Atemite

Pressing and Striking the Nerve Points

About 250 spots on the human body are sensitive to pressure, blows, and thrusts. Hitting them on purpose is atemite. The effects vary widely. Some points cause only harmless pain that makes the opponent give up. Sixty-nine count as critical, because a hit can cause unconsciousness, paralysis, or death. These are the places where nerve centers, vital organs, or dense clusters of blood vessels lie.

A ninja knows the points of the body precisely, both to protect themselves better and to defend themselves effectively.

For atemiatemi 当身 to work, the strike must be mastered perfectly and placed with great precision, on the smallest possible area. If you don’t want to kill your opponent outright, you have to judge their constitution and measure the force of the blow accordingly.

To protect yourself, strong chest and abdominal muscles are essential.

The 69 Target Zones

For each zone, the table gives its number on the chart, the preferred body weapons, and the effect of a hit.

No.	Target	Body Weapons	Effect
1	fontanel	front fist, back of the fist, edge of the hand, back of the heel	death
2	frontal bone	back of the fist	death
3	back of the head	fist, heel, elbow	death
4	temple	back of the fist, knuckle fist, edge of the hand, ball of the foot	death, fainting
5	eyebrows	knee, fist	impaired vision
6	eye socket	fingertips, thumbs	impaired vision
7	eyes	fingertips, thumbs	impaired vision
8	bridge of the nose	knuckle fist, edge of the hand, ball of the foot, head, fist	death, fainting
9	outer ear canal	palm	impaired hearing
10	cheekbones	edge of the hand, fist	fracture
11	nasal bone	head, edge of the hand, fist	fainting
12	above the upper lip	edge of the hand	fainting
13	behind the ear	fingers	fainting, death
14	upper lip	edge of the hand	fainting
15	jaw	fist, elbow, head, knee	fainting
16	lower lip	edge of the hand, fist	impaired vision and hearing
17	salivary gland	fingers, knuckles	fainting
18	between lower lip and chin	edge of the hand	fainting
19	lower jaw	elbow, edge of the hand, fist	fracture
20	point of the chin	head, fist, elbow, knee	fainting, broken jaw
21	sinus bone	edge of the hand, fingers	unconsciousness, death
22	carotid artery	edge of the hand, fingers	fainting
23	epiglottis	edge of the hand, fingers	fainting, death
24	laryngeal pit	edge of the hand, fingers	fainting, death
25	windpipe	fingers, edge of the hand	unconsciousness, death
26	nape of the neck	elbow, edge of the hand, foot edge	paralysis, death
27	hollow above the collarbone	fingers	fracture
28	collarbone	edge of the hand	fracture
29	hollow below the collarbone	fingers	paralysis
30	armpit	edge of the hand, fist, nerve pressure, foot edge, fingers	death
31	chest	heel, front fist, elbow	fainting, death
32	nipples	claws, fist, heel	unconsciousness, death
33	breastbone	fist, elbow, foot, front fist	fainting, death
34	heart	fingertip, fist, elbow, head, front fist, heel	death
35	apex of the heart	fingertip, elbow, head, front fist	death
36	tops of the lungs	fist, heel	fainting, death
37	xiphoid process	elbow, knee, front fist, fist	fainting, death
38	ribs	fist	fracture, internal injuries
39	rib cage	edge of the hand, elbow, front fist, ball of the foot, foot edge, heel	death
40	solar plexus	fingertip, elbow, front fist, knuckle fist, bottom of the fist, heel, claw, thumb	fainting, death
41	spleen	fist, fingertip, edge of the hand, front fist, elbow, heel	death
42	short rib	edge of the hand, foot	death, fainting
43	stomach	fist, foot, elbow, back of the fist, front fist, edge of the fist, ball of the foot, heel, knee	fainting
44	ridge of the shoulder blade	edge of the hand, fist	paralyzed shoulder
45	2nd cervical vertebra	edge of the hand, elbow, knee, foot edge	death, fainting
46	5th cervical vertebra	elbow, knee	death, fainting
47	7th vertebra	elbow, knee	paralysis, death
48	elbow joint	fist, edge of the hand	fracture
49	kidneys	fist, edge of the hand, elbow, nerve pressure	death
50	lumbar vertebrae	elbow, heel, knee	paralysis, fracture
51	fingers	fingers	overextension, fracture
52	wrist	edge of the hand, hands	overextension, fracture
53	back of the hand	heel	fracture
54	navel	fist, elbow, knee	fainting, death
55	bladder	fist, elbow, heel, foot edge	internal injuries, death
56	groin	fist, foot	fainting, death
57	testicles	instep, knee, fist, fingers	fainting, death
58	kneecap	foot edge	fracture, paralysis
59	cruciate ligaments	knee, elbow, heel	paralysis
60	shin	foot edge	paralysis
61	inner ankle	foot	fracture, overextension
62	instep	heel	fracture, bruise
63	sacrum	heel, knee, elbow, fist	paralysis
64	tailbone	foot, knee, fist	paralysis, death
65	back of the knee	foot edge	overextension
66	calf muscle	heel, foot, edge of the hand	bruise, paralysis
67	fibula	foot	paralysis, fracture
68	outer ankle	foot, foot edge	fracture
69	Achilles tendon	foot edge, fingers	torn tendon