Dim-Mak's 12 Most Deadly Katas: Points of No Return

I admit to having trained to a high level in Dim Mak/ Kyusho? Atemi Waza (or whatever the current fashionable name is). One thing you are never told explicitly is that most pressure points do not work on some people. My estimation, at least 10% of the population. If attacked you do not have the luxury of finding out if the points you attack will be successful strikes until it is too late.I have read several of Montaigue's books and have up to 20 of his DVDs but that was never made clear. Most pressure points are a target of opportunity, not an end in themselves. My other reason for only three stars is that you cannot learn these techniques from a book. I would recommend Earle's DVD covering the same material or using a real instructor who actually knows what they are doing. Books like this are really only useful as revision aids or reminders.

I could be accused of being biased as Erle Montaigue is my teacher but the way he portrays the combination of dim mak and qigong provides a complete balance. His knowledge and skillscannot be questioned and he writes his books in easy to understand English removing all mysticism and mumbo jumbo.I recommend this title for all internal arts students who want to advance their fighting skills and understand the points and their meanings.Excellent.

I forced myself to read this painful, laughable book after the first page because it is badly written, hard to understand (although I liked the hippie cartoon style photo's) which also incorperates a lot of BS. I wonder if earl has ever been in a real street fight? Where a serious martial artist in a corner can beat 2 or more people in a fight? Or is he one of those neck wrestles rolling in the gutter you see fighting in the streets after the pub has emptied? Take on this free advice - keep your hard earned money in your pocket and go to a decent matial arts club, learn from a proper teacher whilst learning about meridians and chi energy concepts if you really want to become proficient in Dim Mack, Kyusho or Atami style pressure point martial arts.