A peroneal strike is a temporarily disabling blow to the side of the leg, just above the knee. The attacker aims at the common peroneal nerve, roughly a hand span above the knee, towards the back of the leg. This causes a temporary loss of motor control of the leg, accompanied by numbness and a painful tingling sensation from the point of impact all the way down the leg, usually lasting anywhere from thirty seconds to five minutes in duration.
The strike is commonly made with the knee, a baton, or shin kick, but can be done by anything forcefully impacting the nerve. The technique is a part of the pressure point control tactics used in martial arts and by law enforcement agents.
This strike is similar to and utilizes the same nerve as the childhood prank of "dead-legging" someone. Repeated strong peroneal strikes can cause nerve damage and have a high chance of damaging the surrounding tissues due to the spontaneous nature of the technique and the nerve location.
The peroneal strike was used against detainees during the Bagram torture and prisoner abuse scandal.[1]