Book excerpt: The martial arts world is rife with tales of ancient masters who could cause instant or delayed death or illness by attacking secret points on the human body. But to the Western mind, the concept of striking acupuncture points to disrupt the internal energy, or chi, seems like hocus-pocus. Thus, many serious martial artists dismiss the ancient art of dim-mak (also known as kyusho jitsu), which is literally translated as "death touch," as nothing more than fiction. However, if one can accept the idea that a dim-mak point is an avenue for attacking the nervous system, then it becomes easier to understand how striking specific points or groups of points can devastate the organs and the cardiovascular system. In this book, Dr. Michael Kelly, an osteopathic physician and experienced dim-mak practitioner, explains dim-mak's effects based on medical science. In layman's terms, Dr. Kelly reveals the physiological basis for what is clearly a very real and dangerous method of fighting. In the process of unraveling the mystery of this legendary art, Dr. Kelly makes the true genius of its founders brutally, and painfully, apparent.