Death Touch: The Science Behind the Legend of Dim-Mak

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Summary: An "osteopathic physician" is an osteopath, not a physician
Review: "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".

Rating:
Summary: Quite disappointing
Review: As a martial artist and neuroscientist, I was looking forward to reading this book and learning what, if anything, is known about the science behind pressure points in general and dim mak in particular. While I admire the effort put forth by the author, and I look forward to a time when science has made substantial strides in understanding pressure points, we are just not there yet.

The author presents unrestrained speculation and passes it off as solidly established scientific fact. For example, he suggests that because the nerve fibers from certain pressure points enter the spinal column at the same segment as nerves that innervate the heart, then hitting those pressure points will obviously have an effect on the heart. But there is no evidence presented (or in existance presumably) that these nerves actually make contact with one another! Simply because they are in the same room does not mean they shake hands.

That example is indicative of the general style of the book. In the instances where the author actually does make reference to some published study, the evidence cited typically relates to basic physiology and medicine and has no direct connection to pressure points per se.

The subject matter of this book is quite interesting -- that's why I bought it after all -- but to say that the author presents what is *known* about the physiology of dim mak is misleading and incorrect. At best the author has presented a theoretical framework for future scientific investigation. At worst, he has presented a completely incredible, wildly speculative, totally unproven view of the science behind dim mak.

Besides that, the diagrams included in the book are under-labeled, unattractive, and marginally useful (simply including a labeled point chart for each meridian or vessel would be a vast improvement). The reader shouldn't be forced to refer to another text with better figures just to have an idea where on the body a certain point is.

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Summary: A neurologist's view on the book
Review: Being a neurologist and a professor of neuroscience, I had a strong interest in this book, not only from a scientific perspective but also from a martials perspective. I found this book absolutely fascinating. Dr. Kelly discusses little known neurologic concepts such as convergence, aberrent reference, and somtovisceral reflexes and uses them to explain the effects of striking certain body areas. Dr. Kelly's knowledge of neurology and neuroscience is exceptional and surpases many "experts" in those fields. I especially liked the extensive references to solid scientific sources. Anyone with a background in the medical sciences or martial arts will appreciate this book.

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Summary: Death Touch Review
Review: Dr Kelly has taken a mystical subject that seemed to be derived from mere legend and transformed it into a scientific reality. This book is well written and enhanced by Dr Kelly's unique ability to make complex medical information seem intuitive. This is without question the most authentic and authoritative book on dim mak. I would highly recomend this book to anyone who has an interest in this ancient obsecure martial art or anyone who is fascinated with the martial arts in general.

Rating:
Summary: Death Touch Review
Review: Dr Kelly has taken a mystical subject that seemed to be derived from mere legend and transformed it into a scientific reality. This is the most authoritative book on dim mak I have seen. This book is well written and quite interesting. Dr Kelly has the unique ability to make difficult medical information seem intuitive. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the martial arts or the use of pressure points.

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Summary: Beware of Danger: Know the risks of practicing Dim Mak.
Review: I have been training in Ryukyu Kempo and Dian Xue for nearly 15 years. In 1991, I attended a lecture offered by Dr. David Ellis and George Dillman that discussed the neuroscience behind pressure point fighting. Until a few years ago, that information wasn't available (now on George Dillman's tape #18).

This book contains roughly the same information, but in a hard copy version with references that you can easily review. I highly recommend it! It is a real concise reference.

What's not included in this book is detailed breakdown of forms or techniques or a discussion of the methods of analyzing kata. In fact, a couple of the examples aren't even best ones for the techniques shown (that might have been intentional based on the authors premise of deterring people from practicing the techniques). Revival techniques are discussed for those who know them but it definitely is not a "how to" book. There are a few other books on the market that focus on form interpretation. If that is your interest, look for one of those and find a qualified Kyusho Jitsu, Dian Xue, or Dim Mak instructor. Having Dr. Kelly's book should help you stay safe, i.e. don't just let anyone practice on you -- know the risks, have everyone learn both western CPR and eastern revival techniques, and learn from the experience of others so no one has to get hurt intentionally or accidentally.

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Summary: Death Touch: The Science Behind the Legend of Dim Mak
Review: Since the 1980's, there has been a growing interest within the martial arts community regarding the application of acupoint striking sequences. In general, a large portion of this interest has been driven by the effectiveness of these types of strikes. With growing frequency, techniques using acupoints are often showcased at seminars and promotional venues by various martial artists. In particular, there continues to be a large number of knockout demonstrations, in which practitioners (trained and untrained) smack a select number of acupoint locations on the body to quickly incapacitate a person. As with all things, the quality level (both in terms of instruction and skill) is often varied, and occasionally lacking. These various types of acupoint and joint lock manipulation techniques are often described as Chin Na, Tuite, Kyushu and Dim Mak, as well as pressure point and vital point strikes.

As the interest in point striking techniques has continued to mushroom, there have been a growing number of incidents where individuals have been struck or knocked out using acupoint strikes; occasionally by younger students attempting to emulate these techniques, absent proper supervision and instruction. This practice is not only concerning, but also highly dangerous, given a number of these techniques have long term associated effects which may manifest slowly over time.

Within the introductory section of Dr. Kelly's book, he correctly notes "... that attacking [acupoint locations on the human body] can adversely affect both the nervous and cardiovascular systems and that this, in fact, is very dangerous." (p. 4) Further, he notes that the motivational premise for his book is to help educate the martial arts community on the potential medical dangers of striking acupoints. In my humble professional opinion and experience, this as highly commendable, and I support Dr. Kelly's efforts in this direction.

In my opinion, Dr. Kelly has done an admirable job in presenting highly complex medical material in a format that can be widely read and understood by the layman martial artist. While I am not in full agreement with some aspects of the book, including certain cause and effect relationships he lists for Dim-Mak, I would recommend Dr. Kelly's book to anyone interested in learning more about the scientific theories involving martial uses of acupoints. I sincerely believe that Dr. Kelly's book will be a great benefit to the martial arts community, and will help educate folks to the potential medical risks that can exist in striking acupoints and performing martial knockouts.

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Summary: Review of Death Touch
Review: This is the first book to address the issue of Dim Mak from the viewpoint of modern medical science. Dr. Kelly takes a mystical subject and transforms it into a scientific reality. The book starts off with a brief history of Dim Mak. It then goes on to describe, in layman's terms, the medical science that one needs to know before learning the science behind Dim Mak. This section is especially well done and it facilitated the remaining chapters. When Dr. Kelly gets into the explainations of dim mak's effects, this book becomes truly fascinating. This book is sure to have an enormous impact on the martial arts world. In addition, because there are countless numbers of individuals striking pressure points to cause knockouts, Dr. Kelly should be commended in his efforts to educate the public about the true dangers of striking the points. This book is a great read not only for martial artists, but also for anyone interested in learning the science behind one of the greatest mysteries to come out of the far east.