Kyushojutsu: Basic Theory

By Joe Swift (Mushinkan Dojo, Kanazawa, Japan)

In recent years, karataka all over the world have begun to reexamine and study their classical Okinawan kata. Practical applications have been a major focus of much of this research, and one of the key components of practical applications is the science of well-placed blows to vital areas, pressure points or acupuncture points. his study is called kyushojutsu in !apanese. he first article in this series examined the historical development of this art in Okinawa and !apan. his article continues the examination by focusing on the basic theories behind the art. "yushojutsu can be, and often is, explained in terms of two different medical paradigms# raditional $hinese %edicine & $%' and %odern (estern %edicine &%(%'. %ore often than not, the two camps seem to be at odds with each other as to which approach is more valid. )owever, in this author*s opinion, either is fine, and people can probably +pick their poison+ so to speak. What To a!! The "ita! #oints

,s much of the original theory behind kyushojutsu lies in the raditional $hinese %edicine & $%' paradigm, many proponents in the (est use the international acu-point code as nomenclature. Others utili-e terminology that is more in line with %odern (estern %edicine &%(%', citing nerves and muscles, etc..till others prefer to use different ,sian medical or martial arts terms &!apanese, $hinese, "orean, etc.' to describe the locations of the points. ,dding to the confusion is the fact that while raditional $hinese %edicine acu-points and (estern %edicine*s neurological points are often the located on the same body point, other times they are not. Kyushojutsu $n%erstoo% &n Ter's (f Tra%itiona! hinese Me%icine he $% paradigm makes use of the principles of acupuncture &/i flow, balance and interrelationships' to describe its methods and effects. Perhaps a short description of the meridians may be in order here. $enturies ago in $hina, doctors discovered +passageways+ of energy flow, which are called meridians &a geographical term' in 0nglish &%c$arthy, 1223'. here are 14 major bilateral meridians, for various internal organs. hey are# 5ung, 5arge Intestine, .tomach, .pleen,

)eart, .mall Intestine, 6ladder, "idneys, Pericardium, 5iver, 7all 6ladder, and the riple (armer. In addition, there are other important meridians not associated with organs &often called 0xtra %eridians, or 0xtraordinary 8essels', two of which run vertically along the frontal and posterior center-line, the $onception 8essel &or meridian' and the 7overning 8essel &or meridian', respectively.,long these meridians are numerous points or +holes+ &.ato, 1229' through which energy can be transferred, or the flow of energy can be modified, through needles, fingertips, or heat in medical application, or though trauma in defensive application. hese meridians can be broken down into either yin &negative' or yang &positive'. In $% for health to be maintained, yin energy and yang energy must be balanced within the body &.ato, 1229'. he medical arts such as acupuncture, shiatsu, and kikoo &/i gong in $hinese' seek to restore this balance. In contrast, kyushojutsu, in simple terms, can be viewed as attacking this balance, or the flow of energy, within the body to cause bodily damage to the opponent. One method of using vital point or acu-point strikes employs he :ive 0lement heory. .ome schools of $% categori-e the body*s organ meridians into five separate but interrelated elements, namely :ire, (ater, 0arth, %etal and (ood &.ato, 1229'. his is known as the :ive 0lement heory &:0 ' which is used to understand how energies related to these elements, which are associated with organs, interrelate, balance, nurture or regulate each other.

he simplistic method of utili-ing the :0 in kyushojutsu is to follow what is known as the ;estructive $ycle. his,is done by attacking the meridians in a specific order to inflict damage upon the opponent by disrupting the flow of energy that regulates &destroys or absorbs' the succeeding or related meridian in the cycle. he ;estructive $ycle can be easily remembered by the following formula# %etal cuts (ood< (ood drains nutrition from 0arth< 0arth absorbs (ater< (ater puts out :ire< and :ire melts %etal &.ato, 1229< =akayama, 122>'. ?et another way to apply the kyushojutsu is to attack the meridians during specific time frames, known as shichen in $hinese &%c$arthy,1223'. his theory states that the energy and blood flow through the meridians is strongest during a specific time of day, corresponding the 14 meridians with 14 two hour periods of the old $hinese clock &%c$arthy, 1223< .ato, 1229< =akayama, 122>'. he shichen are broken down into the hours of the @at, 6ull, iger, @abbit, ;ragon, .nake, )orse, @am, %onkey, 6ird, ;og, and 6oar, respectively &%c$arthy, 1223< .ato, 1229< =akayama, 122>'.

radtional $hinese %edicine 8ersus %odern (estern %edicine heories of applying kyushojitsu through understanding raditional $hinese %edicine are not without their detractors, most notably groups of practitioners who research kyushojutsu through %odern (estern %edicine &%(%'. he %(% approach is useful in providing specific, concrete, scientific examples as to why kyushojutsu works, referring to nerve plexi, tendons, muscles, etc. Proponents of the %(% approach state that the body*s neurological and other systems are well understood and verified scientifically. hey point out that meridians have never been scientifically verified &to their satisfaction' and that the whole concept of /i &or chi in $hinese' flies in the face of %(% biochemical concept of the body and its systems. :urthermore, since most acu-points are the same or closely located to neurological points, %(% adherents suggest that a %(% approach makes more sense.

