You may have seen Five Finger Punch in Kill Bill. Is this technique just a fantasy - or can someone really mysteriously knock down an attacker with one precise punch?
One of the martial arts techniques has earned itself the name "Touch of Death" - but is such a technique really possible? Here's everything you need to know about the art of Dim Mak and the damage it can do.
The touch of death
The technique called Death Touch is historically known as Dim Mak. Translated from Chinese, Dim Mak means a blow that puts pressure on an artery. Practitioners of this art argue that this blow can have a delayed effect, leading the victim to death several months later - and conspiracy theorists associate the delayed effect of the Dim Mak blow with the death of Bruce Lee.
This technique has historical roots as such a crippling blow is mentioned in Bushibi, a classic martial arts text. The exact details, point of impact and expected results, however, are hidden behind a veil of secrecy.
The term "Touch of Death" gained popularity thanks to the marketing efforts of Count Dante and the Black Dragon Society. Count Dante considered himself the deadliest person to ever live, but he is best remembered for the series of full-page martial arts guide advertisements in Marvel comics in the 1960s and 1970s.
Promotional video:
Medically justified touch of death?
The "touch of death" can be linked to a medical phenomenon known as commotio cordis. Commotio cordis is a sudden death caused by a sharp blow to the chest that interrupts the natural rhythm of the heart. The heart itself is not damaged, but the electrical stimulation behind the heartbeat is disrupted. The electrical interruption must occur in a very short time interval of 10-30 milliseconds between heart beats for it to take effect.
There are over 125 reported cases of commotio cordis, including several teenage ice hockey players who have died from being hit in the chest by a puck.
Some supposed Death Touch masters may simply have known that a blow to the chest could lead to commotio cordis and kill a person. However, this scenario does not imply the possibility of a delayed effect.
One form of Dim Mak's punch may stem from its literal translation. Prolonged pressure on the carotid artery reduces blood flow to the brain and leads to loss of consciousness. The carotid artery is located on the lateral surface of the neck, so it is easy to reach.
But this will require quite prolonged pressure, since loss of consciousness (and possible brain damage) occurs within a few seconds. Manipulating the carotid artery, however, also eliminates the possibility of a delayed effect - unless you damage the artery itself, which can lead to long-term problems with blood clots forming in the main bloodstream.
Covered in darkness
All the techniques connected with Dim Mak in one way or another are covered with darkness, so it is very difficult to say how real they are at all. Although a stroke leading to a commotio cordis, or an artery squeeze, can produce results similar to Touch of Death, its mysterious nature and lack of details about the technique itself makes it difficult to say with certainty whether they have anything to do with the Dim Mak stroke. …
And in general, it is quite difficult to imagine a blow that does not cause any visible damage at the time of execution, but kills after a while. You should assume that he must have some symptoms. And if you are so interested in delayed death, then it is much easier for you to use more effective and subtle methods, such as poisoning.
Could this work?
The possibility of a fatal blow is closely related to complications developing at the point of impact. Of course, if you claim to be a master of Death Touch and run around stabbing people in the chest, chances are that one of your hundreds of victims will get the commotio cordis effect and die. However, such a result stems from mere chance, and not from special skill.
And by the way, there is a precedent for a man to be accused of manslaughter after a sporting hit resulted in the death of his opponent due to the commotio cordis effect, so hit people in the chest with great discretion.
The most likely use of this technique is for extended grappling in a situation similar to fighting in ultimate fighting. Applying prolonged pressure to an artery can render your opponent unconscious. Prolonged exposure to the carotid artery can lead to stroke.
