Prometheus: The George Dillman Story

By George Dillman and His Students

Prometheus is the first and only biography "authorized or otherwise"of Grandmaster 10th-Degree Black Belt, George A. Dillman . . . irrefutably one of the pioneers of the Eastern martial arts in post-World War II America. For anyone with an interest in the evolution of these arts in the West, Dillman's experience provides a veritable Who's Who of those exciting times. The author is acknowledged as perhaps the foremost authority on Pressure Point Theory applied to the martial arts in the U.S. Prometheus details the kind of hard science that Dillman engaged and sponsored (cadaver studies, EKG studies, electrical and neurological monitoring, thermal imaging) of Eastern Pressure Point Theory. Three medical doctors and a SWAT officer, among his highest ranking students, add their expertise to this book with reports of their investigations of Dillman's methods. Having trained under the likes of Harry Smith, Danny Pai and Hohan Soken, Dillman was one of the most-awarded competitors on the tournament circuit in the 1960s and '70s, and received advanced instructor certifications in a wide variety of martial arts. Dillman was always dedicated to sharing the work's benefits for both health and self-defense. During the 1980s and '90s, for example, he partnered with other great Headmasters, Wally Jay (Small Circle Jujitsu), Remy Presas (Modern Arnis) and Leo Fong (Wei Kuen Do), to give seminars all over the world. With testimonies from 50 of his peers and students (now teachers), the book is a record of his contributions to others, both personal and professional. As much of the narrative is offered in Dillman's own words, the reader meets the man himself, his unvarnished prose, his quirky interactions with animals (even cougars and bears!), his irrepressible sense of humor, and his sheer determination in pushing limits in whatever he undertook. George is now the CEO of Dillman Karate International, a global organization with hundreds of affiliated schools and tens of thousands of students.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kalindi Press
• Release date: Mar 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781935826330

Book preview

PROMETHEUS

The George Dillman Story

PROMETHEUS

The George Dillman Story

George A. Dillman

With His Students

KALINDI PRESS

Chino Valley, Arizona

© 2014, Peter Hobart All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of quotes used in critical articles and reviews.

Cover Design: Peter Hobart and Zac Parker, Kadak Graphics

Interior Design and Layout: Kubera Book Design, Prescott, Arizona

eBook ISBN: 978-1-935826-33-0

Kalindi Press

P.O. Box 4410

Chino Valley, AZ 86323

800-381-2700

http://www.kalindipress.com

Disclaimer: The material in this book is intended for educational purposes only. No one should undertake the practice of self‐defense or healing without qualified instruction and supervision, and an awareness of the criminal and civil limitations on the use of force in self‐defense and the practice of medicine. Physical combat is an inherently dangerous activity. Medical diagnosis and treatment should be provided by qualified healthcare professionals. The author, publisher and distributors are not responsible in any manner for any injury or liability that may result from practicing—or attempting to practice—the techniques described herein. Any application of the information contained herein is at the reader’s sole and exclusive risk. As a result of the risk of injury to oneself and others, prior to engaging in any type of self‐defense program it is important to consult both a professional martial arts instructor and a licensed physician.

For Susie and my family, and the many fine and

dedicated martial artists whose paths have

crossed with my own over the years.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the kind contributions of the following people:

Senior practitioners Chris Thomas and Will Higginbotham for their assistance over the years in general, as well as their specific contributions in the Foreword and China sections of this work, respectively.

Dr. Ralph Buschbacher, Dr. Charles Terry, Dr. Robert Joseph and Dr. Steven Stewart for applying their medical and scientific expertise to martial practices of both harming and healing, and sharing the results of their inquiries herein.

Military/police officers Daniel Young, Anthony Everett, Dexter Brown and the many other DKI men and women in uniform, for their service to the nation and their willingness to test and report the efficacy of their training in real world situations.

Kim Foreman (Dillman) for telling the stories and providing the pictures that no one else could, in particular those involving the cross-country tour and the animal menagerie.

