# What is the "sweet spot"? (just left of the spine, fourth lumbar down) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 10, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-sweet-spot-just-left-of-the-spine-fourth-lumbar-down/263973 "2004-09-10T23:42:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-sweet-spot-just-left-of-the-spine-fourth-lumbar-down/263973/1 "2004-09-10T23:42:06Z")
In the movie Pitch Black, J. B. Riddik talks about the “sweet spot” which supposedly is _just left of the spine, fourth lumbar down_. What is this and why is it important? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-sweet-spot-just-left-of-the-spine-fourth-lumbar-down/263973/2 "2004-09-11T00:56:18Z")
[quote] The ones tellin’ me to go for the sweet spot – just to the left of the spine fourth lumbar down. The abdominal aorta./quote]That answer your question? ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-sweet-spot-just-left-of-the-spine-fourth-lumbar-down/263973/3 "2004-09-11T01:08:13Z")
[QUOTE=Nametag] > [@](#): > > The ones tellin’ me to go for the sweet spot – just to the left of the spine fourth lumbar down. The abdominal aorta./quote]That answer your question? Um, no! I’ll restate my question: Does the “sweet spot” really exist (is it the abdominal aorta?) and if it does what is its anatomical significance? Do people suffer a painful death if they are striken on the sweet spot? A quick death maybe? ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-sweet-spot-just-left-of-the-spine-fourth-lumbar-down/263973/4 "2004-09-11T01:45:18Z")
Well, there is the solar plexus, which is ganglia behind the abdomen near the L-4. These nerves react to sensation without the message going to the brain, since there is a nexus between the sensory and motor nerves there. I don’t know if that’s what’s being referred to. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-sweet-spot-just-left-of-the-spine-fourth-lumbar-down/263973/5 "2004-09-11T01:48:59Z")
No need to restate. Your OP is quite clear. My dad says he does not recall any mention of this in his hand to hand combat training in the army. This doesn’t mean the “sweet spot” doesn’t exist, of course. It just may not be commonly known. Or it could be difficult to actually damage the blood vessel (in which case the spot ain’t so sweet.) I’m going to check with a few more people. I’ll report back if I find anything. ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-sweet-spot-just-left-of-the-spine-fourth-lumbar-down/263973/6 "2004-09-11T01:56:32Z")
I should add that Riddik liked to stab people with a knife on the “sweet spot”. Not hand to hand combat. ---
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-sweet-spot-just-left-of-the-spine-fourth-lumbar-down/263973/7 "2004-09-11T02:01:20Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > In the movie Pitch Black, J. B. Riddik talks about the “sweet spot” which supposedly is _just left of the spine, fourth lumbar down_. What is this and why is it important? I’m not sure, but it feels pretty good when I push on it 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-sweet-spot-just-left-of-the-spine-fourth-lumbar-down/263973/8 "2004-09-11T02:38:12Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > I should add that Riddik liked to stab people with a knife on the “sweet spot”. Not hand to hand combat. Oh well that makes a difference. Would that hit a kidney? Kidney pain ain’t fun. I’m not sure where your kidneys live, but the 4th lumbar down is pretty low ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-sweet-spot-just-left-of-the-spine-fourth-lumbar-down/263973/9 "2004-09-11T02:49:23Z")
The abdominal aorta, like the other aorta, is a large blood vessel – it supplies the lower body and extremities. Unlike the other aorta, it’s not shielded by the sternum – it does indeed run along the spine (not sure if it’s the left side, though), and could conceivably be hit by a shiv in the back. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-sweet-spot-just-left-of-the-spine-fourth-lumbar-down/263973/10 "2004-09-11T05:35:48Z")
Funny, when you stab someone in the sweet spot, it makes their leg shake. Or is it ‘scratch’? I keep confusing the two. ---
**Author:** ![MikeCollins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbce88/32.png) [@MikeCollins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeCollins)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-sweet-spot-just-left-of-the-spine-fourth-lumbar-down/263973/11 "2004-09-11T21:42:59Z")
Puts a whole new meaning in to the phrase, “shake a leg”