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The Wall of Silence
by Professor Rick Clark
The knowledge and skill
in the esoteric aspects of the martial arts have been kept secret from the
general population so that those in the upper ranks could maintain their
position of authority. Even early writers described how secretive martial
arts instructors were about keeping knowledge of these points fro m
the general public. Koyama & Minami (1913) state "the knowledge of jiu jitus
(sic) has only recently been made general in Japan."(p.6) The "upper
classes, jealous lest their influence over the populace should wane, tried
to keep it to themselves." ibid p.6 History is replete with examples of
those in power to attempting to maintain their position by the restriction
of weapons or knowledge. For example, bronze when it was first used for
weapons was vastly superior to other material and its production became a
state monopoly. Today, a similar analogy is the knowledge of Nuclear weapons
systems and how they are a closely guarded state secrets.
In feudal Japan only the
warrior class (bushi) were allowed to carry two swords and practice the
various forms of martial arts. Bujutsu was considered to be the exclusive
domain of the warrior class. "Commoners, while not totally without weapons,
nevertheless were forbidden to possess the types used by the bushi and were
refused permission to study the bujutsu."(Drager 1983 p.53) Kendo can be
used as an example of how of Bujutsu techniques were changed in the early
seventeenth century to a form of Budo. With this change "the essence of
kendo was stated at that time to be more spiritual discipline for the
improvement of personal character than an activity directly concerned with
combat."(Drager 1975, p.68) Originally it was designed for situations of
life and death it now Kendo looked to the spiritual perfection of the
individual. With this shift in emphasis to the non-combative aspect it was
"the first time that swordsmanship in any form had been openly offered as
available to all classes of people." ibid p.68 Thus, the techniques of
combat which had been restricted to the warrior class were now being openly
taught to the general public.
The modern Budo forms of
Aikido and Judo were being taught not as a form of combat, but, for
spiritual and physical development in these early years. Aikido and Judo
came from similar backgrounds, i.e. Jujitsu. Judo, the older of the two
styles, was systematized in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Later Aikido was organized
by Morihei Uyeshiba in 1925 which was then known as aiki-jujutsu. It was
given a name change in 1942 and has retained then name Aikido (Drager 1973
p.l39). Both men modified older systems of Jujitsu to create newer styles
which "in the main [are] unrelated to real combat"(Drager 1973 p. 138). Kano
was quite open in his acknowledgement that he removed the dangerous
techniques from the syllabus of Judo. In fact, Judo relegated the practice
of Kyusho (striking vital points of the body) to Kata (Koizumi 1967) so it
was not necessary to strike these points on an opponent. The development of
Kyusho-jitsu or Atemi-waza in the Japanese martial arts "lagged behind the
more advanced systems of China and the Chinese-influenced fighting systems
of Korea and Okinawa"(Drager 1973 p.l34).
It was during the Taisho era
(1912-26) that Gichin Funakoshi others introduced Okinawan Karate to the
mainland of Japan. Yet, it would seem likely that Funakoshi did not widely
teach Kyusho-jitsu to the general population. It is even possible he did not
teach the advanced techniques to his senior students.
Funakoshi (1975) stated he
"set about revising the kata so as to make them as simple as
possible."(p.36) The simplification of kata, however, can be first credited
to one of Funakoshi's teachers Anko Itosu. In the early 1900's he developed
the five Pinan kata which were then taught in the Okinawan school system. An
alert military doctor noticed the physical condition of Okinawan conscript,
which was attributed to the practice of Te. Karate was then included in the
physical education curriculum in 1903.(Drager 1973 p.59) This was of course
prior to the introduction of Karate into Japan in 1922.
