To use in striking: downward hammer fist, straight punch or
elbow strike
VULNERABLE POINTS OF THE BODY TO
STRIKE
The target areas of the body to hit on to defend oneself from would
be attacker. Continuous training is needed to be natural in motion
whenever one is in actual situation.
A. UPPER SECTION (Head/skull up to the neck area)
1. Front
2. Back
B. MIDDLE SECTION (Clavicle to coccyx)
1. Front
2. Back
C. LOWER SECTION (Thigh to Achilles heel)
1. Front
2. Back
A. The HEAD/SKULL. It is the command
centre of the body, housing the brain and
most of the major sense organs including
the eyes, nose, ears and mouth, all of
which are sensitive to pain.
Effective strike: hammer fist, headbutt and
downward elbow strike.
Effect: unconscious, loss of balance or even death.
1. In the upper section are the following:
1.1 The EYES. A blow to the eye or eyes by
someone can cause severe tearing of the skin as well
as permanent eye damage. Strikes to the eyes are
designed for life-and-death struggles only. Beware
and be aware of the consequences.
To use in striking: finger whip, thrusting, attack like a
finger or thumbs gouge
Effect: partial or permanent loss of vision and
excruciating pain.
1.2 The TEMPLE. It is the soft areas of the
skull on either side of the forehead. A blow to the
temple can blur the vision, cause nausea or dizziness.
To use in striking: hammer fist, hook fist with
protruding knuckle and tip of the elbow.
Effect: blow to the temple cuts the supply of blood
(therefore, oxygen) to the brain. This results in
disorientation and possible loss of consciousness if
the blow is hard enough.
1.3 The EARS. It is the organ that detects the
sound and keeps the balance, too.
To use in striking: two palms as if clapping.
Effect: partial or permanent loss of hearing and loss
of balance.
1.4 The BRIDGE OF THE NOSE. It is the
upper bony part of the nose.
Effect: blow to the nose cause its swelling and may put
pressure in the eyes that may cause temporary blindness for a
few second or minutes
1.5 The BASE OF THE NOSE the same effect as striking
the bridge of the nose.
To use in striking: downward hammer fist, straight punch or
elbow strike
Effect: with enough power can force pieces of broken cartilage
into the opponent’s skull
1.6 The MASTOID GLAND is located under the ears. It is
a particularly painful spot when hit.
To use in striking: pressing the thumb or finger
Effect: Excruciating pain will be felt in pressing it.
1.7 The CAROTID ARTERIES is located on either side of
the neck slightly in front of the ears. It carries blood to the brain.
To use in striking: hammer fit, hook fist with protruding
knuckle or chop
Effect: A blow to the temple can blur the vision, cause nausea
or dizziness. Blow to the carotid arteries cuts the supply of blood
(therefore, oxygen) to the brain. This results in disorientation and
possible loss of consciousness if the blow is hard enough.
1.8 The JAWBONE has its own separate bone which is U-
shaped and stretches from one ear, down to the chin area.
To use in striking: upper cut, straight punch, elbow strike, kick,
or knees
Effect: It is possible to knock out a person for a few moments or
knocks him out completely from the impact of the strike.
1.9 The CHIN is the lowermost part of the face.
To use in striking: heel palm strike, straight punch, upper cut,
kick, knees etc.
Effect: Painful slamming of the lower teeth and the upper teeth.
It puts off the balance and may even knocks someone out from
the impact of the strike.
1.10 The TRACHEA or WINDPIPE is the tube that feeds
air through the neck directly to the lungs.
To use in striking: fist, chop, grip punch
Effect: If this is hit, swelling can occur which restricts the
breathing and thus reduce the oxygen that gets to the brain thus
resulting in unconscious or even death.
2. At the upper section ofat the back are the
following:
2.1 The BACK OF THE NECK (3rd vertebrae) – This is
located midway between the base of the head and the beginning
of the shoulders. If you reach up and feel the back of your own
neck, you will find a naturally curving area, this is the area to
strike.
To use in striking: kick, punch, knees or elbow strike
downward
Effect: A forceful blow can cause pain, numbness, tingling
sensation and in some extreme cases, paralysis.
2.2 The MUSCLE AT THE BASE OF THE NECK is at
the base of neck – right where the neck joins into the shoulders.
It is a group of muscles and nerves.
To use in striking: sideward elbow strike, or chop
Effect: depending on the force of the blow, the results could be
painful due to muscle spasms that make the arm on that side
temporarily useless, numbness and possibly even injury to the To use in striking: Hyperextending the elbow using To use in striking: kick
muscles themselves. the two arms and hands Effect: strike with 40 pounds or more of pressure can dislocate
B. The UPPER BODY is the biggest and therefore the Effect: Hyperextending the elbow causes the bone of the knee.
easiest to target and hit. excruciating pain or even bone dislocation. 1.3 The SHIN is the front portion of the lower leg in
2.5 The WRIST is the part joining the forearm vertebrates.
1. The following striking points are located at its front: and the hand. To use in striking: kick or stamp on
To use in striking: grab the opponent's hand, Effect: The bones may be broken and loss of balance.
