Pressure Point Karate Made Easy: A Guide to the Dillman Pressure Point Method for Beginners and Young Adults [Paperback]

Chris Thomas (Author), George A. Dillman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1999

Practical self-defense explained in words and photos. Includes illustrations showing the pressure points used in self-defense techniques.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

George A. Dillman, a 9th degree black belt in Ryukyu Kempo Tomari-te, recently honored by Black Belt Magazine as “ 1997--Instructor of the Year” is one of the U.S.A.’s best known and well-established martial arts personalities. Dillman came to the attention of the martial arts press when he began competing in the early 1960’s. By the end of that decade, he had started running his own tournament, called the Northeast Open Karate Championships. This competition was held annually-- the first kicking off in Palmer Park, Maryland in 1966. The site was moved to Suitland Maryland in 1967, and moved again to Reading, PA in 1968 where it was held until 1996.

Official Karate magazine (Nov.1982), described Dillman as, “one of the winningest competitors karate has ever known.” Dillman was four-times National Karate Champion (1969-1972) and during this period was consistently ranked among top ten competitors in the nation by major karate magazines. During his nine-year competitive career, Dillman claimed a total of 327 trophies in fighting, forms, breaking, and weapons.

Dillman began serious martial arts training in 1961 with Harry G. Smith. He went on to study with Daniel K. Pai, James Coffman, Sam Pearson, Robert Trias and Seiyu Oyata. Dillman has always considered himself a student, never a master of the martial arts. To this end he and his wife and students have traveled throughout the United States to meet and train with various martial arts experts.

Because of his perseverance, Dillman’s martial arts talents have earned him widespread U.S. media coverage. He has appeared on 35 National TV shows, including: Real People, Mike Douglas, PM Magazine, Evening Magazine, and NBC’s Sports Machine. Dillman has also been featured five times in Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and has been the subject of over 300 newspaper and magazine articles. Dillman, who was a professional boxer for three and one half years, is the only person known to have trained with both Bruce Lee and Muhammad Ali. In May of 1988. Dillman was inducted into the Berks County Sports Hall of Fame. He was the first martial artist to be included.

Currently, Dillman travels the world teaching seminars on pressure points and tuite (grappling) hidden within the traditional movements of the old martial arts forms. It is his research and scientific dissection of the old forms that is earning him his most notoriety. Never one to shy away from controversy, Dillman has rediscovered a formerly secret level of meaning for kata movements, and has made that interpretation understandable to all. He has produced a video tape instructional series on the pressure points, and has written six books with Chris Thomas: Kyusho-Jitsu: The Dillman Method of Pressure Point Fighting; Advanced Pressure Point Fighting of Ryukyu Kempo; Advanced Pressure Point Grappling: Tuite; Pressure Point Karate Made Easy; Humane Pressure Point Self-Defense; and Little Jay Learns Karate. The books have been said to be,” the definitive martial arts books of the century,” and “unparalleled among current martial arts literature.”

Dillman is the chief instructor for Dillman Karate International, an organization of over 85 schools worldwide, with an enrollment of nearly 15,000 students. He has studied under five 10th degree black belts from Okinawa and is currently furthering his personal study through research, practice, and the sharing of techniques with Prof. Remy Presas ( Modern Arnis) and Prof. Wally Jay (Small Circle Jujitsu). Chris Thomas has studied karate since 1970, and holds a black belt ranking in three separate styles: Shotokan, Isshinryu, and Ryukyu Kempo Tomari-te. Thomas is a widely published and respected authority on martial arts whose works have appeared in martial arts periodicals world-wide.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Dillman Karate Intl (August 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889267023
• ISBN-13: 978-1889267029
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #866,494 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For beginning martial artists, May 11, 2000

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A Reader (in the USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Pressure Point Karate Made Easy: A Guide to the Dillman Pressure Point Method for Beginners and Young Adults (Paperback)

This is the fourth book on pressure points written by George Dillman and Chris Thomas. The text has been written specifically with the younger martial artist in mind, and the authors make good use of photographs showing instruction with children.

The use of "pressure points" in martial arts refers to strikes to small points along the body which are used in acupuncture. As such, this book includes a very brief introduction to Asian internal medical theory (i.e., why stiking acupoints can be so effective), to help the reader understand the point terms and concepts, and makes references to Mr. Dillman and Thomas' earlier works.

Unfortunatly, the authors have chosen to only cover 17 of the 350+ classical pressure points (ten on the inner and outer arms, five on the lower torso and two on the legs). Regarding the selected points (L-5, L-6, L-8, H-6, EX M-UE-28, LI-7, LI-10, TW-11, TW-12, SI-7, CV-3, CV-4, CV-5, CV-6, SP-10, SP-11 and SP-12), the authors provide excellent anatomical diagrams, but provide limited descriptive text on where those referenced points are located and their martial function / application. In fact, the "how they work" paragraphs are so simplified, each of the discriptive texts numbers 14 words or less. While I can appreciate the fact that the authors are writing this text with a beginning martial arts student in mind, I think they simplified the text too much. A few areas do footnote Mr. Dillman and Thomas' earlier works, and suggest the readers learn more about the points once they become more advanced. But the existing text is so limited in the extent of its explanation, I am not convinced this is the best manner in which to write an introductory primer on a subject rooted in Chinese Dim Mak theory.

In addition to the few pressure points covered, the authors give a brief historical overview of the development of karate, and provide application overviews on the basic building blocks of a martial arts curriculum: stances, punches, blocks, kicks and kata. The final chapters include some training and drill advice.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good starting point, November 30, 2008

By 

J. C. Bullard (Memphis, TN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pressure Point Karate Made Easy: A Guide to the Dillman Pressure Point Method for Beginners and Young Adults (Paperback)

While this book is written for those beginning their exploration into the use of pressure points, it also provides a useful reference for those who have been studying longer and want to be able to refresh their knowledge of the locations, angle/direction, and activation methods of some of the more commonly-used points.

Is it the end-all, be-all of pressure point books? No... but then, if such a book exists, I've never found it. Is it a good primer and reference book? Absolutely, and I have recommended it to many of my own students.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Basic, December 2, 2010

By 

The Dark Horse - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pressure Point Karate Made Easy: A Guide to the Dillman Pressure Point Method for Beginners and Young Adults (Paperback)

This book is very simple for the beginner both for adults and teens. If you are a student of Karate, Kyusho, or Dim Mak, It is a good book to have in a collection. The book goes over many techniques.