The Dillman Family as a whole, for their many submissions and responses to questions that ensure the story is properly told.

The extended DKI Family, from across the nation and around the world, for their generous contributions that form the heart and soul of this work.

Sterling Johnson for many kindnesses including answering endless questions and taking photographs of virtually every major event discussed.

Bryan R. Schultz and Holly Prescott for all their hard work in compiling thousands of photographs for this work.

Contents

Prometheus—

Fire From the Gods

According to Greek legend, Prometheus was the son of a Titan; a race of immortals who ruled the ancient world during the Golden Age until they were overthrown by a new generation of deities known as the Olympians. Prometheus was fearless and remained undaunted by the supposed omnipotence of the new ruler, Zeus.

Prometheus set out to prove that Zeus was not infallible by offering him two sacrifices, one of which had a pleasing exterior but was worthless within, and the other of which had the opposite characteristics. Zeus was fooled into choosing the worthless offering, and in his anger at having been tricked, took the secret of fire away from humanity.

Prometheus, however, stole the secret of fire back from the gods and returned it, so that all people might once again share in that powerful knowledge. For this deed, humankind was eternally grateful, but Zeus punished Prometheus by chaining him to a huge stone where a great eagle would swoop down every day to devour his liver.

A less well known aspect of the legend is that Prometheus was eventually freed by the hero Hercules, and went on to warn Zeus of a great threat to his life, thereby reconciling these two mythic figures.

Opinions differ as to whether Prometheus should be hailed for his bravery and cunning in returning fire to its rightful owners or condemned for his transgression against the Olympians. But one thing is clear: Prometheus played a pivotal role in the development of human knowledge, bringing light to a place where there was once only darkness.

Prometheus Carrying Fire—Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)

Foreword

by Chris Thomas

If you are reading this book, you likely already know who George Dillman is. But, on the off chance that this book is your introduction to him, then know that he is one of the most recognizable martial arts teachers in the world. He is a renowned expert in kyusho-jitsu (pressure point fighting) and since the mid-eighties he has traveled the world teaching martial artists how to incapacitate opponents with little effort by touching and striking nerves and acupuncture points.

The methods of kyusho-jitsu were once secret teaching, so few martial arts teachers even knew them. If Louis Pasteur was right that Fortune favors the prepared mind, then fortune favored George Dillman, who found himself in the right places, at the right times, to learn these methods. As a result, what were once secret teachings are now accessible skills for the dedicated martial arts practitioner.

One would think that this would be viewed as a positive thing in the martial arts community. For as long as I have known George Dillman, however, there has been controversy around him. Early on, some said that pressure points weren’t real; they were simply chop-sockey mythology. Others argued that pressure points were too dangerous to teach openly. For the most part, these two criticisms have disappeared, falling victim to the fact that: (1) George Dillman has knocked out so many people, and (2) they are still alive to talk about it.

Later, the criticism changed to: Sure, pressure points work in the school or the demonstration, but not in a real fight. But even this argument has lost conviction over time, as more and more practitioners of pressure point fighting survive real-world encounters using those skills, and people see the power of pressure points in real fights all the time. Even the casual viewer of mixed-martial arts (MMA) has seen light-strike knockouts in the ring when a punch lands right on the button. Pressure point practitioners can describe and demonstrate those buttons at any time (though the MMA experience also demonstrates that the well-rounded martial artist has more than one tool in his toolbox).

