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Location Guides: |
Front Mu of the Small Intestine
Doorway to the Earth Point
Master Tung's Bowel Nest Twenty-Three
Binding point of the foot Taiyin Sinews
Meeting of Conception Vessel with Spleen, Liver, Kidney and Small Intestine Divergent
On the midline of the lower abdomen, 3 cun inferior to the umbilicus and 2 cun superior to the pubic symphysis.
Perpendicular insertion 0.5 - 1 cun, or oblique insertion directed inferiorly 1 - 1.5 cun
Deep insertion will penetrate a full bladder which should therefore be emptied before treatment. No deep needling in pregnancy, or perpendicular needling in advanced pregnancy.
"It is needled to a depth of two cun, (the needle) is retained for a duration of seven exhalations, and it is moxaed with seven cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).
Fortifies the original Qi and benefits essence
Tonifies and nourishes the Kidneys
Warms and fortifies the Spleen
Benefits the uterus and assists conception
Regulates the Lower Jiao and benefits the Bladder
Regulates Small Intestine Qi
Restores collapse
䷣ Ming Yi 明夷 Brilliance Injured
Hexagram attributions are my own with an explanation given in the glossary.
Superficial Innervation: Iliohypogastric nerve (L1)
Dermatome Segment: L1
One of the 36 vital points of Feng Yiyuan 馮一元 listed in the Wu Bei Zhi 武備志 (Treatise on Armament Technology) by Mao Yuanyi 茅元儀 (1621). In Article 24: Bronze Man Statue, which divides the body into zones associated with the Twelve-Hour branches (Shichen 時辰) going from top downwards, this point is the vital points of Wei 未 Ram (1 - 3 pm) and considered most vulnerable to an upward kick during this time (McCarthy, 2016, Bubishi: The Classic Manual of Combat).
A hard strike here in the correct direction will cause death from Qi stoppage. Struck upwards will cause immediate, extreme high blood pressure, fainting and possible death. Struck downwards will cause extreme Qi drainage with knock out. Struck straight in only will cause the Qi to slow up and possible increasing sickness and death (Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com).
This is one of the eight striking points in Northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu. These are the nonfatal areas on an attacker's body that can be struck when just defending or wanting to defeat an attacker. Described as "The points in the lower and middle abdomen" with the diagram showing them at this point and Ren-6 (Olson, 2010, The Complete Guide to Northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu). Wong Honfan (1946) describes it as "the pelvic bone" suggesting Ren-2 (Ravenswood Academy, 2020, The Eight Forbidden Strikes of Praying Mantis Fist).
One of the principle acupuncture points for fostering the original qi, improving jing (essence) and nourishing the kidneys.
Equal to Qihai Ren-6 for tonifying the Kidneys but has a stronger effect on nourishing Blood, Yin and Jing (essence) rather than Qi or yang. Both points share the name of Dantian referring to the lower energy centre.
If the Deqi sensation can propagate downwards to the genitals, this is considered especially effective for treatment of reproductive disorders. This is best achieved by angling the needle inferiorly in the direction of the genitals.
Possible location of lower Dan Tian (Deadman, 2001). See also Qihai Ren-6 and Shenque Ren-8.
Ling Shu Ch. 21, on Cold and Heat Diseases, advises this point for numbness and weakness of the four limbs due to injury with blood loss, a fall or attack by Wind and Cold. The same paragraph also recommends supplementing the three Yin conduits in instances of bony Bi when all joints are useless and ache with sweating and Heart vexation. The suggestion is that this point is to be used as an addition in those special circumstances due to its influence on all three leg Yin channels.
In Tung lineage acupuncture the Bowel Nest 23 (Fu Chao Er Shi San) are a group of points located in a line at 1 cun intervals between Ren-2 and Ren-10. An additional eight points on either side form a 4x5 grid at the levels of Ren-9 to Ren-5, also at 1 cun intervals. Ren-8, on the navel, is not included.
They are pricked using Tung's method in local disorders of pain, stagnation and heat in the abdomen such as uteritis, nephritis, umbilical area pain, enteritis, appendicitis and intestinal cancers (McCann, 2014, Pricking the Vessels).
In nine palaces abdominal acupuncture, this point is located in the region associated with ☵ Kan, Water, the north and the Kidneys and Bladder organs (Schelbert, 2014, Ryan, 2009).
Dou Cai (1164, The Book of Bian Que's Heart) reports a case of a military deserter turned bandit who burned 1000 cones of moxa on this point at the change of seasons and retained extraordinary vitality until his execution at the age of 90. He attributes this to the power of fire to preserve things for a thousand years, giving the examples of how fire can be used to make clay from earth, or charcoal from wood (Wilcox, 2025).
Medieval phlebotomy point (John de Foxton, 1408: Liber Cosmographiae, maa.cam.ac.uk)
In the Vedic tradition the Svadhishthana chakra would be located between this point and Yaoshu Du-2.
In Ayurvedic medicine:
Lad and Durve (2008) in Marma Points of Ayurveda locate a point between here and Shimen Ren-5 called Basti and associate it with the doshas: Apana Vayu, Vyana Vayu, Ranjaka Pitta and Kledaka Kapha.
They give the following functions:
- Regulates bladder and treated genitourinary dysfunction
- Regulates apana vayu
- Relieves pain
- Increases circulation and enhances function in the pelvic organs
In Indian Ayurvedic and Siddha traditions this would be the location of the Malamarmmam point, literally the "excretion blocking vital point" which arrests defecation if struck (Sieler, 2015, Lethal Spots Vital Secrets, p.41).
In Tibetan medicine:
Moxa point (AMNH, Tibetan Medical Paintings).
In the Qabalah this would be a good candidate for the location of Yesod, the Foundation. Farrow, (2007, The Psychology of the Body) does not give a precise point translation for this sephiroth but describes it as sitting "in the bowl of the pelvis" making the lower Ren points a reasonable estimate.
Basic information on location, needle depth, TCM actions, indications and combinations is taken from Deadman et al (2001): A Manual of Acupuncture with additional anatomical information researched by reference to Gray's Anatomy (38th Ed., 1995) unless otherwise referenced. Images were found on acupunctureschoolonline.com and can be traced back to Claudia Focks (2008) Atlas of Acupuncture originally. I cannot claim any credit or rights over them. Other sources should be quoted in the text.
For some of the more unusual terms I have created a glossary here
Steve Woodley Acupuncture & Traditional Medicine
90 Deane Croft Road,
Eascote, Pinner, Greater London. HA5 1SP
Tel/WhatsApp: +44 (0) 7946 174 829
Email: steve@steve-woodley.co.uk
