{[5]
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- This is the same set of arteries that you can restrict to perform a sleeper hold.
- If you damage this artery, your opponent could die.
- If you can’t reach the side of your opponent’s neck, striking them in the middle of their throat will make it difficult for them to breathe and will throw them off-balance.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Striking an Attacker’s Abdomen

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1
Strike the groin to quickly drop an attacker. The groin is a highly-sensitive area on the human body. Strike it with a quick kick or punch to send your opponent into a tremendous amount of pain.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Tsahi Shemesh
Self Defense Trainer

Expert Interview. 17 September 2019.} They will quickly drop to the ground, buying you time to flee or subdue your attacker.^{[7]
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- Your opponent will have trouble standing up after this, as attacks to the groin usually cause a fair bit of nausea.
Warning: You can permanently disfigure or damage your opponent by doing this, so use caution if you don’t want to cause serious harm to the person you’re fighting.
2
Punch or kick an opponent’s gut to bring them down to their knees. There aren’t any bones protecting the stomach the way the ribs protect the lungs, which means you can strike an opponent’s stomach and damage their organs without much resistance. Use a closed fist to punch your opponent’s stomach right below the belly button to deliver a powerful strike that will make your attacker bend over. You can also use a bent foot to strike your opponent’s gut if it’s easier.^{[8]
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- Even if you miss the stomach, hitting your opponent’s bladder or kidneys will have a similar effect.
3
Slam an attacker’s sides to take the wind out of them. If you can’t strike the stomach directly, opt to kick or punch an opponent’s side, 5–6 in (13–15 cm) beneath the end of their ribcage. This will throw your opponent totally off of their balance while causing them to bend over to the side in pain. This is an excellent option if you want to reposition in a fight and gain the upper hand.
- If you need to flank your opponent when you’re facing them, strafe 2–3 ft (0.61–0.91 m) with your dominant foot to your dominant side to keep yourself from needing to move both of your feet.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Controlling the Arms and Legs

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1
Kick the back or side of the knee to drop your opponent. When you’re in striking distance, lift your foot and aim the heel of your shoe at your opponent’s knee. Kick it from the side or behind the kneecap to knock your opponent down to the ground. Because the knee is designed to bend forwards, it’s incredibly easy to cause it to over-extend by kicking it from the side or the back.^{[9]
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- This is an excellent option if you’re grappling your opponent and your arms are busy.
Warning: You can break an attacker’s knee by doing this, so perform this move at your own discretion.
2
Sweep your opponent’s leg if you’re lower to knock them down. If you end up in a position in a fight where your opponent is either standing over you or trying to force you down, drop lower to the ground and swing your leg through their shin or ankle to drop them to the floor. Swiping the ankle or shin is a great way to use your opponent’s advantage against them. Swipe your attacker’s leg from the side to knock their legs out or get behind the ankle to put them on their butt.^{[10]
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- Once your opponent is on the ground, you can either grapple them with your newfound advantage, or take the time to get back to your feet.
3
Grip your opponent’s wrist and bend it to disarm them. If your attacker is holding a weapon or an object, reach out to grab the front of their hand with your dominant hand, and the side of their wrist with your nondominant hand. Once you’ve gripped both the front and side of their hand, bend their wrist inwards to cause them to drop their weapon after they open up their palm.^{[11]
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- With their wrist still held tight, you can pull their arm behind them to execute a wrist twist, which will allow you to subdue your opponent.
- You can break someone’s wrist by doing this.

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Does Kung-fu involve pressure points?

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Kung-fu is one of the most complete forms of martial arts. Chinese consider it rather a way of life which includes discipline, pain tolerance, meditation, and much more. Shaolin monks have very extensive knowledge of body anatomy and they are effectively applied in martial arts. So your answer is Yes!

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If someone attacks, should I chop at his neck, phoenix eye at his temple, or do a Japanese kick to the solar plexus?

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It depends on the particular person and what you can observe about their strengths and weaknesses, but I would say Japanese kick.

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Do I need to practice before doing these steps on someone?

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Definitely. Don't wait for a bad situation to try out your moves. You'll end up overthinking it and making your opponent realize you are not skilled.

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When you strike at a pressure point, you don't need to strike too hard. A little pressure is enough as the nerves there are highly sensitive. It's more about technique rather than strength.
Sometimes you half to take a hit to get a hit in. If someone goes to kick you, let them and then grab their foot before they get away.

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Warnings

You can cause serious harm by striking the sensitive parts of the body. Only use these moves if you have no other options available or your life is in danger.

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When given the option, always flee from an attacker. Only fight if you have no other options available to you.

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