In the late 1990s, Bob Pit Bull Golden, a student of Dillman’s, demonstrated a knockout that required virtually no physical contact at all. This event triggered an exploration among the Dillman group of an ancient fighting method known as toate-jitsu, or the no touch knockout (Toate-jitsu literally means distance [to] hit [ate] fighting method [jitsu]). In Chinese martial arts, especially ichuan, it is called ling kong jing, which is usually translated, empty force. But since the idea of a knockout performed without physical contact of any kind flies in the face of accepted expectations, the debunkers, doubters and deniers were (and still are) out in force. In response, I will only repeat here what I have said elsewhere:

For a doubter to prove that a no-touch knockout is impossible, he must prove that it can never be done. For the practitioner to prove that toate-jitsu is possible, on the other hand, he only has to do it once, and reproduce it a second time. Since the latter goal has already been achieved time and time again, the real questions are: What is the mechanism (or mechanisms) behind the phenomenon? And, What are the practical values and limitations of the method?

In many ways, criticism of George Dillman the man is more intense than the criticism of the methods. Some say that Dillman has a big ego. If that’s so, why does he turn over large portions of his seminars to his senior students to teach and allow anyone, of any rank or affiliation, to get up and demonstrate a technique? Others say that Dillman is all about self-promotion. If that’s so, why does he encourage his students to teach their own seminars around the world and produce their own teaching materials? Still others continue to doubt that pressure point techniques actually work. If that’s so, why is there such a long list of those who have become believers because they have experienced the techniques?

I was changing back into street clothes after a seminar one weekend, when I overheard an interesting comment. The speaker had trained in a few different arts, including a type of Ryukyu Kempo, and I heard him say, I expected Dillman to be able to do it; but I didn’t expect all his people to be able to do it too. This, ultimately, is the answer to any and all critics of George Dillman: He can do it, and his people can do it too.

Chris Thomas, Ninth Dan, Ryukyu Kempo

I have, for a long time, been a business partner with George Dillman in the production and publication of books on pressure point fighting, so I know how honest and savvy he is. I have, for a long time, been a friend of George Dillman, so I know how interesting and funny he is. I have, for a long time, been a confidante of George Dillman, so I know how generous and vulnerable his heart is. But all of these things have come to pass first and foremost because I have for a long time been a student of George Dillman. And, as his student, I have found him to be open in his teaching, eager to share all he knows, and glad to have his students discover new things so that he might learn from them. And because of George Dillman, I can do it too.

I

The Early Years

1942-1961

George Dillman’s grandfather, Charles W. Cart

George Anthony Dillman III was born in the Fitzgerald-Mercy hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 23, 1942. Of Irish and German ancestry, his family had sailed to the United States from England several generations before, bringing with them only a few possessions, including an antique china tea set that remains in the family to this day. Dillman notes wryly that the Germans and the Irish like two things, drinking and brawling, so he was destined to be a fighter. His paternal great grandfather—George Dillman I—was the mayor of Darby (Pennsylvania) for some time, and enacted local legislation that remains in effect there even today.

George spent his earliest years in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania, but, when he was still a young child, his family moved to Schuylkill Haven (also in Pennsylvania) just up the road from the training camp in Deer Lake where he would one day come to teach seminars on a regular basis. Even as a child, young George wasted no time in gaining a measure of local notoriety.

George Dillman at age five

At the age of five I robbed a bank . . . sort of. My parents had bought me a little cowboy outfit—hat, gun and so on. Well, they made the mistake of taking me into the local branch of the Schuylkill Haven Trust Bank where a family friend, Bill McGlinchy, was the president. Now at that age I couldn’t say Bill, so I just called him Bull. The next thing they knew I had taken out my toy gun and told Bull to give me all the money! The newspaper ran a little story on it the next day: FIVE YEAR OLD ROBS BANK . . . or something like that.

Dillman’s parents were divorced while he was quite young. Although he only met his real father—George Dillman II—once, at the age of six, he was told that the man was a drinker, a gambler and a cheater. In time, this behavior was more than his mother, Elizabeth Cart, could bear, so she divorced him and moved to Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania, to live with an aunt. A few years after he met his father for the first and only time, George II was shot and killed by an angry husband.

