Talk:Vulcan nerve pinch

Exclusive to Vulcans?

the only non-Vulcan seen unsuccessfully attempting a nerve pinch is Leonard McCoy in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, so in the strict canon of Star Trek it cannot be said for certain that the technique is exclusive to that race.

seems to contradict

Commander Data, an android, as well as humans Jean-Luc Picard and Jonathan Archer have also been shown doing the neck pinch.

Which is correct? --Keeves 15:33, 26 Apr 2005 (UTC)

The second. McCoy was the only human TOS character to perform it. (Alphaboi867 00:21, 11 May 2005 (UTC))

I'm glad you took that section out, because from my POV, not even McCoy performed it, at least not entirely without help: In that scene in The Search For Spock, McCoy was under heavy influence of Spock's katra, which enabled him to do it. --Keeves 03:12, 11 May 2005 (UTC)

---

Not only could the nerve pinch be used on humanoid life forms, but it can be used on some other lifeforms as well. Star Trek V shows Spock using a nerve pinch on a horse-like lifeform. So I changed the article to reflect that.
JesseG 03:51, 18 November 2005 (UTC)

Wasn't there one episode where Kirk, once more seeing Spock peacefully subdue someone, told Spock he'd have to teach him that some day? And Spock replied that he'd tried several times. So it can't be something unique to Vulcan physiology or telepathic powers or anything like that. 140.147.160.78 13:40, 19 December 2006 (UTC)Stephen Kosciesza

Spaceballs

Shouldn't this be mentioned?

• I don't think so. If we start mentioning every parody that happens to feature something nerve-pinch-like, we'd never get done. --Kamagurka 09:16, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

Sure about the Pistol whip?

TV.com states that the original script called for a karate chop from Nimoy, not a pistol whip (have you ever seen a pistol in a non-timetravel trek episode?). Anyway, the pistol whip thing needs a source that tops tv.com. --Kamagurka 09:14, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

• I have no info, but it could have been meant with a phaser. That could be refered to as a pistol whip. 140.147.160.78 13:44, 19 December 2006 (UTC)Stephen Kosciesza

The Star Trek Encyclopedia (1994 edition) says it was a karate chop to which Nimoy objected -- no mention of a pistol whip. However, that at least is a reputable source to cite for the fact that he suggested the neck pinch at all! Dave-ros 19:20, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

• Matheson's June 8, 1966, Final Draft script has Spock "lunge" from concealment and he "kayoes" the double. Later McCoy reproaches Spock for the "rap" he gave the double's head. Nothing else. Sir Rhosis (talk) 08:47, 29 December 2007 (UTC)

EMH and Changlings

Odo has used the move and after merging with "The Link" now almost his whole race knows it.

The EMH's (I - IV) detailed anatomy and physiology knowledge.

The Action Hero's Handbook

There is a book called "[http://www.amazon.com/Action-Heros-Handbook-Perform-Fugitive/dp/193168605X/sr=8-1/qid=1167025521/ref=sr_1_1/105-6767405-0751611 The Action Hero's Handbook]", which among other things, gives step-by step instructions to preforming a nerve pinch. Should that book be mentioned in the article? 141.154.165.121 05:47, 25 December 2006 (UTC)

Nerve pinch was invented earlier!

Hi!

I know the whole Star Trek old series. Therefore I am quite sure that the nerve pinch was invented earlier than in the episode "The enemy within".

In the episode "Where no man has gone before" (which originally was the second pilot film and therefore is the oldest episode within the series) Spock clearly tries to apply this pinch to Lt. Gary Mitchell who is just a bit quicker and manages to repulse his adversary by discharging some kind of flash on him.

Best regards

Harald —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 80.141.212.149 (talk) 20:14, 8 April 2007 (UTC).

Does it actually work?

There should be a citation in the article stating wether it works or not. - Thero

As far as i can say, there are similar grips, which affect nerves and blood vessels. They are thaught in some material arts and do work. But most who know those, don't want to eplain them to people without the proper training, because if done wrong, you can seriously injure someone and it takes some training to aply those.

