Reviews for Pressure-Point Fighting: A Guide to the Secret Heart of Asian Martial Art

The average rating for Pressure-Point Fighting: A Guide to the Secret Heart of Asian Martial Art based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2021-03-06 00:00:00 Neal Griffin A fascinating look into the practical applications of karate kata. Many of us who practice traditional Asian martial arts use kata (forms) as part of our training. But through much of the 20th Century when arts such as karate and kung fu spread throughout the world, the meanings behind these fancy movements were never fully understood, as the meanings were thought to have been lost. Author Rick Clark provides insight into practical applications of the techniques within these forms, getting the traditional practitioner to think "out of the box" regarding these movements that don't seem practical in and of themselves. This is not a "cookbook" to spell out what the meaning (bunkai) behind your kata should be, rather it is a launchpad for you to start thinking about how you might apply practicality to your own kata. Though it mentions pressure points and how those might be effective, Clark doesn't attempt to try and sell the reader on any "magic powers" that hitting these points are "guaranteed" to have. The author does map out pressure points according to traditional Chinese medicine, but that is mainly for reference. The intention of the book is to give you insight into your own art and how you might explore it deeper.

Review # 2 was written on 2020-03-17 00:00:00 Ana Linares The major criticism I have of this book is that it wants to be a "simple step-by-step instructions" guide, but fails due to the quality of the illustrations. There is a lot of possibly superior information present, but trying to use distant, grainy black and white photos to determine the precise nature of the locks and holds is, at best, difficult.