In Schuylkill Haven, Dillman’s mother met Chester L. Mengle, the man who was to become young George’s stepfather. Mengle had just retired from a career in the United States Army. During the Second World War he had taught self-defense to soldiers, and was the first command sergeant major in the U.S. armed forces. Dillman attributes much of his interest in the military and the martial arts to the influence of his stepfather. Prior to George’s beginning judo lessons at the age of nine, for example, Mengle had taught him some of the rudiments of self-defense, including punches, kicks and the use of pepper powder.

When I was a kid there was a judo class at the Pottsville YMCA, and at the age of nine I enrolled. By the time I was twelve I was starting to think it was pretty cool; but then the instructor moved away to Pittsburgh and it all fell apart, and I had nothing. It was there that I first learned the basic hip throws, the foot sweep and other types of takedowns.

Sometime between eleventh and twelfth grade Dillman had a physical altercation with his stepfather. The young man soon moved out and got his own apartment. He supported himself by taking a variety of jobs, as he had done for years, including fighting in so-called smokers.

I had many jobs: I delivered newspapers on the way to school; I sold things door to door; I wrapped gifts at a jewelry store every holiday season; I worked at a leather store for a while; I even did a stint as a barber. At one point my mom was jealous because I was making more money than her, and she was working a forty-hour week while I only had part-time jobs! This was especially true when I started boxing, because on a good night I could make what she made all week.

George Dillman’s mother Elizabeth Cart and stepfather Chester L. Mengle

George Dillman’s first house

During those early years I boxed on the F.O.B. Circuit (Friends of Boxing) out of the Pottsville Area YMCA. Charles Meagher was the physical director. Tony Super was my coach and manager. Les Carrell was the organizer. We fought at armories in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Altoona, and at least one time down in Philadelphia. These were known as smokers because everyone was drinking and smoking and calling you names. I had a tough time dealing with all that, but I fought to make money. We were paid three dollars a round, five if we won and twenty for the knockout. I used to sit around in the locker room afterwards and look at the element I was in and think, This ain’t for me, I’ve got to get out of this.

My record was 25-3 when I finished. I fought twice more in the military and won, representing our barracks, so my overall boxing record would be 27-3.

Dillman has had three wives and has fathered four children, one of whom was given up for adoption at birth. His second wife Kim is a master martial artist in her own right, and even after their divorce, they continue to work well together, giving credit to each other for the role each has played in the other’s life.

Which George Is Which?

Grandmaster George Anthony Dillman was born George Dillman III. The Grandmaster’s father was George Dillman Jr. (George Dillman II). The Grandmaster’s grandfather was George Dillman Sr. (George Dillman I). The Grandmaster’s son is therefore George Dillman IV. Since the passing of the elder two George’s, the Grandmaster now uses George Dillman Senior in referring to himself, and George Dillman Junior when referring to his son. (If that sounds confusing, imagine what it must be like in George Foreman’s household.)

I met my first wife, Sandy Hinkle, at a high school dance. This was at a time when I had my own apartment. After the dance we went back to that apartment and . . . let’s just say we celebrated. We wound up having my first son, George, that way.

Sandra Hinkle and George Dillman

Sandy and I had two more children together—my daughter Cheryl, and my youngest son Allen. We were married for twelve years and had a somewhat happy marriage for a while; but I ended up straying. Kim [George’s second wife] was in my class, and we went to one too many tournaments together…

Kim started training with me in martial arts when she was in high school at age sixteen. One thing led to another . . . and when Sandy found out about it, a big feud developed. The two of them were going to fight for a while. Sandy wasn’t a martial artist, but she had been around me and Danny [Pai] and Bruce [Lee] for long enough to know what to do. Thankfully that fight didn’t happen.

George Dillman and son George Dillman IV

We got divorced in 1972 and divided everything down the middle. I went on with my life and married Kim in August of 1978. Sandy and I are still on good terms. In fact, she posed for a picture once with me, and Kim, and my current wife; and when people see that they say, "I don’t know

Reviews for Prometheus

[Bill · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting life story and good for anyone who practices martial arts of any sort.