Member of Martial-Arts HyperBanner

You have always heard the sayings, "Guard your Centerline" & "Don't expose your Centerline" from your Teachers over & over again, without knowing why. Now you will know the reason. There are 24 acu-points in your centerline, where the heart meridian lies, carrying 气 'chi' that sustains your being & your technique to your 丹田 'Dan-tian' or chi center. This meridian channel can best be visualized by practicing Alternate Breathing. Hard blows to most of these acu-points will knock you out or kill you. The more prominent points include:

1. Cheng-jiang - The point between your lower lip & the tip of your jaw. Will cause concussion if struck. Usually struck with the middle or fore knuckle fist.
2. Lian-quan - The left and right of the Adam's apple. Will cause choking and death in a few minutes if struck. Usually struck with the index finger & the thumb.
3. Tian-tu - The bottom of your throat, where the top ribs meet. Will cause suffocation and death. Usually struck with one knuckle or one finger thrust.
4. Tan-zhong, Jiu-wei & Ju-que. Tanzhong is where the bottom ribs meet, Jiuwei & Juque are 7 & 6 inches above the navel respectively. Collectively called the solar plexus. Will cause breathlessness and unconsciousness if struck. It can be struck in many ways, but the fist is usually used.
5. Shen-que & Qi-hai. Shenque is the navel, & Qihai 1.5 inch below it. Will cause circulatory and digestion disruptions if struck.
6. Qu-gu, right above the base of the sexual organ. Will cause severe pain, unconsciousness, impotence if hit. Usually struck with a frontal toe or heel kick.
7. Hui-yin, 2 fingers above the anus, the starting point of the heart meridian. In yoga terms it's called the 'kundalini', the 'base of the fire'. Will cause paralysis & severe shock if struck. Usually struck with the one knuckle fist in a ground fighting position, with the opponent's butt facing you that is.

督脉 The Spinal Meridian

Equally important is the spine, needless to say. Just as you should not expose your centerline, you should also never expose your back, since you cannot guard behind you. This meridian channel carries 'chi' to the brain, and is visualized by most yoga students through Natural Breathing. One full breathing cycle around the Heart & Spinal Meridians is called 大周天 or full heaven cycle. There are 28 acu-points in the spinal meridian, & as above, may cause paralysis & death if hit. The more prominent ones are:

1. Bai-hui - Right in the middle of the top part of the skull, the part that sinks in slightly. It's the top gathering point of chi energy in the human body. Will cause immediate concussion, unconsciousness when struck. Usually hit with the elbow.

2. Shen-ting - 5 cm above one's hairline, where the Spinal and the Bladder Channels meet. Also hit with the elbow, it will cause similar effects as mentioned above.

3. Ren-zhong, Mei-xin - Right between the nose and the upper lip, & right between the eyes. Causes immediate dizziness, sometimes unconsciousness when struck. Usually hit with with the one knuckle fist.

4. Ya-men - The sunken part where the skull joins the back of the neck. Causes shock, black out when struck. Also hit with the one knuckle fist.

5. Da-zhui - The bottom of the neck, top of the spine. Causes blackout, cardiac shock when struck hard. However a light strike will cause a person to be more alert instead. Usually struck with a palm strike.

6. Ming-men - The back center of the waist-line, between the 2^nd & 3^rd spinal column at the waist. Cause spinal shock, stopping Chi flow and paralysis when struck. Usually hit with the knee.

7. Wei-gu - Between the tip of the spine and the anus. Causes spinal shock, disruption of Chi flow. Can be hit with the instep from behind a person.

8. Yao-yu - Back middle of pelvis. Causes pelvic shock, inflicting pain on the waist & back, paralysis of the lower body. Usually hit with the knee.