Preparation Weekend

It was a rough weekend. As you might know I grade this week and I spent a lot of time preparing for this big event in my life. I am not grading my black belt yet, but every grading is a big event for me as I increase my ability and endurance.

My friend suggested I come with to a Kyusho class on Saturday. I have heard a lot about this art that promises to act as an upgrade to any other art. I was excited about the idea of learning something new that I can use with what I already know. We arrived at the class and the floors were covered with soft wrestling mats. We did a really strange warm-up they called “awakening the Chi”. I have read up quite a bit about meditation and using sounds with movements, but as a warm-up technique it seemed a bit to calm to prevent injury, but I was determined to keep an open mind.

We then started working on pressure points on the arm. It was interesting to see that most of the points were already targeted in Ninjutsu. The application of the technique threw me a little as we use open hand strikes and most of the people in the class including the instructor were using clenched fists. We moved on to attack the trunk and we were made aware of a different set of pressure points. I have done quite a bit of preliminary study on pressure points and I found the practical class enlightening and very effective. As we moved onto the head and its pressure points we started stringing together a couple of combinations and this really seemed and felt effective.

The effectiveness of this art stems from the principle that by activating the body with a pressure point and then subsequently striking a related point will cause overload in the body’s nervous system. I have read this in earlier studies too and when it was demonstrated to me it was clear that the philosophy had at least some merit.

We closed off the class with some healing techniques. The thinking behind healing is that when the body is attacked via its pressure points the nervous system  experiences overload. This overload can be corrected by rubbing the body along its pressure point meridians hence forcing the energy to dissipate from the fingers and spine. A slap in the right place can revive a fallen worrier and a quick rub here and there will set him on his way to a perfectly balanced nervous system.

I really enjoyed the lesson and I am definitely going back to learn more. I can see and feel the effectiveness of striking pressure points, but if I can actually be knocked out without being touched remains to be seen. Every art has its legends and claims to success and I don’t see why Kyusho will be any different. The best way to prove something is to experiment and I intent to experiment a whole lot more with martial arts.

Sunday we went over 7^th, 6^th and 5^th kyus. I feel pretty confident about the grading and I am sure both of us will do great and make our Senseis proud.

Embrace the shadows.