Dim Mak Presssure Points Chi Energy Flow in the Main Meridians

In dim mak presssure points training, it is crucial for you to know the direction of Chi (Ki) energy flow in the 12 main and 14 major meridians because this knowledge will make your martial arts pressure points self defence techniques more effective.

We have covered some of the information relevant to the 12 main or 14 major meridians in other articles, but here we need to cover them slightly differently to help you learn.

We're going to look at how knowing the theory behind the meridian network makes your practical techniques more effective, not only now as a beginner but as you progress through to be an advanced practitioner.

To become truly effective at Dim Mak you have to be able to incorporate the theory into your practical.

Understanding meridians is more than just knowing that Chi, blood and fluids flow through these pathways; that pressure points lie along these meridians, and that when struck, these points produce a variety of negative effects in your attacker.

Understanding meridians is essential to effective dim mak. These channels or pathways are linked with one another through both internal and external pathways that crisscross the body in an intricate network from the surface, through all the layers, to the deepest parts of the body core.

This article offers a quick refresher of the meridian system. It looks at how your knowledge of the meridian system should progress, as your technical skills improve, and how you use this knowledge to your advantage in practical situations.

While some people believe that theory has little or no practical application, these articles will show you just how important incorporating theory into practice is to becoming a skilled dim mak practitioner.

Let's start with a quick overview of the very basics of the meridian system. We'll start at the very beginner level, by recapping two important points; the 14 Main Meridians and that Chi flows through each meridian in a set direction.

The 14 Main Meridians

While Chi is in constant motion through all the meridians, it begins at the Lung meridian, flows through the various other meridians and organ system till it reaches the end of the Liver meridian, at this point it re-enters the Lung meridian and the cycle is repeated.

The 14 Main Meridians, in order of the way that Chi energy flows, are:

Lung, Colon, Stomach, Spleen, Heart, Small Intestine, Bladder, Kidney, Pericardium, Three Heater, Gall Bladder, Liver.

-- Yes, there are only 12 here, these are the bilateral meridians.

The remaining two main meridians are actually extra vessels, the Conception Vessel and the Governor Vessel.

These vessels are included because they have their own distinct pressure points, but unlike the other 12 they do not directly relate to the Zang-Fu internal organs.

These two vessels are important in dim mak because they intertwine the 12 bilateral meridians helping reinforce communication and adjustment between these main 12 meridians, so that the body and mind works as optimally as possible.

They also act as energy reserves for the other meridians, absorbing and transferring energy to them as required. So although they don't have a Chi flow in the same way as the 12 bilateral meridians, they are extremely important in pressure point fighting.

Directions of Chi energy Flow in Meridians

While Chi flows through each meridian in the order listed above, the flow of these through the body is a wave like cycle; down, up, down, up, down, up.

The up and down direction of flow then looks like this:

DOWN Lung meridian then
UP Colon meridian then
DOWN Stomach meridian

And so on...all the way to the TOP of the Liver meridian where it re-enters the Lung meridian and flows downwards again.

You'll notice that Chi flows the same way that points are numbered along a meridian.

Lung 1 is near the shoulder and Lung 11 is at the tip of the thumb. For exact location please refer to a reliable dim mak book.

Colon 1 is at the index finger, while Colon 20 is at the base of the nose. Notice the pattern? The numbering system of Dim Mak pressure points follows the flow of Chi along the meridian.

To remember the flow of Chi in dim mak, just remember the way the numbers run.

Back to Meridians