People ask me all the time how to train for pressure point knockouts. In this video lesson I talk about the best way to do it. It is for martial artists, boxers and self-defence students who want a strike to the right target to have far more effect.

Before anything else, a word on safety. Knockouts are serious. Train with control, with a cooperative partner you trust, and never strike the head or neck hard in practice. Learn the target and the angle at low power first.

A Knockout Is About Target and Angle

A knockout is not about how big or strong you are. Boxers have known this for a long time: a clean shot on the jaw at the right angle drops people, while a harder shot on the forehead often does nothing. That is a pressure point whether you call it one or not.

So the first thing to train is accuracy. You need to know where the target is, and the angle the strike has to travel along to get the biggest reaction. Hitting near the point is not the same as hitting the point.

Relaxed Power, Not Tension

The second thing is how you deliver the strike. A tense, swinging punch looks powerful but loses a lot of its energy. A short, relaxed strike that travels through the target puts far more into it. This is what I call a waveform, and it is why smaller and older people can still hit very hard.

How To Practise It

A sensible progression looks like this:

  • Learn the location of each target on a partner, slowly and lightly
  • Learn the angle of the strike and practise it in the air and on a bag
  • Train relaxed, short power on equipment, not on people
  • Add movement, so you can find the target while your partner is moving
  • Only then add speed and light contact, always under supervision

Taking your opponent's balance first makes every target easier to hit and more effective. Someone who is falling or off-line cannot protect the point you are going for.

The Common Mistakes

The most common mistakes I see are chasing too many points, hitting at the wrong angle and trying too hard. Pick a few good targets, train them well, and stay relaxed.

Take It Further

The Pressure Point Fighting Course takes you through the targets, angles and drills step by step. If you want to add real power to your strikes, look at Power Black.