A peroneal strike is a temporarily disabling blow to the common fibular (peroneal) nerve of the leg, just above the

knee In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the human leg, leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest join ...

. The attacker aims roughly a

hand A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the koala (which has two opposable thumbs on each " ...

span above the exterior side of the knee, towards the back of the leg. This causes a temporary loss of

motor control Motor control is the regulation of movement in organisms that possess a nervous system. Motor control includes reflexes as well as directed movement. To control movement, the nervous system must integrate multimodal sensory information (both f ...

of the leg, accompanied by numbness and a painful tingling sensation from the point of impact all the way down the leg, usually lasting anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 hours in duration. The strike is commonly made with the knee, a baton, or

shin kick Shin may refer to: Biology * The front part of the human leg below the knee * Shinbone, the tibia, the larger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates Names * Shin (given name) (Katakana: シン, Hiragana: しん), a Japanese gi ...

, but can be done by anything forcefully impacting the nerve. The technique is a part of the

pressure point derive from the supposed meridian points in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Indian Ayurveda and Siddha medicine, and martial arts. They refer to areas on the human body that may produce significant pain or other effects when manipulated in a specif ...

control tactics used in

martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

s and by

law enforcement agent The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

s. The peroneal strike was used against detainees during the 2002 Bagram torture and prisoner abuse scandal.Rashid, Ahmed. ''Descent into Chaos: The U.S. and the Disaster in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia''. 2008. New York: Viking Penguin, 2009

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peroneal Strike Law enforcement techniques Violence

See also

References