Potent Points:
What is a Potent Point? It is not necessarily a pressure point.
Most pressure points are of limited effectiveness in a time of
high adrenalin. Because of the realliance on pain of many of the
pressure points they are easily ignored when the body is under
the influence of adrenalin such as what happens in a fight (just
ask any competing judoka how high their pain threshold is in the
throws of contest) drugs, alcohol or people with high pain tolerances.
A Potent Point in contrast is a point on the body that if correct force is applied to it, it is disabling. This may be a pressure point but not all pressure points as we have discussed above meet this Criteria.
All Practice of finding potent points is on yourself first to be safe. (talk about all the points then talk about what really works for their age i.e. What points can they reach and what points do they have effective power to).
Q) How can someone work out how and when to use a Potent Point?
Just ask yourself this question : Can I do it and can I get away with it?
Discuss :
Can I use a Potent Point at any time ?
( ANS: No!! Only in the Dojo or if I am very very very
frightened!!!)
How do I know Can I do it or not ?
(ANS: if I can REACH it I can do it ) REACH
What sort of things would make me think I can get away with
it?
(ANS: if I am sure I can make it HURT?) POWER
(ANS: if I have enough SPACE to get away?) SPACE
If I think I Can do it and get away with it what should
I do next ?
"Aim carefully and Plan to escape to safety!!!"
What do I mean by plan?
(ANS: try if you can to work out where you are going and
if you are going for help or safety or both)
Screaming same questions as above.
Screaming is a Potent Point if it is able to be used correctly.
A Self defense scream needs to be both high enough pitch and powerful
enough to cause distraction and sometimes even pain. I myself
have accidentally been a victim of such a scream. Not all can
do a good enough scream to be able to affect enough distraction
or disorientation and pain. Those that can't should not try and
those that can should apply the Potent Point rules.
Weapons, illegal and legal
If you ever need to defend yourself in Victoria Australia
"your response needs to be in proportion
to the situation" and if you over react and severely
injure someone who has not given you sufficient cause you could
find yourself in legal trouble.
Also it is illegal In the Sate Of Victoria (Australia) to carry anything for the purpose of using it as a weapon.
However provided the above two criteria are met, that is, your response is in proportion to the situation and the item used is not defined as or not carried for the purpose of being a weapon, it is within the law to use anything to hand to defend yourself in an attack.
Thus an umbrella can be used to defend, as can a car key but you must not carry it as a weapon.
Small though it is, a car key thrust inside the nose is very painful to the attacker and may cause him to let go.
An umbrella, if it is short and easy to swing or jab with, can be thrust forward or back into the nose, throat, stomach or groin or used to strike the back of a hand which is holding you to loosen the grip.
Even a handful of dirt can be used to spray across the attacker's eyes and so divert him.
A cardigan thrown over his head could serve the same purpose or a belt across the face.
You can grab anything to hand to defend yourself in an attack.
Another important thing about weapons to be defended against or used for Defense, that needs to be kept in mind, is that many of them can be temporarily disabled by something soft. For example a coat or beach towel or anything long and floppy can be thrown over a knife or syringe or any short pointy object that is being used as a weapon against you or by you. If the floppy article is draped over the weapon it will often have the effect of temporarily making the the weapon ineffective. This technique is particularly effective against Num-chucks (Spelling ? two handled weapons joined by a chain or piece of rope).
You also have to be aware that the problem with any weapon for Self Defense is that if you loose it, it can be used against you.
Sensei
Richard
