Chapter 7: Cavity Press

Dianxue, (Cavity Press), also known as Dim Mak, contains a thick layer
of mystery. Martial arts practitioners and non-practitioners alike, are intrigued and curious about dianxue. In Chinese novels and movies, Wushu masters have been portrayed with lightning fast hands. With a strike on the appropriate vital point at the right time, they were able to immobilize their opponents, freeze, or kill them on the spot. Dianxue is an amazing and effective technique in martial arts, however, many novels and movies have over exaggerated it. Dianxue is the ingenious combination of Wushu, Qigong, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The person that has the dianxue applied on them may lose their fighting ability, lose their mobility, get seriously injured, pass out, or even die. Dianxue is also used in healing and is a valuable method used in TCM and by Qigong healers for treating illnesses.

In a fighting application, with focused power and speed, a strike with the fingers, palm, fist, elbow, knee, or toes, to the proper points on the body can restrict and cause qi, as well as, blood to scatter in the opponent’s energy pathways. This can cause a restriction and/or loss of qi and blood to the area being struck which can result in numbness, temporary paralysis, dizziness, passing out, or even death. Many of these points are located on the weak or sensitive spots of the body, and/or are located near sensitive nerve centers. The sensitivity of these locations can be explained with today’s scientific reasoning and medical understanding. However, there are many other vital points that have not been explained by Traditional Western Medical theories. One of the wishes of the authors is to promote further research by presenting some of the information that they have.