Point of the Week - Large Intestine 10

Hi folks, glad everyone like the point of the week, last week...here's this weeks point as requested by Jango.....God I sound like a DJ, "And now on PP FM, Point of the Week, as requested by Jango..."

As usual, don't try this without a qualified instructor, don't run while holding pointy objects, and don't take the micky out of oldman - The pen is truely mighty than the sword!

Large Intestine 10/LI10 or Shousanli (Arm Tree Li)

This weeks point is Large Intestine 10, or LI10 for short. Its on a Metal meridian and is of a Yang polarity according to TCM theory. It is located slightly down from the elbow here..

LI10 is actually one of the 36 Vital points listed in the Bubushi. This should to serve as an example of the effectiveness of this point, and why was used so much in Kata.

Striking

I have found that there are two angles of attack for this point. If you strike in with a sharp hit in at a 90 degree angle straight into the muscle it will instantly numb the entire lower arm. The head will be jerked forward, but I find that the 90 degree angle is best for more limb destroying style attacks.

The other way of attacking this point is by using a cutting strike, and cutting in towards the wrist. This will jerk the head violently forwards in a whiplash style fashion.

As a set up technique, I prefer the second method. Although the arm isn't numbed as much as it is with the first, it just seems to open out the points of the neck better.

The first method I like to use to completely paralyze the lower arm. This sort of strike can easily be adapted for a standard parrying style of movement.

Which ever method you use, you must always be aware of the opponents head. With it jerking forward so quickly, it would easy to be caught by an unintended head butt. Although this jerking action can be used to your advantage by impaling them on a follow up strike!

This point can also be activated by pressing. Although I seriously doubt the combat effectiveness of this. It would require alot of hand strength and accuracy, which under the effects of Adrenaline, I don't think would be feasiable.

Applications

As with last week, applications are purely subjective. These will just serve as an example to prompt further discussion.

First off a parrying style motion. Lets say the opponent throws a big lunging straight punch, and you come down to meet it with your hand. Instead of meeting it with a nice friendly parry, use the heel of the palm to crash down into LI10. If you use pointy boney outter edge of the wrist, you can really hurt the arm. This causes the head to jerk forwards. A nice palm heel or punch to the face off your other hand can be very effective.

Off a single handed lapel grab, firstly get your hands up and protect against a head butt or punch from the other hand. As soon as that grab goes on, palm them to face twisting their head away from the grabbing hand. So if they grab with their right hand, smash their face round to the left, and vice versa for the left. This will take their attention away from the grabbing arm, and also straighten it out to expose the point more. Using the hand that you palmed their face with (securing the grabbing hand with your other), crash down into LI10 using your prefered weapon. This will jerk the head forwards and open out the points of the neck. Still using the arm you smashed LI10 with, smash up into the neck with a head block (Jodan Uke), Stomach 9 is a great target and will stun the living hell out of them!

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Well there's some food for thought, hope that was of interest!

Nice one Gavin,

Im relativly new to PPs and found that very interesting.

i dont really have anything to add, totally agree that 'striking' the point is the way forward and it is essentially a 'set up' point.

It does match an okinawna view of striking the nearest target ie if grabbed wreck the arm on your way in to wrecking the opponent, however in reality im not sure of its effectivness when cloths are in the equation. However it hurts like hell in the dojo with short sleeves.

Extreme power and shock are the name of the game. Rand Cardwell covers this brilliantly in the "The Western Bubushi", the excert the pertains to this is here. Basically the idea is that you deliver such a huge amount of shock into the target, that whether you hit it cleanly or not, the amount of shock being sent into the body is going to fire up the point anyway.

Hi Gavin,

I find that Large Intestine 10 is a great target to strike especially when jamming an opponents hook punch eg: attacker throws a right hook,defender steps inside strikes LI10 with his left forearm he also simultaneously strikes with his right elbow to the attackers head or chest, by doing this a tremendous amount of pain and shock will be sent into the opponent, this application works extremely well when fighting close and the great thing is, the harder the opponent hits you the more pain and shock they receive back! regards,


James.

PS. I owe you for that Jaw lock!

Two huge blokes, must have been 50 stone between them, were crash testing this technique on me Tuesday night.
I was always sceptical of PP striking, but this one is fairly easy to hit. My arm has been a little tender all day from it so I can vouch for the efficacy of striking LI10. The reflex jerk of the head forward puts you neatly in range for all sorts of nasties.
Pretty effective overall.

BTW
I went to try the techniques on them, but they ran away crying. *something about going to get his Dad...*

Its amazing what I forget, of course this is a superb method of defending against the 'haymaker'.

I train to block doublebone (if caught static) or if projecting energy forward to strke the opponents limb use ox jar strike, knifehand style.

I never really thought of this as activating points, but it does and when done properly totally sets up the finishing technique/s. I call it aggressive defense.

Quote:

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I went to try the techniques on them, but they ran away crying. *something about going to get his Dad...*

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Oooooooooooooooooooh McSensei you're gonna get it! Can't wait til you come down next! Bagsy I get you next time when we glove up for that drill you like so much!

James, atleast you didn't have to go to hospital after my handywork! May I draw your memory back to the state of my eye after your 3rd dan....

Anyway back on topic....LI10 can also be a great setup for a figure 4 lock. For example, off a big right cross step to the outside check the punch with your left hand. With your right come up under the punching arm and palm to the face, knocking the head up and away. This will stretch out the arm for a clean strike to LI10. If you strike it using either the radial bone or preferable the ridge of the hand using a cutting angle to the wrist it folds the arm and numbs it, leaving it nice and open for the lock!