Aug 20

Dim Mak: The Touch of Death or Chinese Fantasy?

You know how it is: you’re a liquored up, muscular jock hanging in the bar, watching football clips put to rock music on the television when out of nowhere those jerks the nerds come up and start mouthing off with math or something. You turn to pound their spectacles into their faces, but
 then their leader, the guy with the pocket protector, steps forward and issues this verbal warning: “Don’t mess with us. I know Dim Mak; the touch of death.” Now is the time for contemplation: is Dim Mak that silly pinching maneuver from Star Trek or is this nerd got a serious ninja move in his arsenal? Hopefully the following information is read before you find yourself in that specific scenario because this is the 411 on Dim Mak; fact or fiction?Dim Mak is a legendary move of Chinese martial arts, that is also referred to as “The Touch of Death.” The purpose of the move can range from stunning an opponent to instant death; if you believe the stories. Many modern day minds believe that Dim Mak is a creation of ancient Chinese warrior fantasies and works only in old kung fu movies or about as well as that Vulcan neck pinch from Star Trek. Chinese medicine theory is often based around the human body consisting of certain pathway lines, known as meridians. These meridians consists of hundreds of acupuncture points, which is the basis for the needle sticking treatment some Doctors use these days, not just to make patients look like human pin cushion, but to help with symptoms of pain and sickness; known as Acupuncture. The usage of these points, however, for the purpose of Dim Mak is a bit different. According to legend the pressing on or striking of these points along the meridian at varying angles or in specific attack patterns and or striking groups, can disrupt the flow of Chi, or life force, flowing through the meridian causing various results. A master of the technique would theoretically be able to control his strikes and choose whether he wants his opponent to have a certain limb go dead, an organ to fail, or life to cease for the opponent altogether.

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