The medical literature does not describe any kind of neck pinch ("vagus nerve" or otherwise) rendering a person unconscious. Pain applied to any part of the body can be intense enough to cause loss of consciousness, but saying so does not mean that there is a "real life" Vulcan neck pinch. The statement in the article should be removed unless someone can back it up with a valid reference. (As to "martial arts" experts, they say alot of things......) 140.139.35.250 (talk) 15:48, 3 November 2008 (UTC)

Number of times VNP used by Spock

There should be a total of times used. Septagram 04:26, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

Death Grip in "Amok Time"

Cut this:

When Spock and Kirk were pitted in a battle to the death while Spock was in the throes of pon farr, he believed that he had killed the captain with a death grip. However, it was actually McCoy’s doing, having administered a drug which rendered the captain unconscious and lowered his vital signs to an undetectable level.

That's not exactly accurate: what Spock did was garrote Kirk with a nunchuku-like weapon called the ahn-woon. It was not a bare-handed move. Ellsworth (talk) 01:21, 12 January 2008 (UTC)

Removed Faulty Information

Removed: "However, this would likely require bilateral pressure and, again, would not be instantaneous." massage of the carotid sinus does not need to be bilateral http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotid_sinus Any basic medical physiology text can explain the mechanism in more detail. (For instance Boron Walter F., Boulpaep Emile L.: Medical Physiology)

probably a mistake

"Similarly, the subclavian nerve pinch is known in certain Asian martial arts. Properly applied, it can render a human unconscious for several minutes."

in Asian martial arts the act was based on completely another theory, which is derived from/similar to the acupuncture in Traditional Chinese Medicine: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuxia#Skills_and_abilities —Preceding unsigned comment added by 119.119.50.129 (talk) 12:40, 29 April 2009 (UTC)

Removed Faulty Information (again)

I was not the one that removed the faulty information above, but I removed it again. The neck pressure receptors, located at the left and right carotid sinuses, are inhibitory in nature, so activation of one of them is enough to ellicit a drop in blood pressure. Bilateral activation is not required.

Also, the blood pressure drop response is quite fast and measured in a few seconds.

Luke poa (talk) 19:30, 4 December 2009 (UTC)

This is true, but the time it takes is significantly longer than the time it takes for Spock to render someone unconscious. 65.48.136.234 (talk) 04:54, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Merge

I've suggested this page be merged with Vulcan (Star Trek). I don't think this article really necessitates its own Wikipedia entry. I'd be very inclined to add fandom template to this page but I have not. Instead I removed the 2 pages of references to every single movie that ever mentioned a vulcan neck pinch. Why is it Wikipedians presume we need this in an article? It's trivial and unnecessary.Mundilfari (talk) 15:53, 21 February 2010 (UTC)

• Against merge The Vulcan page is already long and there is enough information here to warrant an article of its own. Not sure that the fandom template would really fit here either. Thank you for removing the trivia though. Gobonobo ^{T C} 18:58, 21 February 2010 (UTC)

• Against merge for the same reasons as Gobonobo. I think the Vulcan neck pinch (or similar names) is referred to quite a lot outside the franchise. Removing Merge template. - Fayenatic (talk) 15:11, 28 March 2010 (UTC)

• Against Merge for the same reason as Fayenatic.

TheTeam219 (talk) 07:13, 11 January 2024 (UTC)

SOAP & Taekwondoe.

Greetings! The first time I was ever aware of anyone outside of "STAR TREK" attempting a Vulcan Nerve Pinch in sheer desperation, was in an episode of "SOAP". I saw it when it was first-run, way back when. Billy Crystal's character, "Joey" I think his name was, did it to some huge guy, and when it worked, he shouted to the sky, "Thank you Mister Spock!"

I haven't been to class since I was 29, but if I recall right, our version of it involved the pressure points in the jaw line, where the upper and lower jaws meet, somewhere under the ears. We use the thumbs to apply pressure and/or jab to those sensitive spots. It was to be used if someone sneaked up behind you and grabber you from behind. You reach behind your head, find theirs, and apply as needed. Anyway, again if I recall right, I think Doctor McCoy and one of the space hippies was able to do that method, but from the offensive attacking someone from behind method, rather than as a defensive measure if attacked from behind.

