Originally Posted by
jdhowland
The traditional jing-luo (meridian) system does not correspond to anything in modern anatomy-physiology. It is a cultural construct that satisfies expectations of how things are supposed to work within a standard cosmology. While not scientific in a modern sense, it does act as a system for organizing empirical knowledge. In other words, it may now be viewed as a less than optimum format for explaining perfectly good observations.
Many people have tried to learn TCM and recreate dim mak systems based on accupoint, meridian and 5-element theories. My sifu is a professional accupunturist (learned from white crane master Ng Siu Jung). He warned that this simplistic application switch does not work. After all, there are also deep points that may be affected by a strike that are not accessible to needles. It's like going on a bombing mission using the wrong charts.
In training I have been floored by a slap to my shoulder (and I was dumb enough to get up and ask to have it repeated). I have experienced "sealing the breath" when my sifu's son placed his thumbs under my ribs. I have taught and experienced "white outs" or mild KO's that stimulate the optic nerve many times. I have performed knockouts using peck cheui to the cubital fossa (CLF does this a lot)--the effect is unexpected but does that make it dim mak?
Sure, it does. But a "death touch"--no way. I explain it by the mechanical effect it has on the fascia leading to the cervical plexus. A generation or two back it might have been explained using jing-luo concepts.
One more point and I promise I'll shut up. Don't trust reflex charts if you want to develop your own system. Reflexes are statistical events that don't work the same on everyone and they can be be turned off in certain conditions. The modern tendency is to avoid speaking of reflexes as if they are anatomical constructs and to think in terms of synergistic relationships.
Peace, everyone.