Is it Safe?

I get the best looks from people when they find out I practice vital point striking. There's intrigue that comes with a certain skepticism, and the internal conflict that arrives with the mutually exclusive desires to ask, "Is it safe?" and to not sound like somebody's mother. Even seasoned martial artists get antsy when you discuss how they can manipulate the nerves underlying acupuncture points to affect any organ or system in the body. It's funny to me that it's okay for them to practice techniques meant to break bones and tear ligaments, but a nerve that may upset their tummy is beyond their comfort zone.

So, IS it safe? Sure, if you're practicing responsibly and include the revival and restoration techniques in your training. There are plenty of things that can deeply affect the body in this martial art, but I have yet to hear of anything that couldn't be quickly corrected. To date, nobody has received any kind of nerve damage or died as a result of the kind of training we do.

But I'd like to go a step further and say that this kind of training is not only safe, but actually very healthy. There are two ways to look at this, from an Eastern and Western perspective, and both are very illuminating when it comes to concerns for our health.

From an Eastern perspective, the Chinese have long viewed sickness an excess or a deficiency in the Chi (energy) of an area in the body. This can be the result of some kind of blockage along the various channels through which energy passes, and many acupuncture and acupressure remedies are meant to restore the normal flow of Chi along these channels. Vital point striking utilizes the same points and energy channels as Chinese medicine with the intent to transfer energy through the strike. The effect is to flood the channel with energy, which is then forced through any blockages, eliminating them. This is not subtle and will cause a temporary imbalance that will certainly be felt, but with the application of the revival and restoration techniques, anyone who receives these strikes is left more "open" and healthier than they were before.

The Western perspective is less concerned with energy as it is with the nerves that underlie the acupuncture points. Consider that the body is meant to be used; exercise has proven extremely important in maintaining our health. It allows us to build muscle and bone mass, even into our "declining" years, and to maintain our cardiovascular system. All of these things; muscle and bone mass, and cardiovascular endurance, we will lose them if we don't use them. The same is true for proper nerve function. In the course of our modern lives, our sedentary postures and lifestyles take a heavy toll on our nervous system. The positions we place ourselves in while commuting to the office or seated at a desk all apply undue tension on a number of nerves and reduce their efficiency. The prolonged lack of movement denies our nerves the stimulation they would normally receive during exercise, or through the course of a more physically demanding day. These same nerves that are found under our vital points run through and control the function of all the major organs of the body, and their atrophy can have serious consequences. When we practice vital point striking, the effects of stimulating the nerves can be thought of as a workout for our nervous system. This not only increases the efficiency with which the nerves operate, but by extension it increases their ability to monitor and regulate the functions of our organs as well. The result is a healthier body that is better equipped to do what it is supposed to.

Safe? Sure! Even healthy? You bet. Of course, none of this means that you should smack just any spot on the body to see what it does. But with a qualified instructor a study of vital point striking can have a number of unforeseen benefits, and none of the harmful consequences that seem to worry so many people.