On the other hand, raditional $hinese medicine appears to be more +descriptive+ &for lack of a better word' in its application, preferring to cite +natural+ phenomenon such as the ?in-?ang and :ive 0lement heory. .upporters also point out that recent scientific investigation of acupuncture has confirmed that stimulation of certain acu-points has produced certain organ and brain reactions that can not be explained in terms of %odern (estern %edicine. 0ven in ,sian circles, however, some disagreement exists about some of the $% theories and principles. In !apan, for example, the ?in-?ang theory has been accepted in the 0astern medical circles, but there seems to be some apprehension about the :ive 0lement heory. ,s far back as the 0do period &19AB-1>9C', the scholar "aihara said that the :ive 0lement heoryjust makes things +too complicated+ &.ato, 1229'. In $hina, the /uanfa master )e ?ushan stated that the striking of vital areas in terms of the shichen &14 two hour time periods' is preposterous, and later research showed that the blood flow cannot be broken down into 14 e/ual time periods through the 14 meridians &!in, 124>'. @ather than bickering about which medical paradigm is more correct, however, some suggest that a better approach might be to combine the two and come up with a concise yet comprehensive explanation &@ench, 1222'. )u'ero!o*y an% Kyushojutsu If things weren*t confusing enough, another aspect of the study of kata and its relation to kyushojutsu is the seeming fascination with numerology. %any tradtional kata &as 7ojushiho

meaning 3D steps,=ijushiho or 4D steps,.eipai or 1> hands and .enseryu or B9 hands' are named after numbers. (hile many seem to think this might be a $hinese phenomenon, it may have actually been imported from India &Earrilli, 1224'. (hile they are not the only numbers associated with the fighting traditions, some of the more prominent ones are 1>, B9, 3D, C4, and 1A>. hese numbers can be seen in Indian, $hinese, and !apanese martial arts literature &!in, 124>< Earrilli, 1224< %c$arthy, 1223< .ato, 1229' and within the names of kata. One of the most common explanation of the use of these numbers is that there are 1A> effective vital points on the human body &used in the martial arts', B9 of which are fatal &!in, 124>'. ,nother school of thought is that there are B9 vital points, and C4 variations in attacking methodology, making a total of 1A> &%c$arthy, 1223'. ?et another theory lists B9 fatal vital points and 1> non-fatal points &.ato, 1229'. (hile the exact mechanism of the numerological aspects of the fighting traditions may be lost to anti/uity, we are left with several reminders of this ancient heritage in the form of kata names and the number of effective vital points.

+,out The +uthor: !oe .wift, native of =ew ?ork .tate &F.,' has lived in !apan since 122D. )e holds a dan-rank in Isshinryu "aratedo, and also currently acts as assistant instructor at the %ushinkan .horeiryu "arate "obudo ;ojo in "ana-awa, !apan. )e is also a member of the International @yukyu "arate @esearch .ociety and the Okinawa Isshinryu "arate "obudo ,ssociation. )e currently works as a translatorGinterpreter for the Ishikawa International $ooperation @esearch $entre in "ana-awa. )e is also on the 6oard of ,dvisors for :ighting,rts.com. -eferences: 1.!in ?iming &124>'. Secrets of Wudang Boxing. ranslation of section on 8ital Points, tr. P. and ?. %c$arthy, 122D'. 4. %c$arthy, P. &1223' Bubishi: The Bible of Karate . okyo# $.0. uttle. B. =akayama . &122>'. Kassatsu Jizai ni Naru & o )eal or )arm at (ill'. okyo# 6,6 !apan Inc. D. @ench, ,. &1222'. Classical Okinawan Ja!anese "ressure "oints . Fnpublished ;ocument. 3. .ato ". &1229'. Seiden Jissen Tenketsu#$utsu . &Orthodox ;im Hue for @eal :ighting' okyo# 6aseball %aga-ine. 9. Earrilli, P. &1224' %To heal and or har&: The 'ital s!ots (&ar&&a& 'ar&a&) in two south *ndian &artial traditions+% !ournal of ,sian %artial ,rts. 8ol. 1#1 and 1#4.

Kyushojutsu: .istorica! De/e!op'ent

By Joe Swift (Mushinkan Dojo, Kanazawa, Japan)

