Pointers! For Acupuncturists

No one likes rote learning, but like a a musician, before can play, you have to learn the acupuncture points.

Pointers! turns memorizing the actions, effects and locations of the acupuncture points in to a fun afternoon schmoozing with colleagues. Played "open book" in a relaxed, non-competitive environment, "Pointers" is the first step to knowing what you know.

I. Overview of the Game:
There are Five Phases (A-E) to playing the game. Playing a Phase means collecting points from the Islands specific to that Phase (see sample scorecard).
Each of the first four Phases is complete when a player has earned a specific number of points. That is one score point for each acupuncture point that is correctly defined. The fifth and final Phase ends when the first player to collect 60 points recites Sun Miao’s dictum, preferably from memory.

II. Object of the Game: to collect 60 points.
Players should note which acupuncture point they identify (and collected a point for) on their score card.

Part I: 20 Points

Note! Phases A. and B. are played concurrently. In other words, given the opportunity, you can go move between A. and B. Islands. However, you need to collect two separate sets of points, one for the A Phase and one for the B Phase.

A. To collect a total of 10 points---two of each of the five colors, one yin, one yang--from any or all of these Islands: Meridian Clock, Influential, Extraordinary, In The Flow, Ghost, Lower He-Sea, Mu, Four Seas, Window of the Sky and/or Xi-Cleft.

B. To collect 2 points from the Odd Island or Rarely Used Islands. And 8 points (total) from the CV/GV and Extra Point Islands of the board. The B. set need not include one of each of the five colors.

Part II: 40 Points, One Performance

C. To collect 15 points—that is three sets of five colors--from the Five Stars and Other Stars Islands and then to enter the Five Phase Phenomena.

D. To collect 25 points (five sets of five colors) from the Five Phase Phenomena; based on the information supplied.

E. After having completed phase D., and with 60 points in hand, on your next turn move your token to the center of the Five Phase Phenomena (Command Chart) and recite Sun Miao’s dictum, preferably from memory, to win the game.

III. Start of Play

Put your token on one of these starting points; CV1, CV24, GV1, GV28 (on the spine or ribbon Islands) or LU1, or LV14 on the Flow Chart. Take a deep breath. Gather your Qi. Settle into your Datien. Put on your beginner’s mind. Clap one hand--with the other hand roll a die to see who goes first.

On the next roll players on the CV or GV points may move their marker either forward or backwards in accordance with the number on the die. Players who start on LV14 or LU1 will move backward or forward on the In The Flow identifying entry and exit points.

Each turn includes defining the point-space on which you land. If you meet the criteria for defining a point, you collect a point that is the five phase color of the point you’ve correctly defined. Phase B points are not necessarily color coded and need not be.

IV. Defining a Point

This criterion is meant to be flexible enough to allow for discussion and to allow play to continue regardless of different levels of knowledge. Generally speaking the other players should feel that you deserve your point. However, location is mandatory. And the bar should be set very high for Five Phase Phenomena points.


V. Spaces on the Board

Points.

The background color of the point indicates the phase of its meridian and thus the color of the point you will get if you correctly define the point. Some points are listed more than once.

On the Five Phase Phenomena (Command Chart) the color of small stars indicates the phase of the point. The background color indicates the phase of the meridian. More on the Five Phase Phenomena below.

Boldface fonts indicate a crossing point.

Starting Spaces: LU1, LV14, CV1, CV26, GV1, GV28

Wild Spaces:

Bouncy Qi—Moves you to a specific Island.
Evil Qi—the player to your right chooses a point to quiz you on
Roll Again
Skip Turn

Forfeit Point; your choice of which pt.
Location Only
Does Anyone Know What Time Is It
? : move to any point on the meridian of the current hour.
Trade Point; you may trade one of your points for a point of your choice, after moving your token to that point and defining it.
Missing Point: there is one point missing from the board. If you can figure out which point it is, you proceed directly to Phase C. This is a Once in a Lifetime Offer and may not be take advantage of more than once. The other Players must confirm that you have identified the Missing Point by a process of elimination.
Running Piglet Qi-name one point that treats it and collect that point.
PPP: create a point prescription by using some or all of the points on your Score Card. Add a point that you need. Name the disharmony and describe why you are using those particular points. Then move your piece to the space of the point you’ve chose to add to what you already have on your card. Get a point the color of the added in point.
Begin Again; you don’t want to know.

VI. Special Definitions

Some of the points listed on the board are described visually, rather than identified by channel and number. In that case you must supply the missing information based on the information provided.

