I had the pleasure at therecent Gathering of Eagles in Las Vegas, to teach a seminar on the art of NerveStriking. I became somewhat concerned by what some people apparently expected tolearn and what they thought might be accomplished by striking an opponents nervecenters.

There are essentially only three effects that can be renderedupon the opponent by striking to a nerve center.

To make the opponent move away from the direction of the strike or pressure.

To temporarily, or permanently paralyze the part of the attackers body affected by that portion of the nervous system.

To knock the opponent unconscious.

When a person receives either a blow or aggressive pressure toa nerve center the natural reaction is to move away from the pressure. This isthe effect we look for in Headlock A and Front Bearhug D. Keeping this in mind,striking or concentrating pressure on either of those nerve centers will causethe opponents head to move back and away, whereby his balance might be brokenand his hold released.

When a person receives a sharp blow to the nerve center, withthe force concentrated on a very small area, particularly when the person isgrounded, the resultant force will paralyze that portion of the body served bythe offended nerves. This causes a reaction much like what one experiences whentheir foot goes to sleep. Essentially, the nerve has temporarily ceased tostimulate the muscles and the muscles fail. This is the effect we attemptto bring about by striking the nerve centers in the arms to cause a release ofthe grip in Kimono Grab, the Lever, Two Man Swinging Gate and Snapping Twig.

If the strike to a nerve center is delivered with sufficientforce that the energy returns to the brain with such speed and force that thebody cannot deal with the excess energy surging through the nervous system, aknock out will occur. This is the desired effect in Bearhug C, striking to theoccipital nerve at the base of the spinal cord, Chinese Sword and Delayed Sword.

Nerve striking, like any other tool must be used for thepurpose for which it was intended. If a martial artist expects the be able tosuccessfully handle any situation by the exclusive use of nerve strikes, theymay find themselves in an untenable situation. A complete martial artist learnsto effectively deal with all situations using the appropriate tools.

Nerve strikes are an integral part of the martial arts andgive the artist another dimension with which to neutralize an attack. It is awell known fact that most martial artist, or at least Kenpo practitioners, whenfaced with a non-lethal attack, which is often conducted by an acquaintance oreven a friend during a misunderstanding, feel helpless due to their reluctanceto administer the use of what we have generally developed most skillfully andrefer to as the War Arts, over a misunderstanding with someone they know.

Skill in the use of nerve striking will not only neutralizethe situation, but may even leave the aggressor with a feeling of respect forthe skill of the martial artist in their use of force without destructiveeffect. Regardless, developing skill in the use of nerve striking is an integraland necessary part of any martial artists training.

Ted Sumner

8^{th Dan}