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| The Main Meridians (Encyclopedia Of Dim-Mak) | 
 enlarge | Authors: Erle Montaigue, Wally Simpson
Publisher: Paladin Press
Category: Book
List Price: $50.00
Buy New: $31.30
You Save: $18.70 (37%)
New (12) Used (8) from $31.30
Avg. Customer Rating:  32 reviews
Sales Rank: 72538
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 432
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.6
Dimensions (in): 11 x 8.5 x 1.2
ISBN: 1581605374
EAN: 9781581605372
ASIN: 1581605374
Publication Date: March 1997
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: NEW from the Publisher! Order from a VETERAN-OWNED Bookseller. Every order shipped with Delivery Confirmation, Please E-Mail us directly with any shipping questions.
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| Customer Reviews:
 I am so confused. . . October 8, 2006
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
I acknowledge that Mr Montaigue is widely considered to be the world's foremost expert on "combat tajiquan" and "dim mak" -- and this book (on which he collaberated with an Australian accupuncturist) is, indeed, encyclopedic -- after reading it, I feel as if I've learned almost nothing of value.
Possibly the most important point that Montaigue makes is that several "points" located on the side of the neck (i.e., vagus nerve & carotid sinus) will indeed cause an "instant knockout" if struck properly -- but may, in fact, induce a debilitating or fatal stroke months later. This is important, due to the fact that many ignorant instructors (Dillman, et al) are currently showing off their "1-strike knockout blow" to martial artists who pay to attend their seminars. According to Montaigue, severe or repeated trauma to the carotid artery can cause the interior lining to slough off and form a clot after time. This would be bad.
One reason I disliked this book was because it relies heavily upon multi-strike techniques (like in the Jet-Li movie "Kiss of the Dragon"). This means that, in order to achieve the desired result, one must rapidly strike between 3 and 5 points in rapid succession, in a specific order. Now, not only are many points smaller than half a dime, but the strike must come from a specific angle.
Are you SERIOUS, Erle??? In a streetfight, it is difficult to hit a single target much larger than that! And you expect us to strike 5 tiny points -- in order -- without interruption, and from precise angles? I don't think that's very realistic.
Most of the points listed (hundreds) will not cause a knockout, and the Governing Vessel and Conception Vessel are not addressed in this work.
If you are interested in learning more about Eastern medicine for accupuncture, accupressure, or Shiatsu, this is a great book to have in your library. If you're a martial artist, however, expect to be discouraged and confused.
 Very comprehensive; a great resource February 7, 2006
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
This book really is an encyclopedia, a comprehensive 430+ page tome covering the whole gambit of pressure points and martial arts. It is useful not only for practitioners of the Chinese arts but also for those of us who study Japanese or Okinawan styles as well. I particularly like the fact that the authors catalog each point, providing the Chinese name, location on the body, connections, applications, direction(s) of effective strikes, the type of damage caused by activating each point, set-up point(s), antidotes, and healing. The photo quality is a bit sub-par and there are not enough illustrations for the uninitiated to locate/understand everything but it is an excellent overview nevertheless. Continents include an introduction to traditional Chinese medicine along with detailed descriptions of the gallbladder, liver, bladder, kidney, stomach, spleen, heart, small intestine, lung, colon, triple warmer, and pericardium meridians. The glossary is split between medical terminology and other terms, a nice touch.
Of course pressure points are not a panacea. Nerve strikes simply do not work on everyone. In the heat of battle they are challenging to employ. They also become much less effective if the recipient has trained to "seal up" certain points, has certain mental disorders, or is in an altered state of consciousness due to drugs and/or alcohol. Having said that, a working knowledge of pressure point manipulations is a fantastic supplement to most any martial art. I consider them "extra credit" as it were, not a primary method of attack but a definite benefit nevertheless. No matter what art you practice, odds are good that if you look carefully you'll find them in your bunkai (kata applications).
While no one can truly learn anything as complex as Dim Mak solely from a book, this particular tome is an excellent place to start. If you are a serious practitioner of the martial arts this book will make an excellent addition to your library.
Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction
Revised Review ... November 18, 2005
5 out of 11 found this review helpful
This book opened a lot of doors in terms of the relationship between Martial Art and Medicine. I give it credit in the sense that helped deepen people's association between external movements and internal applications. However, as a Doctor of traditional Chinese medicine who is both western trained and trained in China, the point applications in this book rank up there with George Dillman ... they are not correct ... not even close.
I have updated this review because people kept saying that they did not find my previous one helped them, so here are a few more details. For the record I am insulting Montaigue or his students, I'm just calling it like I see it.
Why are all of the points mentioned with no genuine relationship to the Chinese Calander? If you are trying to look into the energetic components of kung fu ... it is the proverbial "horse stance" of the concept.
Why are there no detailed pieces of info on Qi Gong and Chinese Medical Theory? If you want to hit like a Chinese, you need to think like a Chinese.
Fa Jing doesn't mean "explosive energy". Why is there no sexual Kung Fu explanation as a part of "Fa Jing" as it relates to this book?
Other than that, it's a great text book ... it has a really pretty cover and nice stories in it.
A complete encyclopedia of pressure points February 12, 2005
3 out of 7 found this review helpful
This is not a book you can sit down and read, there is too much information. You need to take your time and take in 6-7 pages at a sitting. Mr. Montaique goes into such detail that I needed to put the book down and internalize the information before going forward. A wonderful resource for learning specific points of the human body.
Bryan Winkelman (www.senseibryan.com)- Author of "Training Manual for Isshin Ryu Karate" listed on Amazon.com
Excellent December 9, 2002
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a great book. It is tidyly written and it's complete. It's a must read for anyone who has interest in martial arts. Many techniques of different martial arts acquire a completely different flavor after reading this book. This book won't transform you into a killing machine. Striking vital points, beside being dangerous, requires much practice and a very good knowledge of human anatomy.
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