Anatomy and Physiology for Combatives

(A.P.C - Module Three)

Course Provider: Ibn Khattab Military Institute Online - www.ibnkhattab.com
Structural/Functional Attack Locations
Temple The side of the head just behind the eye.
Attack Methods: The Temple can be struck with blunt force and cause extreme pains and shock in
the enemy. Because of its location and proximity to the eye it can also cause the enemy to loose his
ability to see correctly. Strike the temple as if trying to strike through to the other side. A knife
pommel to the temple is also a very effective way to attack this point.

Sector 1 Temple

Sternocleidomastoid Muscle This is one of two muscles which help to turn the head from side to
side.
Attack Methods: The SCM can be struck very readily from an anterior and a posterior position. If
hit hard enough it could burst one of the major bloodlines transporting blood to the brain. Severing
the SCM with a knife would leave the enemy with a limp head and close to death if a major artery
were cut.

Sector 2 Sternocleidomastoid

The Mandible This is the place known as the chin.

Attack Methods: The mandible can be struck with blunt force from an upward angle or from a
straight direct attack from an anterior position. Striking the mandible with sufficient force will
cause unconsciousness by jarring the cerebellum.

Sector 1 Mandible

Ear The ear is the primary organ for hearing.

Attack Methods: The ear is a very weak spot, which can be attacked with blunt force by using an
openhand strike to the ear to cause damage or biting the ear and grinding through it with the teeth.
Tearing off the ear with the thumb and index fingers and slicing the ear off with a knife.

Sector 2 Ear

Septal Cartilage (Nose) Is the external part of the respiratory system of the body.
Attack Methods: It can be readily attacked from a frontal position at a 45-degree angle going
upwards which would push the septal cartilage through the inner parts of the nose towards the brain
resulting in profuse bleeding and pain. A direct attack would break the nose and cause profuse
bleeding and pain.

Straight Force

45-degree angle attack

Suprasternal Notch The V-shaped notch at the top of the sternum.

Attack Methods: The Suprasternal Notch can be pushed in with the fingers to cause pain and loss of
breath in the enemy. A powerful strike to this area could cause unconsciousness and may even
cause death. Using a knife and stabbing into and down the SN would almost certainly kill the
enemy.

The Suprasternal Notch lies

at the superior sector of the
Vertical Centerline

Clavicle these are the curved bones known as the collarbones, which lie at the anterior part of the
thorax above the ribs.
Attack Methods: The clavicle is a very nice target as it has a bad habit of breaking quite easily. It is
not uncommon to here of someone breaking a clavicle bone. A powerful force from a blunt
instrument as the hand or a stick would dislodge the clavicle from the sternum and create
excruciating pain. A knife stab into the clavicle area would reach the subclavian artery, another
important artery carrying blood through the body. This would result in a dead enemy.

Sector 2 subclavian
artery. The knife must
travel down to puncture

Sector 1 Clavicle

Ribs There are a total of 24 ribs in the body connected by the vertebral column in the back and the
sternum in the front. There are twelve ribs on each side, which protect the heart and pulmonary
organs.
Attack Methods: The ribs are very strong and thus need a powerful strike to break them. A direct
punch or kick to the ribs with sufficient power can break them, with a blunt force weapon one can
also do serious damage to the ribs. To enter the ribs and reach the vital organs they protect with a
knife, it is necessary to stab at a 45-degree angle upward in order to go in between the rib to the
organ.

Sector 1 Rib

Sector 2 attack with a knife needs

to travel between the ribs as they
run on a 45-degree angle up. Stab
upwards towards the heart.

Elbow this is the joint or bend of the arm.

Attack Methods: The elbow is very powerful when bent towards the body and very weak when bent
away from the body. Strong force against the elbow would cause it to break and cause great pain
and uselessness in the elbow. Many combat systems teach some form of breaking the elbow. It can
also be stabbed with a knife. Insert the knife and twist around destroying the cartilage and creating
extreme pain. A strong break in the elbow could result in it having to be surgically removed and
replaced with a mechanical elbow.

Sector 1 Elbow Joint

Fingers one of the extremities of the hand other than the thumb.
Attack Methods: The fingers are a perfect target to be attacked when in close quarter grappling
situations. They can be bitten, struck, and best of all broken with a simple twist of the hand. It does
not take much to break a finger except a violent snap, which will bring immediate pain and
uselessness of the finger and possibly the hand, if not physically then because of mental anguish.
When using a knife the fingers can be sliced and chopped when they are attempting to grab hold of
some part of you. Stabbing through the hand will destroy the ability to use the fingers totally.

Sector 2 Fingers

Assignment 1:
Problem solver: If you are armed with a knife in your pocket and you are being choked by an
enemy who is in a posterior position but unarmed, what would be some immediate targets you have
available to you. Please use the correct terminology. Example: A stab into the third sector thigh.
Assignment 2:
1. Grab a training partner and try to verbally go through all the structural and systemic targets on the body.
2. Verbally have your partner call out a random body part and you write it on paper.

Assignment 3:
Interview two fellow combatives practitioners or Instructors and ask them what importance they place
on A&P in their training/teaching. Try to use people from different backgrounds. Record their answers.
Submit all completed assignments together to info@ibnkhattab.com
Please allow up to two weeks for corrections and marks to be calculated.