What is Dim Mak?
Your Pressure Points Questions Answered

Dim Mak is the Cantonese translation of “Dian Xue”. Both terms mean the same thing, they literally translate as "spotting blood". It is also known as the death touch, the delayed death touch, poison hand or vital points striking.

In Chinese colloquialism, it refers to the art of striking specific points on the body since Chi and blood in Chinese thinking represents life force. Dim mak is also referred to as the death touch, the delayed death touch, poison hand or vital points.

So in the martial arts, DM is the art and science that uses pressure points on the body.

There are two main components in DM:

• Firstly, which points to attack when defending yourself. These points include but are not limited to what we in the west refer to as pressure points. There are various criteria and methods that are used to guide us in selecting points. Keep in mind that the basis of selecting pressure points is based on the ancient medical theories used in traditional Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.
• Secondly, the method of attack. Because great accuracy is required to hit these points and because these points are often well protected by the trained martial artists, dim mak attacks have to be sharp and accurate. There are special DM training methods to achieve that.

  Not all points are struck or seized in the same way. And when you take into account the deteriorating physical ability of the old Chinese martial arts masters, you can see how the technique of delivery is special and unique to DM. The result is a combat technique that is devastating, simple and graceful. As a practical system of self defense for the busy person living in the twenty first century, DM is unsurpassed.

• There is a third component which is not often publicised. These masters were often required to heal themselves and their students from injuries as a result of training or combat.

  The fact is this: ancient books on DM pressure points, including Shaolin Monastery's training manuals, offered a vast array of herbal remedies for dim mak strikes. They also included specific herbs and acupuncture treatment to be used when hit on specific pressure points. These books not only taught us the signs and symptoms of injury to pressure points, but they also taught us how pressure points work on the human body.

  Moreover, sometimes, a master would heal an opponent thereby turning an enemy into a loyal life-long friend or student. These masters also created special exercises and natural remedies to preserve their health and longevity.

If you would like to learn about pressure points defence and attend regular classes, please call us on our central telephone number 9796-1066 for class times and fees or email us through our contact-us form.

1. Now... click here to read about A unique martial arts style that is much more than pressure points theory.
2. Read about The Mystery and Challenge of Dim Mak Pressure Points telling the mystery of pressure points using point Colon 10 or Large Intestine 10 Shou San Li as an example.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be adding more pages that will explain much more. So please come back here regularly to our website and don't forget to subscribe to our Ezine News so you don't miss out on important articles.

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