1.1 The CLAVICLE is the long bone that makes up part of and bending and/or twist in C motion 1.4 The INSTEP is the arched middle part of the human
the shoulder girdle. foot between the toes and the ankle.
To use in striking: an inward and down motion should be used. To use in striking: stamp on foot
And nsert the fingers into the hollow between the collar bone and Effect: If applied suddenly and/or forcefully, a Effect: There is severe pain of the foot and possible dislocation
yank down forcefully wristlock can cause ligament tears or possibly of the bones.
Effect: The bones may be dislocated and excruciating pain. even dislocation or bone fractures.
1.2 The SOLAR PLEXUS is located midway between the 2. Here is the lower section located at the back:
navel and the base of the sternum. It supports the spleen, pancreas, 2.1 The HIP NERVE is located at the buttock.
stomach. Complex network of nerves are located in the abdomen. 2.6 The PIT OF THE THUMB AND THE FIRST To use in striking: kick
To use in striking: heel palm strike, fist, knees, or kick FINGER is the soft and vulnerable tissue of the hand. Effect: It causes an unbearable pain that radiates down to the
Effect: It causes the diaphragm to spasm, resulting in the difficulty It is the hollow area between the thumb and the first leg and up to the hip and back area.
of breathing a sensation known as “getting the wind knocked out on finger. 2.2 The KNEEPIT is the area at the back of the knee.
you” To use in striking: grabbing the hand and pressing To use in striking: kick downward
1.3 The RIB CAGE are sets of bones in the frontal upper the finger or hyperextending it. Effect: Loss of balance results.
body that encloses the heart and lungs of vertebrates. Effect: It has an excruciating and neutralizing pain 2.3 The ACHILLES HEEL is the biggest and strongest
To use in striking: straight punch, fingers folded at the second when pressed. tendon. It is connected to the muscles of leg with the heel bone.
knuckle, kick, or knees To use in striking: kick or Achilles lock
Effect: It causes severe pain. 2.7 The KIDNEYS are located a few inches on Effect: Loss of balance and excruciating pain results.
1.4 The LOWER ABDOMEN is located at the stomach, small either side of the spinal column and right around the
intestine, the colon, liver and gall bladder. waist and just below the lower ribs.
To use in striking: knee, fist, kick, knife cutting strike To use in striking: attack at the back in the form of
Effect: It causes excruciating pain. hammer fist, elbow strike or kick
1.5 The GROIN are two creases at the junction of the torso Effect: Extreme care should be used whenever
with the legs on either side of the pubic area. This is for emergency practicing blows to this area. Pain, kidney damage
arsenal. and even death are very real possibilities.
To use in striking: knee, kick, fist, grab, or squeeze and twist There is another way of hitting the kidneys. This
Effect: very sensitive and blows to the area can cause extreme pain comes as a forceful blow to the “false or floating ribs”
to both men and women. In men, there is possibility of the testicular located at the very bottom of the rib cage. It is well
injury as well. known as a “tickle spot.” These ribs are not attached
at both ends. They are shorter than the normal ribs
2. These are vulnerable parts located at the back of the and if struck, are fairly easy to break away from the
upper body: spinal column and cause a puncture of the kidneys or
lungs. The internal injury will depend upon the
2.1 The SPINAL COLUMN is the column of 33 bones. direction of the blow itself.
To use in striking: kick, downward elbow strike, or heel palm strike 2.8 The COCCYX is commonly called the
Effect: Any strike to the spinal column causes severe pain or tailbone.
temporary paralysis or even death. To use in striking: kick
2.2 The ARMPIT is located under the joint where the arm Effect: The coccyx area can be sheared off from the
connects the shoulder. rest of the spinal column and when this happens,
To use in striking: knife hand, upper cut after parrying the hand of there is a high risk of spinal cord damage.
the attacker
Effect: Due to its sensitivity to pain, shooting pain or a short circuit C. Strike to the lower section of the body Written and prepared by:
is felt, numbing and possibly gives the opponent a dead arm for a is not fatal but has debilitating effect to the
few seconds. It shuts down the entire system because of the many attacker.
nerve endings in the armpit. VICENTE C. MADERO JR.
2.3 The FOREARM is the longbone in the arm or forelimbs 1. The following striking points located at the
that runs from the shoulder to the elbow joints. front are:
PNP-SAGSD Licensed Private Security Training Instructor
To use in striking: hammer strike, use of forearm in downward
1.1 The THIGHS is the portion of the human TESDA Accredited Trainer/Assessor in Security Services
strike or armbar
leg between the hip and the knee. Address: #135 Heroes Blvd., Calaocan, Bambang, Nueva
Effect: Strike to the upper arm has moderate pain to numbness or
To use in striking: kick, knee Vizcaya
even temporary paralysis.
Effect: cramping of the thigh Tel. No. 09107259592
2.4 The ELBOW is the region surrounding the elbow joint or
hinge joint in the middle of the arm.
1.2 The KNEES joins the thigh with the leg. It
supports nearly the whole weight of the body.