Five Phase Phenomena (Command Chart)

Defining these points involves working backwards. First you have to know if you are on a yin or yang meridian. You can figure this out by asking yourself if the information presented is makes sense. For instance: If the Well point on a Fire Meridian is a Wood point is it on the HT or SI channel? In other words, on the Ht meridian the Well point is of the X phase. On the SI meridian the Well point is of the X phase, so the point that I am trying to identify is on the X meridian. And that point is?

When playing through the Five Phase Phenomena, follow the direction of the arrows.

Points from the Shield may be used for D. Phase.

Meridian Clock

Begin play on the Meridian Clock on the outermost point of the current hour. To figure out which meridian that is, start by naming the phase of the current hour. For instance, if it’s noon, then you need to start on a point w/a red background. But which one? You should be able to figure that out by identifying the neighboring meridians. As you play move from outer to inner. After hitting the inner most point of a meridian, move over to the next meridian in chronological order.

When playing thru the Meridian Clock, if you land on “mother, child” you must name the mother and child points on the channel you’re on and it’s time period pair. Ditto for source and luo.

Correspondence Points

You can pick up a point, maybe the exact point you need, if you can define the body area correspondence point of the point you landed on. For instance, if you landed on SP9 but you don’t need a Yellow Point, you need a White Point, so you define LU5 instead. You must also be able to make a clinical argument for the corresponding point you chose. In other words, the points must have a relationship to each other such as interior-exterior pair, baile, Meridian Clock, or Five Phase. In this example, LU5 and SP9 are both Taiyin.

Boldface fonts indicate a crossing point. When you land on a crossing point, if you can name one or more of the meridians that it crosses, you may move to any point on that meridian.

Odd Points

Some people think that some of the points have some very odd actions and effects some of the time. If you can link the actions and effects listed on the answer sheet to a more well known definition of an “odd point”, then you can choose who goes next. Of course, when you do this, fold the column the sheet so the answer doesn’t show, or have someone else quiz you on the point.

VII. Continuing Play

Roll the die and move your token along the board to the next space. Define the point on which you’ve landed or otherwise do what is requested of you. If the Wild Space bounces you out of your current Phase and you haven’t earned all the points for that Phase, then you’re stuck. You need to keep playing until you get back to where you need to be—that is the Phase for which you need to earn points.

If you define all the points on an Island and still haven’t bounced off, you may leave and go to an area of your choice on the next roll.

On the turn after collecting the 40 points of the correct color combination, move your marker to the Well point on the Yin Fire Meridian on the Five Phase Phenomena. This darker green point is on a red background.

This is the final stage of the game, unless you hit the Born Again space, you are in it till the end. Roll the die and move your token along the spaces in the direction of the arrows. After defining 25 Five Phase Phenomena points (five sets of five colors) move your token into the center of the ring. If on your next turn you can recite Sun Miao’s dictum--preferably from memory--you have won the game.

If you hit the only Born Again space on the Five Phase Phenomena you have died and been reincarnated as someone with True Grit. Throw away your Score Card and all your points and start anew.

VII. Description of Game Board

Island Name Image Game Phase
1.Meridian Clock Sun, Moon, Clouds, Stars A
2. Five Phase Phenomena Star D
3. Conception Vessel Ribbon B
4. Extra Points Six Fingered Hand A
5. Extraordinary Fetus A
6. In The Flow Zig Zag A
7. Ghost Ghost A
8. Governing Vessel Vertebral Column B
9. Lower He Sea Bucket w/water & waves A
11. Mu Cow A
12. Rarely Used Treasure Chest B
13. Four Seas Eye A
14. Five Star Two Pillars C
15. Other Stars Spiral C
16. Odd Six Fingered Hand B
17. Window of the Sky Window A
18. Xi-Cleft Exclamation Point A
19. Influential Old Guy A
20. Shield PC and TW D.


Sun Ssu-Miao’s Dictum

“When people come to me with a serious disease and ask for help, I will not concern myself with whether they are esteemed or dishonorable, wealthy or poor, elderly or young, beautiful or ugly. In my mind’s eye each patient is on the same level, degree and class, and shall be treated as close as family. My care shall never be self-serving or motivated by what brings good or bad fortune nor by that which is pleasing or upsetting. My protection and care shall be precisely what is necessary; no more no less, without deference to my own safety and life. I will know in my heart that my good deeds are sincere and not a game. I will show courage, but caution. I will actively explore and broaden my knowledge, but stand firm on the principles of which I am certain.”

Adapted from “The Golden Principle” of Sun Ssu-Miao, Tang Dynasty Physician.