Knee-to-Thigh Strike.

[arnisador]

Where I study JKD, the headbutts-knees-elbows (HKE) approach is strongly emphasized, and of course a knee to the outside of the thigh is a common technique. In that regard, I found this story (http://www.tribstar.com/siteSearch/apstorysection/local_story_326000605.html) from the next county over to be interesting:


A Clay County sheriff’s deputy suffered an incapacitating foot injury Sunday afternoon in Carbon during an arrest that followed several 911 calls.

[...]

Frazier “did a defensive tactic [against Gilleland], a knee strike to the thigh, where if you hit the nerve ending it kind of stuns a person,” Heaton said. Then he did another to “try to gain control of this guy.”

When Frazier tried a third knee strike, Gilleland “twisted wrong and put [the deputy] in a bad position.”

Frazier tore his Achilles tendon. He required surgery in Terre Haute Regional Hospital and will be in a cast for six weeks, Heaton said. Frazier is on medical leave.

Good news, bad news...they're teaching this technique to LEOs so I assume they feel there's evidence that's it's effective; yet, this person--who, the story hints, may have been under the influence of some sort of substance--withstood two such (attempted) strikes, and a third attempt resulted in significant injury to the deputy.

[Doc]

Hey arnisidor!

First off, a knee to the side of the thigh is not a nerve strike. The sciatic nerve is pretty safely buried in the center of the back of the thigh well-protected by the surrounding muscles. Secondly, during any kind of "real" situation (as opposed to training in the gym) the stress-response will be kicking in pretty hard and significantly dulling perception of pain whether the person is on drugs or not. I didn't read the whole article, so it is unclear what the LEO was trying to accomplish with his knee strikes. Regardless, such a strike shouldn't be thought of as a "fight stopper", but rather as a means to off-balance or distract the opponent...to set him up for what's coming. IMHO, it is best used as part of an entry to a takedown, lock up, or some kind of finishing blow. So I'm convinced that they work, just in the proper context...and I'm not sure of the context in the situation mentioned.

Keith

[arnisador]

Yeah, "nerve ending" can't be an accurate description of what this strike is trying to hit. I do know it can be an effective technique, however, but that as you suggest it's a good set-up/distraction for something else. I imagine they must have wanted to get him down so they could handcuff him.

[Brian R. VanCise]

Well when I went through the police academy and even up to the last time I took a PPCT & Defensive Tactics course the knee to the Common Peroneal strike was still being advocated and still considered highly effective. LEO's are also taught to target the common peroneal regularly with batons, ASP etc. It has had good success but like everything it does not work all the time. Pressure points in general sometimes work and sometimes they just do not. That is why you must have other tools that you can go to in the moment.