In recent years, karateka all over the world have begun to reexamine the classical kata of this ancient Okinawan self-defense system. Practical applications seem to be the order of the day in the research of many practitioners, and one of the key components of applications is the use of well-placed blows to vital areas, called kyusho in !apanese. ,lthough there are some that seem to think that kyushojutsu is the be all and end all of all karate techni/ues, it is merely one part of a larger whole. 5et us now take a brief look at the historical development of this art. .ome sources &%c$arthy, 1223< .ato, 1229' give credit to $hina for developing the use of the vital points in the martial arts, but others such as Earrilli &1224' intimate that India is actually the source for such practices, and even .anskrit medical references make allusions to the vital points. ,ccording to Earrilli &1224', in the Indian martial traditions +knowledge of the vital spots was historically the most important part of a practitioner*s training since one*s life as well as livelihood depended on gaining the practical ability to attack the vital spots in order to kill, stun, andGor disarm an opponent, to defend one*s own vital spots, and to heal injuries to the vital spots affecting the circulation of the wind humor.+ &author*s note# I believe this +wind humor+ may be e/uivalent to the concept of ki or /i.' Earrilli &1224' also goes on to describe detailed +palm-leaf+ texts that describe such aspects as mythological history of the art, rituals, sacred formulae, technical instructions, location of the vital spots, and treatment of injuries. his can perhaps be e/uated with the :ujian 6ubishi that made its way to Okinawa &see %c$arthy, 1223'. urning our focus to $hina, .ato &1229' states that the first reference to vital points in martial terms in $hinese literature can be found in the voluminous .hiji &,nnals' written in the )an ;ynasty. his over 1,AAA year old text makes specific reference to an assassination utili-ing a strike to the throat, which .ato then goes on to

show, through various other linguistic references, can only be referring to a vital point strike to @enying-xue or .t-2. !in &124>' gives several examples of famous $hinese martial artists who speciali-ed in attacking the vital points, such as Ehang .anfeng, and +0agle $law+ (ang, who apparently had 1A> striking and sei-ing techni/ues for attacking the vital areas. .everal other notable $hinese martial artists who utili-ed the vital points in their /uanfa are also mentioned by !in. Over the years, the art of striking, sei-ing, or otherwise traumati-ing the vital areas became obscure. his may have been through a lack of understanding on the part of teachers and students alike, or perhaps even deliberate misinformation &i.e. to keep the secrets out of one*s enemy*s hands'. hese methods eventually worked their way to !apan, through various sources, not the least of which is $hen ?uanbin &$hin 7enpin in !apanese, 13>C-19C1' of )ang-hou, who traveled to =agasaki and later became a retainer in the service of the Owari ;aimyo in the =agoya area &%c$arthy, 1223< %uromoto, 122>'. ,lthough there is controversy as to whether or not $hen was a martial artist &%uromoto, 122>', oral tradition maintains that he taught /uanfa and its associated art /inna to three people, :ukuno .hichiroemon, %iura ?ojiemon, and Isogai !iro-aemon, who in turn developed their own systems of jujutsu, replete with atemi-wa-a or strikes to vital areas. In Okinawa, the 6ubishi, commonly referred to as the +6ible of "arate+ &%c$arthy, 1223', seems to be one major factor in the transmission of vital point fighting. ,ccording to okashiki &1223', the 6ubishi references both specific vital points as well as general areas that are vulnerable to trauma. , lack of written records in Okinawa karate leave us to believe that such transmission was most likely through oral and hands-on training, rather than through documentation. In the mokuroku &scrolls' of the !apanese fighting traditions, there are often vital point charts showing the location of the points the founder of said ryuha found to be effective. Of course initiation into the actual use of these points re/uires hands on instruction. )owever, according to a recent article in a special edition of 7ekkan "aratedo &1222' outside of the 6ubishi there seems to be no other examples of pressure point charts in Okinawa karate. 0ven :unakoshi*s chart in his 12B3 publication "aratedo "yohan, does not seem to be Okinawan in origin. he same article in 7ekkan "aratedo &1222' clearly states that this chart, along with the explanation of the effects, came to :unakoshi by way of his student Otsuka )ironori, Dth generation .hindo ?oshinryu !ujutsu and founder of (adoryu "aratedo. his chart seems to be the same chart utili-ed in the .hindo ?oshinryu jujutsu tradition, and was a gift to :unakoshi in commemoration of the publication of this landmark book. he study of kyushojutsu has seen an upsurge as martial artists struggle to find the true meaning behind kata. he next portion of this article will deal with some of the theory behind vital point striking. @eferences# 1. 4. :unakoshi 7ichin. &12B3' "aratedo "yohan. okyo, "obundo. 7ekkan "aratedo ed. &1222' +"yusho no )imitsu & he .ecrets of 8ital Points'.+ 7ekkan "aratedo &"aratedo %onthly %aga-ine' .pecial 0dition. %c$arthy, P. &1223' 6ubishi# he 6ible of "arate. okyo# $.0. uttle. %uromoto, (. &122>'. + he 5egacy of $hin 7enpin.+ :uryu# he 6udo !ournal, I>. !in ?iming &124>'. .ecrets of (udang 6oxing. ranslation of section on 8ital Points, tr. Patrick %c$arthy, 122D'.

B. D. 3.

9.

.ato ". &1229'. .eiden !issen enketsu-jutsu. &Orthodox ;im Hue for @eal :ighting' okyo# 6aseball %aga-ine. okashiki I. &1223' Okinawa "arate )iden 6ubishi .hinshaku. &Okinawa "arate .ecrets# , =ew Interpretation of the 6ubishi'. =aha, Privately Published. Earrilli, P. &1224' + o heal andGor harm# he vital spots &marmmamGvarmam' in two south Indian martial traditions.+ !ournal of ,sian %artial ,rts. 8ol. 1#1 and 1#4

C.

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