The secret techniques of Araki Tõ Ryū (founded around 1720).
These hiden gokui (secret scrolls) of Araki To Ryū (written in 1789) detail the okugi or the secret techniques of kyūsho zeme (kyūsho attack).
Kyūsho (also called tsubo) are anatomically weak points on the human body that when struck or pressed produce pain, cause a person to loose consciousness, or even maim and kill.
The art for striking these kyūsho is called kenpõ (fist way) in the Araki Tõ Ryū and the methods of actually striking is termed atemijutsu (body striking methods).
Araki Tõ Ryū Kenpõ relies on the use of striking with gekitotsubuki (small hidden weapons), the empty hands, the elbows, and the knees. The feet are rarely used to strike, but some techniques for heel strikes are detailed.
The scroll lists the kyūsho and the techniques used but doesn’t detail what the techniques actually involved. Martial scrolls like this, called densho (transmission scroll), were intended only for those who had mastered the school and reached the level of proficiency enabling them to use the secret transmissions. Terms used are only recognisable to an actual practitioner of the school to avoid a non-practitioner, and possible enemy, from using the scroll to learn the techniques.
Killing methods are termed sappõ (killing methods) and those methods that use the kyūsho for healing are called kappõ (resuscitation methods). These two methods combined are termed sakkapõ (killing and resuscitating methods).
Striking a persons vulnerable points was privileged knowledge closely guarded by martial schools and inventors of schools spent considerable effort investigating the effects of striking them and how to apply effective methods. Atemijutsu can be applied to neutralise a limb, especially a weapon arm, or even to cause an opponent to loose consciousness.
In the Japanese martial arts, striking is usually only used as a distraction tactic or to weaken the opponent before applying a throw or trip to bring him down, however, some kyūsho when struck will have a numbing affect and later may even cause paralysis or even death.
© James Kemlo