Vital Points

Below the vital points of the body are listed. A vital point is a part of the body that, when attacked in the right way (force, angle, accuracy) can cause paralysis, unconsiousness or even death. Attacks to nerves can lead to nausea, headaches or worse.
This page is only here to complete the theory overview of Taekwon-Do. This information should only be used to increase your knowledge of the body and of Taekwon-Do. It is not meant to be used without the supervision of a qualified instructor.

The impact on vital points is indicated by numbers as follows:

  1. Moderate pain
  2. Sharp pain
  3. Severe pain
  4. Unconsiousness or temporary paralysis
  5. Fatal
The body counts about 280 vitalpoints so this list is far from complete.

Head front

Number  Description  Result of light impact  Result of full-power attack 
Top of head 
Forehead 
Temple 
Cheekbone 
Neck artery 
Cervical trachea 
Glabella 
Intraocular pressure 
Eyeball  2/3  4/5 
10  Philtrum  1/2  3/4 
11  Jaw 
12  Chin 
13  Adam's apple 
 

Body front

Number  Description  Result of light impact  Result of full-power attack 
Center of the torax 
Lower end of sternum 
Solar plexus 
Center of abdomen 
Inner thigh 
Center of instep 
Brest 
Thorax flank 
Flank pit of waist 
10  Groin 
11  Upper knee-edge 
12  Shin 
 

Body back

Number  Description  Result of light impact  Result of full-power attack 
Back of the neck 
(several parts of) backbone 
Outside op upperarm 
Outerwrist 
Hipnerve 
Achilles heel 
Kidneys 
Elbow (just below) 
Coccyx  4/5 
10  Pit of thumb and first-finger 
11  Knee pit 
 

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Credit for this text & graphics belongs to "Barrel" (http://www.barrel.net) and Chris Barker, South Africa.
(Thanks for saving me a lot of typing)