We were told to feel for the spots on our own heads, so that we would know how sensitive those spots are. On another side note, I sometimes feel like my father is trying to use the Vulcan Nerve Pinch on my shoulders when he touches me there, with just enough pressure, that I don't feel comforted, but irritated. He gets annoyed when I complain.

So for what it's worth, based on my own personal experience,if your pain threshold isn't high enough, it won't take much pressure, but otherwise, given enough pressure and pain, you can pass out. I haven't tried it in any actual fights though, or in sparring.

So now I have a question. Would the jaw nerves be connected to the shoulder nerves? For it seems to me that with enough pressure to the general jawline/neck/shoulder area, say from a baseball or softball bat, as that shape seems to fit just right, you could knock anyone out, if you're strong enough and/or your target is sensitive enough. (As I was writing that, I began to think of Buffy Anne Summers, or one of the other trying to pinch someone. Did someone?)

Oh, in "Star Trek: Of Gods And Men", Pavel is able to do it to someone too! He tells Uhura that she wasn't the only one to have a Vulcan friend! Please pardon me if I seem to ramble. LeoStarDragon1 (talk) 05:23, 9 September 2010 (UTC)

Origins

There are several places quoting the nerve pinch's first appearance is in S01E05. However, one episode before: "The naked time", we can see spock performing it on berseken Sulu and Kirk wonders how he does it! I'm not an expert on the series, it just so happens that i am watching it for the first time now. i just watched S01E04 and saw the nerve pinch. (HelenoBR (talk) 18:10, 5 March 2012 (UTC))

Linux manpages

I was reading through my Linux's manpage on proc when I saw this:

       /proc/sys/kernel/ctrl-alt-del
              This  file  controls  the handling of Ctrl-Alt-Del from the key‐
              board.  When the value  in  this  file  is  0,  Ctrl-Alt-Del  is
              trapped  and  sent  to  the init(8) program to handle a graceful
              restart.  When the value is greater than zero, Linux's  reaction
              to  a Vulcan Nerve Pinch (tm) will be an immediate reboot, with‐
              out even syncing its dirty buffers.  Note: when a program  (like
              dosemu)  has  the  keyboard  in  "raw" mode, the ctrl-alt-del is
              intercepted by the program before it ever reaches the kernel tty
              layer, and it's up to the program to decide what to do with it.

- 193.84.186.81 (talk) 13:33, 23 May 2012 (UTC)

This is an article about Vulcans, not about Linux, please either contact technical support, or go to a related article about Linux: Linux TheTeam219 (talk) 07:11, 11 January 2024 (UTC)

Rand-caps fan-cruft

Removed from article:

• On The Simpsons Episode Mayored to the Mob (missing comma) Homer Simpson uses the Vulcan nerve pinch on Bart and Lisa So they don’t get snacks And then Uses the technique on Marge So he doesn’t take out the trash and then use the technique on himself when he falls over he hits his head on the Breakfast table

Does anyone, anywhere care enough about this fan-cruft nugget to bother with cleaning up the rand-caps and restoring it to prime time? I guess we shall see.

I'm an inclusionist. The main reason I delete fan-cruft is because it's too often left lying around like a dog's breakfast, for some more serious person—with far better things to do elsewhise—to come along and clean up.

I was there in the 1990s where every capable geek on the planet was fixing problems on their aunt's installation of Windows 95 for free.

Half of these issues pertained to DLL hell, the other half pertained to pointer leaks and non-existent code review in the weeks leading up to ship date.

Meanwhile Bill-G sat back and pocketed all the ching—which he mostly then reinvested in choking off the air supply available to his far more conscientious competitors. — MaxEnt 18:33, 10 January 2021 (UTC)

Citation needed

In a couple of lines, there is a citation needed, please correct it! TheTeam219 (talk) 07:09, 11 January 2024 (UTC)