Vital Points (Keupsoh)

The vital points of the body are listed below. A vital point is a part of the body that, when attacked in the right way (force, angle, accuracy), can cause paralysis, unconsciousness or even death. Attacks to nerves can lead to nausea, headaches or worse.

This information should only be used to increase your knowledge of the body and of Taekwondo, it is not meant to be used without the supervision of a qualified instructor.

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

  1. Moderate pain
  2. Sharp pain
  3. Severe pain
  4. Unconsciousness or temporary paralysis
  5. Fatal

The body has about 280 vital points so this list is far from complete.

The front of the head

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

The front of the body

Number Description Result of light impact Result of full-power attack
1 Center of the torax 2 4
2 Lower end of sternum 3 5
3 Solar plexus 3 5
4 Center of abdomen 2 4
5 Inner thigh 2 4
6 Center of instep 2 4
7 Brest 1 3
8 Thorax flank 2 4
9 Flank pit of waist 2 4
10 Groin 3 5
11 Upper knee-edge 2 4
12 Shin 1 3

The back of the body

Number Description Result of light impact Result of full-power attack
1 Back of the neck 3 5
2 (several parts of) backbone 3 5
3 Outside of upper arm 1 4
4 Outerwrist 1 3
5 Hipnerve 2 4
6 Achilles heel 2 4
7 Kidneys 2 4
8 Elbow (just below) 1 3
9 Coccyx 2 4/5
10 Pit of thumb and first-finger 2 4
11 Kneepit 1 3