Striking Principles and
Natural Weapons
Effective striking with the weapons of the body to the opponent's vital points is essential for a victorious outcome in a hand-to-hand struggle. You must be able to employ the principles of effective striking if he is to emerge as the survivor in a fight to the death.
1. Attitude: Proper mental attitude is of primary importance in your ability to strike an opponent. In hand-to-hand combat, you must have the attitude that you will defeat the enemy. While defending yourself, you must have the frame of mind to survive above all else; the prospect of losing cannot enter your mind. You must commit yourself to hit your opponent continuously with whatever it takes to drive him to the ground or end his resistance.
2. Fluid Shock Wave: A strike should be delivered so that the target is hit and the weapon remains on the impact site for at least a tenth of a second. This imparts all of the kinetic energy of the strike into the target area, producing a fluid shock wave that travels into the affected tissue and causes maximum damage. It is imperative that all strikes to vital points and nerve motor points are delivered with this principle in mind.
3. Target Selection: Strikes should be targeted at the opponent's vital points and nerve motor points. The results of effective strikes to vital points are discussed below. Strikes to nerve motor points cause temporary mental stunning and muscle motor dysfunction to the affected areas of the body. Mental stunning results when the brain is momentarily disoriented by overstimulation from too much input. For example, a strike to a major nerve. The stunning completely disables an opponent for three to seven seconds and allows you to finish off the opponent, gain total control of the situation, or make your escape. Sometimes, such a strike causes unconsciousness. A successful strike to a nerve motor center also renders the affected body part immovable by causing muscle spasms and dysfunction due to nerve overload.
Section 2-2 Natural Weapons
In defense situations, you must use all weapons available. If none are available, then you must resort to your natural weapons
1. Your head and teeth
2. The knife edge of your hands
3. Fingers folded at the second joint and finger tips
4. Protruding knuckle of your middle finger
5. Heel of your hand
6. Thumb strike:
7. Hammer-fit strike
8. Elbows and forearms: The elbows are also formidable weapons; tremendous striking power can be generated from them. The point of the elbow should be the point of impact. The elbows are strongest when kept in front of the body and in alignment with the shoulder joint; that is, never strike with the elbow out to the side of the body.
Elbow strikes.
A. Lifting: Lifting strikes with the elbow are exactly as it says. From the normal fighting stance, the elbow of wither arm, is rotated in a upward motion. Strikes made with this should target the solar plexus or chin.
B. Swimming: The swimming elbow strikes are use for an over head blow. From the stance, the elbow it rotated backward, then back over your head, as if you were swimming, Use this strike for any downward type strike that you may need.
C. Horizontal: Horizontal strikes are made by either a forward motion, or backward motion. Remember to follow through with the rest of your body
9. Knees and feet: When the knees are used to strike opponents, they are especially potent weapons and are hard to defend or protect against. Great power is generated by thrusting the hips in with a knee strike; however, use the point of the knee as the impact surface. All knee strikes should be executed repetitively until the opponent is disabled. Balance is very important when striking with the knees. Be sure to keep balance at all times. When you strike with, say the right knee, arch your back backward slightly to counter act the weight transfer. Simotainiously, rise up on the ball of the left foot. DO NOT STAY FLAT FOOTED. If your opponent tries to counter your attack, and say you are pushed, you will fall back onto the heel of your foot. But if you are flat
footed, then you will loose your balance and possibly fall.
HTH and CQB
The Basics
Vulnerable Points