Filipino Martial Arts and Kyusho
T.A.C.T.I.C.S. Combative Stick
Why is FMA a great Martial Art System?
When a situation occurs where you may feel threatened your body will automatically go into “survival mode”. When this happens a series of changes occur within us. Without getting too deeply into the aspects of survival mode, what we are most concerned with is the loss of Fine Motor Skills, i.e. inserting a key in a lock, picking something small up with two fingers or writing neatly with a pencil. What takes over are Gross Motor Skills which are big movements; arms extending forward, upward or downward in big motions. Just watch internet videos of real attacks. You will notice the majority of people move the same when survival stress kicks in. Even in professional boxing and mixed martial arts GMS dominate. The only difference with people in competitive sports is that they are using what I like to call “Trained Gross Motor Skills”.
Now if you look at the Stick Work of FMA you will notice that most of the movements fall into the description of Gross Motor Skills. The drills experienced in the FMA Class hone your GMS to strike in a certain way specific targets of an attacker’s body. It teaches your muscle memory how to have your body react and move. Now take away the sticks and do the same movements empty-handed. Now add a knife in your hand or a machete. Then take these skills and use them to defend against an attacker wielding a weapon. All of these use the same Gross Motor Skills with minor adjustments.
Why is Kyusho a great companion to FMA?
Kyusho Targets are specific areas on the body that we manipulate to take advantage of anatomical weaknesses. The external body was designed by nature to take abuse and can cope with hits from the FMA Stick. By understanding how to manipulate the Kyusho Targets we can affect the internal systems of the body and bypass our body’s natural defenses. With Kyusho we focus on several anatomical systems to cause physical dysfunction and possibly affect the opponent's level of consciousness. These systems include the nervous, respiratory, muscular and skeletal systems. When we strike Kyusho Targets we are actually attacking the internal body as opposed to the external structure. Kyusho has been tested not just on the training floor but in many real life situations, all under adrenalin pumping stress using Gross Motor Skills. As mentioned earlier, the stick movements of FMA are based on GMS. Now we take this set of movements that focus on your body’s natural defensive reactions and apply them to a multitude of defensive as well as offensive maneuvers aiming at Kyusho Targets. When working with the Stick we have a certain intent and flow. The intent used when striking with a stick fits perfectly as the first step to activating Kyusho Targets. The flow action of FMA enables us to hit a series of targets. Kyusho makes our strikes more effective to achieve optimal results.
In a series of three articles we will explore the benefits of Kyusho to the Filipino Martial Arts, specifically using the Kyusho International Curriculum. The first will be on how Kyusho fits into the use of the stick in long, medium and short ranges. The second article will look at the knife, using the weapon as well as defending against it. The third covers Hand-2-Hand.
Let’s look at some examples.
In all three ranges we can use the stick to strike nerve, muscle and tendon. These are not struck the same way and the reactions are not the same. Knowing how the attacker is going to react helps you with your follow up.
Long Range
Stepping to the right, right stick blocks attack. Left stick attacks the Target known as GB-26 which is the Iliac Nerve found just above the hip bone. This will cause severe pain, loss of physical motor function of leg, release the joints of the hip and knee and cause rapid withdrawal. You can now follow up with the end of the right stick striking the cranial nerves on the side of the head by sliding off the skull causing pain and affecting consciousness.
Getting to the outside of our opponent we strike into the hamstring muscle then downward, stretching the fibers affecting the Muscle Spindle Cell* causing it to contract. This will bend the opponent’s knee exposing a nice follow up strike to the occipital nerves on the back of his neck with the end of the stick. These nerves are well known for altering the state of consciousness.
Medium Range
Moving to the inside we use a “stop block”. Grab opponent’s stick hand with your left. Coming underneath the arm, strike using the punyo (butt-end) of the stick to the Target known as SP-21, lateral branch of the T5 nerve, which is midline on the side of the body between the ribs. This will cause the diaphragm to spasm, affecting the breathing as well as cause intense pain and dizziness. Follow this by bringing your stick under his arm and attacking the Golgi Tendon Organ**, Target TW-11, just above the elbow with a quick rubbing action hyperextending the elbow.
A backhand strike is delivered. Step to the left and as you apply a “stop block” strike the Ulna Nerve, Targets SI-5, above the wrist pinching the nerve against the bone. This will cause much pain and open the hand. Physical dysfunction and dizziness can also occur. With your palm up “punch strike” with the stick to the side of the neck attacking Cervical Nerve, Target LI-18, inward and upward. Not only will this cause severe pain and physical dysfunction of the whole body but will also alter the level of consciousness, affect the breathing and cause an extreme headache.
Close Range
Closing your range and getting to the outside, position yourself behind the opponent. Strike down with the punyo to the Trapezius Muscle midway between the shoulder and neck. This Target is known as GB-21. As you strike downward you can also rub the muscle towards the shoulder. This will affect a branch of the Accessory Nerve as well as cause a Muscle Spindle Cell reaction. Because two Anatomical Systems are attacked the whole body weakens, severe pain is caused, there is a loss of physical motor function, consciousness is altered and coherent thought is lost. Now slip your stick across opponent’s face under the cheek bone and roll up on Target SI-18/ Facial Nerve, executing a face choke. This will affect the somatic nervous system causing a loss of motor control as well as altering his level of consciousness.
Opponent delivers a forehand strike. Close in by crashing into the arm. Your left stick strikes the inside forearm at the PC-6 Target/Medial Nerve and the tendons. Your right stick strikes the center of the bicep, NU-E-9 Target/Musculocutaneous Nerve. The will cause dysfunction in the entire arm. Control the opponent’s right arm by wrapping your left arm around it. As you do this, using the punyo of your left stick, strike Target GB-22/lateral branch of the T3 nerve, on the side of the body just under the armpit. With the punyo of your right stick strike Target TW-17 which is a branch of the Facial Nerve located under the earlobe on the back of the jaw hinge. This combination will affect breathing and consciousness.
*The function of the Muscle Spindle Cell is to prevent the muscle from damage by being overstretched. By activating the MSC the muscle tenses and causes the body to contract.
**The Function of the Golgi Tendon Organ is to prevent the muscle from being torn from its origin and/or insertion by a sudden increase in tension. By activating the GTO the corresponding joint becomes vulnerable and hyper-extends.
You are not drastically changing what you already do with the sticks, just making slight adjustments.
In the end even if you do not cause a “Kyusho Effect” you are still hitting anatomically weak areas of your attacker.
Caution is needed when applying these strikes. Always use safety equipment. Do not use a rattan stick to strike anyone’s head. Always train with a Certified Kyusho Instructor.
Thank you Freddy Gonzalez and Andrew Ng for assisting with the pictured examples.
Tom Gallo, founder of T.A.C.T.I.C.S., is a Certifying Instructor with Kyusho International; member of the Kyusho-Jutsu Kokusai Shihankai: International Association of Kyusho-Jutsu Master Instructors; KTCP Instructor: Kyusho Tactical Control Program; trained in several Filipino Martial Arts Systems and has a Black Belt in Hwarang Do.
He is currently teaching FMA, KMA, Kyusho and Close Quarter Tactics in New York.
