By Gavin King, 2nd Dan Go So Kempo

WARNING: Never ever attempt any Martial Art without a qualified instructor. This information is provided for informational purposes only!

For tips on the basics of Pressure Point attacking can be found here.

Gall Bladder 31/GB31 or Feng Shi (Wind Market)

This weeks Point of the Week is Gall Bladder 31 or GB31 for short. It is on a Wood meridian and is of Yang polarity according to TCM theory. It is located on the outer edge of the thigh here.

GB31 is also listed in the Bubushi as one of the 36 Vital Points.

Striking

I find that GB31 responds best to a dull hard penetrating attack directly into the muscle at a 90 degree angle.

A hard strike here will cause paralysis of the leg and cause it to collapse (the old dead leg!). This point is also the location of some major nerve branches and arteries so strikes will also cause a great deal of internal shock momentarily stunning the recipient.

Another interesting thing about this point, is that if struck when the receiving leg is off the ground (kicking for example) the supporting leg will collapse.

Applications

Obviously the ways in which this point could be struck are endless. The following applications are not exhaustive, they are simply presented to stimulate thought and provide possible applications.

Firstly the application known to naughty school boys throughout the world the "Dead Leg". A sharp knee into GB31 will kill the recipients leg dead. This will cause the bodyweight to shift and collapse with the leg making it extremely handy in take downs.

Another application is Muy Thai style round house kick driving the shin into the point. A more advanced version of this application would be to use the tip of a shoe, although this would require a higher level of accuracy, so I would prefer the shin kick in a combat situation. This can actually be an effective pre-emptive attack, using your hands to create a distraction while slipping the kick in below the eyeline. Due to the shock caused to the body, makes it an effective setup technique.

The last application I'll discuss would be off a round house kick. If you slip to the inside and scoop the kicking leg with one hand, use a distracting strike like a palm to the face to take their attention away from the kicking leg, then drop a hard elbow straight into GB31. A hammer fist or gedan barri would be equally effective in this application.

For more applications and further discussion on this point, click here for the whole thread on www.fightingarts.com.