Will Higginbotham calls it a trickle-down effect.

Higginbotham, Carmel Martial Arts co-owner and Carmel resident, was taught the skills of pressure points by George Dillman nearly 25 years ago.

Higginbotham, 59, then recently taught those skills to Warrant Officer Tony Everett, who needed to impress the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Everett recently concluded his duty as the personal bodyguard for Gen. James E. Cartwright, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, this past year.

Everett was awarded the Joint Services Commendation Medal for his contribution in training the agents of protective services for the Joint Chiefs.

“They were very impressed with the level of unique and effective martial-arts experience provided by Tony,” Higginbotham said.

Higginbotham said Everett then asked permission to honor the two men who prepared him for his job, Higginbotham and Dillman.

While attending the George Dillman Training Champ at the restored Muhammad Ali Training Camp at Deer Lake, Pa., Oct 9-11, Everett presented coins of excellence to Dillman and Higginbotham.

The two coins came from Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Cartwright.

Higginbotham offers the study of pressure points training, founded in Ryukyu Kempo Karate and Small Jujitsu at his business.

He also teaches courses at Lifetime Fitness in Indianapolis and is an adjunct professor at Butler University, where he offers credit courses on Pressure Point Self Defense.

Higginbotham, who is featured with Dillman in the Black Belt magazine article this month, has been involved in martial-arts training since 1968.

Higginbotham said Dillman is the one who brought out the teaching of pressure points to American public.

“It was always kept pretty much a secret and he said people ought to know about it,” Higginbotham said. "So he changed the face of martial arts quite a bit.

“I went to seminars taught by Dillman and I thought ‘Oh, my God, this is what I got to do.’

“I started following him all over the country. From what he has taught me I have taught from Canada to South America. I’ve taught all over Europe.”

Dillman, who is based in Reading, Pa., said his protege Higginbotham excels at his training methods.

“Will was just in Germany. I got letter after letter telling me how great his seminar was and his instructional ability, and how good he was at the art of pressure points,” Dillman said.

Dillman also teaches seminars all over the world. He bought the training camp from his longtime friend Ali in 1997 and then converted it to a martial-arts training center. Dillman recently has put the camp up for sale.