Using the Centerline in Fighting

Martina Sprague talks extensively about using the centerline in her book, The Science of Takedowns, Throws & Grappling for Self-defense. She identifies the centerline as "an imaginary line approximately five inches wide, running vertically on the front or back of your body. Striking the targets found on the centerline (nose, jaw, throat, heart, solar plexus, groin, base of neck, spine, and tailbone) is likely to cause serious injury or death. The centerline is also where your strength is focused. Any time a technique is not lined up with your centerline, power loss occurs. The closer you can keep your techniques to your centerline, the more powerful and effortless they will be."