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

Master Montaique knowledge of the subject compares very close with other authors that I have researched, but he brings the information down to earth making it easy to understand.

You know, I was expecting schemes of where you should hit and detailed photographs of the moves. Instead, you get about 6 pics of an entire kata. I found of the katas in youtube, performed by himself, and the whole picture sequence doesn't remotely resemble the actual kata he performs. I'm an experienced fighter (TaeKwonDo, Knife Fight and Krav Maga) and could not make sense out of it. He shows you the end of the move, that's it. How you go from one move to another you should figure out yourself, and sometimes there's whole arms turns, body turns etc... Things you can't see in the photographs. For the content of the book: Excelent. But for the content itself I recommend his " The Main Meridians (Encyclopedia of Dim-Mak)", much move informing.

This is an excellent book by Erle Montaigue showing how the Tai Chi Bagua, or Dim Mak, katas are related to deadly self defence routines.

I know I'm going to miss Erle, but he lives on as Books that are good reference material.

done

well

This is another great book on Dim-mak - very interesting and informative. A must read for the serious martial arts disciple. I have liked it so well that I have included in my Listmania! "Secret Self Defense". Master Dutch Hinkle, author of "Secret Buttons of the Hand: -21- Attack Stopping Pressure Points of the Hand"

Wish I never bought.

Tanks

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.