You've just told me everything I need to know about him I believe he's somewhat "controversial" shall we say...
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1B3RVuM4SM"]magical moves dvd 1 - YouTube[/ame] just.......wow.......
I have trained with Russell a couple of times - the last a few years ago (about 5+ years I think but don't quote me) - I'd say if you got the chance to train with him then why not go along and make up your own mind as to how good he is. As to the "Europe's No1 pressure point master." that's marketing and anyone who wants to be successful needs to market themselves...
The video is interesting - without being on the receiving end (which is after all the only real test / proof) it looks like the difference between static pressure and a dynamic change of pressure - there are points on the body where that will indeed result in different responses... I was teaching at a Tai Jutsu class in Malaysia just over a week ago and showed one of those techniques... it worked
I do not doubt in the existence of pressure points. It’s just that the guy, who believes to be a syringe with poison in it and who says “this is going to sound weird” so many times, somehow just doesn't inspire confidence in me…
I will hazard a guess - that it's similar to the idea in Tai Chi that the Yi leads the Chi - your intent leads your force - by visualising the needle and poison perhaps it leads to a more confident and penetrative strike... Also, remember that a LOT of instructors have been 'exposed to' NLP or other modern teaching methods that stress using the mind to drive the body. Or it may be something else entirely...
The technique works, but why mystify it so? Also, having been on the receiving end of that technique it's A) not a fight stopper B) as such will however REALLY encourage your opponent to harm you and C) Is tactically inferior to many other options you have from there. Seriously, if you're in a position to be able to do that from there, you can knock the guy out. It's useful when hand fighting to create an opening, but that's about it.
Perhaps I should have been more clear... What I meant to write was (...)... It’s just that Russell Stutely, who believes to be a syringe with poison...(...) Techniques like this exist... I am aware of that... It is just that I do not see any practical use for such a "magical move" in a fight...
musings I think it was Sammy Davis Jr who remarked to Frank Sinatra ‘you know you are going down hill when you believe your own publicity’. And anyone marketing themselves and their product needs to be aware of that. I attended one of his seminars years ago and I cant say I learnt anything knew but Russell has a very good teaching and communication manner and that’s very important. He is extremely knowledgeable about his subject and capable in applying his methodology which is what you can expect from a Professional Martial artist. In his early days he worked a lot with Herol Graham who is generally acknowledged as one of the best British boxers of the post-war era never to have won a world title. An excellent technical boxer with phenomenal speed. If you get a chance what ever your style or method have a session with him. I am always very wary of judging someone on a snapeshot view and some good and thoughtful points have been made regarding the clip. My main observation of any technique that requires accuracy(That particular one) more than force (A good right hook) is translating that from the static teaching and learning to the fast moving bundle in the chippie on a Saturday night amongst the drunks, the tables and the bad light if you end up outside. I am not saying one cant succeed with those type of techniques but most street fights are won by strikes to the head which are gross motor skills and gross motor skills tend to have a higher success rate under stress.
That was my feelings exactly. Pressure points can be used by the police for restraint, but for self-defense??? Dilman kind of ruined it with all his claims a decade or two back.
Well before Bomber Graham. His past involvement with the dragon society says a lot, headed by Rick Moneymaker , (the second name gives it away !) and achieving his grades in super fast time also says quite a bit about him. All hugely inflated grades, in the dragon society and purely aimed at making money and inflating ego's Having said all that he is a professional and good luck to him . mike
I have never believed much in pressure points. They may work but as some one else said I think there just gonna make your opponent more angry and break those two fingers for even trying. It's in the news fairly often someone defended them selves with karate maybe even tkd / judo occasionally. Have you ever heard some one defending them selves using mystic magic fingers ................ I'm going to set it up on a Google alert just incase I'm wrong.
I've had a chance to watch the video now... The technique can work. Certainly finger pressure at the base of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (where it attaches to the medial end of the collarbone) or into the supraclavicular fossa itself can have a very impressive effect... ...on some people. The effect is rather less so on others, and generally across the board will be less effective when the person is pumped full of adrenalin, alcohol etc. Its actually not that difficult to find, at least in a grappling situation. And it can be struck from a grappling situation, as any weapon that comes to a point (eg. a finger or small stick) will naturally funnel in to more or less the right area due to the shape of the body. But there are safer ways of attacking the same area that require less accuracy and have rather less variable effects. Directly below the base of the sternocleidomastoid muscle lies the brachial plexus, which is essentially a big knot of nerves meeting together. Its important to get the angle right, but a blunt weapon like the fist or forearm will traumatise this area to very good effect. It does help to attack the point (as with many other vulnerable areas) with the right intent, so as to drive your weapon right through the target. Its just 'heavy hands' or 'hitting with your ki/chi', concepts that I'm sure many of you are familiar with. Its not magical or mysterious, its just about getting the mechanics of the movement right. As such, imagery (eg. 'sink your chi into the target') can help people get the right feel for the technique. So in principle I don't see anything wrong in providing such imagery to help students learn the mechanics of a movement. But sometimes the imagery becomes the main message and becomes unnecessarily complex at the same time. After all, if you want to keep selling magic it has to become ever increasingly arcane or your audience gets bored and stops stumping up the cash. The whole syringe thing seems like an example of this. You can see the dramatic difference in intent in the video. The second time the technique is shown there's rather more speed and power expressed, the victim isn't expecting it and he isn't actively resisting. All more relevant IMO than what flavour poison you've got in your syringe. Mike
I always thought that big Russian guy was a good pressure point master, pressing his fist against the point of his opponents face.
Well let's keep in mind that in a fighting situation there is a very VERY unlikely that you will ever catch anybody out with pressure points. Then you also ave to remember that some people just don't feel them.
I had to stop watching it when he said the syringe was full of chocolate chip ice cream... I don't care if the technique works or not to be honest, I was in bits laughing at the idea of assault by chocolate chip ice cream! That is going to keep me laughing till at least Monday!
