Ah, these were the days...
Imagine yourself in such a magical place, wood buildings, dirt roads, and train hop'n just to pass the time.
During this era was a pugilist named Daniel Mendoza. This guy knew his shit, believe me. At the end of this post, I will link up some "further reading" about Mendoza, but for now, here is his definition of "The Mark".
I think that just about says it. What Mendoza was talking about is what we know as, "The Solar Plexus".
This spot is located just about where the ribs end on the center of your body. Anyone who has had "The wind knocked out of them" more than likely was hit in the solar plexus.
The impact can temporarily stun the Diaphragm. The impact causes an abnormal amount of pain and also causes the breathing to halt for a second. The result typically is the person curling up to protect that spot, and try to regain air. Some of my research has suggested that your body shuts down many of it's parts to regain your breath, thus weakening your whole body or even damaging tissue outside of your respiratory system.
The reason this is Blue is this: A firm strike does so much damage that regardless of pain threshold, your body protects itself by preforming the actions listed above. Many people who are hit here with perfect health will double over.
The way to kick it into the Red: A hard enough punch of course can be fatal. It's extremely rare and I have never once seen it happen. But there is documentation out there of the Abdominal Aorta being ruptured and killing the person.
Of course, if you hit like a sissy, or you hit someone with an extremely strong core, you will only keep this in the green territory.
I have more personal experiance with this target than any other. This is the classic "playground sucker punch" spot. I have seen friends, enemies, and strangers get hit here and double over.
Don't try this at home:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MciLrVWcP8w
I'm not sure what kind of "school" would do this, but run, don't walk from a teacher like this one. If Chris or I ever tell you to, "hold weights, move your feet apart, and stand there while I hit you". Please leave without paying your mat fee because Aliens have taken over our bodies and most likely your brains will be sucked from your skull....
Further Explination from some kind of British Robot...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bktQ6UWSB98&feature=related
I have also hit people there and been hit there. I can tell you from experience, that even if it doesn't fully stun your diaphragm, it does keep it from functioning at 100%. Each time I have been hit there, I have to watch my breathing and control my core. Each strike takes a little bit out of you, and you have to regain your breathing.
I have personally never been knocked out from this blow.
Many football hits that "level" people are from this kind of impact. The shoulder of a running defensive back or some other such human missile can deliver this blow effectively. It's not just for striking.
I have a video for you all that showcases some body punches. Here are the highlights to watch for:
Number 9: A non-striking "The Mark" K.O.
Number 7: A center line punch that really sticks it. *Note the weight transfer and back heel!
Number 5: We don't teach this kind of thing, but it shows the power of strong strike(s) to The Mark!
Number 3: Knee Strike from fairly close range. We don't like to throw knees to high, but in this case, it works!
Number 2: Mechanical Failure doesn't always happen quickly! There is often a delay with this sort of thing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9R8n-J-buwA
For those of you who have watched all the videos, you will notice that many of them showcase some spots for future "Targeting and Human Anatomy" episodes.
Hope to see you all at class!
Further Mendoza Reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Mendoza
http://www.sirwilliamhope.org/Library/Mendoza/
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