Just as Kano developed Judo so
that the dangerous techniques were removed allowing Judo to be taught in the
school system of Japan. It appears that Funakoshi also taught Karate in such
a way as to be appropriate for the school system. "Hoping to see karate
included in the universal physical education taught in our public schools, I
set about revising the kata so as to make them as simple as possible." ibid.
p.36 Funakoshi even states that Karate as taught in Japan is "not the same
karate that was practiced even as recently as ten years ago, and it is along
way indeed from the karate that I learned when I was a child in Okinawa."
ibid p.36) It must be assumed that Funakoshi did not teach a deep
understanding of kata to these beginning students. It was not uncommon at
that time to teach only a small number the real secrets of a system. To
illustrate this point Jiu-Jutsu (sic) regarded the strikes to vital points
of the body as secret techniques and did not impart this knowledge to
novices. The master of a system would only teach the full system to the
individual who would be the "inheritor of his entire method" (Yamanaka 1918,
p.208)
If you understand that kata
was designed as a method for remembering various self-defense techniques it
is easy to understand when Funakoshi (1975) states "if you merely move your
hands and feet and jump up and down like a puppet, learning karate is not
very different from learning to dance. You will never have reached the heart
of the matter, you will have failed to grasp the quintessence of Karate-do."
(p.104) Funakoshi held fast to the principle that the true secrets of Karate
were to be found in the various kata. Funakoshi(1988) states "Looking over
the thirty-odd kata, he [a student] should be able to see that they are
essentially variations on just a handful. If you truly understand a single
technique, you need only observe the forms and be told the essential points
of the others." (p.44) Grasping the essence of Karate-do is an elusive goal
reached by few. It takes a mentor who truly understands Kata to point you in
the proper direction. The "martial arts masters of old would confer a
diploma and reveal key elements only to those disciples whose training,
almost unbearably hard and austere, had lead them to experience directly the
spirit of budo."(Funakoshi 1988, p.44)
From the perspective of modem
day martial arts two of the key elements to grasping the essence of
Karate-do is the understanding that kata contain viable self-defense
techniques which centre around strikes and manipulation of vital points.
Basic to their interpretation of kata is the lack of, what would normally be
interpreted as, blocks. These aspects of karate-do were probably withheld
from high school and college students because of how lethal the techniques
are.
Consider for a moment, if you
could teach individuals to lightly strike various parts of the body and
knock out your opponent would you want every high school student in your
city to have that knowledge? Of course not! This type of technique would be
withheld from all but a very few of the best students of an instructor.
Or if you were an instructor
with this knowledge of deadly techniques would you teach the real secrets to
those who had recently conquered your nation? I think not. Okinawa was a
conquered nation under Japanese rule. How likely is it that Funakoshi ever
revealed the true secrets of Karate-do to his senior students? In the words
of one of Funakoshi's early students Shigero Egami(1976), speaking of the "Yoi"
or ready posture, he states "I know that there are changes in function among
the various kata, but I must confess that I do not know the reason, nor why
they change according to the kata."(p. 107) If such a senior student of
Funakoshi does not fully understand kata how likely is it that American
servicemen after WW.II would be taught the real meaning of Karate.
This doubt of instructors
teaching the advanced or deadly techniques to westerners is clearly stated
by Koyama & Minami(1913) when they state "There are some jiu jitsu maneuvers
that have never been explained to Europeans or Americans - and probably they
never will be." "These death blows are remarkable. Some are delivered on the
spine, others on the neck and head, and two on the face. There are almost
numberless maneuvers that temporarily paralyze nerves and nerve centers, and
others that stop the circulation of the blood in various parts of the
body."(p.5-6)
This conviction is held by
Vairamuttu(1954 p.21) who echoed Koyama & Minami when he stated: "Whether
the real secrets of advanced jujitsu, which are so greatly treasured by the
Japanese and imparted under vow of strict secrecy to pupils of
unquestionable moral character, have ever been divulged to Occidentals, is
very much open to doubt." The 'real secrets' to which Vairamuttu referred
were the methods of attacking the vital points of the body and the
resuscitation after the administration of such blows.
This veil of secrecy is found
throughout the various martial arts. To illustrate this point, Aikido
masters have been taught groups of techniques known as Kaeshi-Waza.
Kaeshi-Waza are techniques which involve a blending from one movement to
another which will allow the initiated to emerge victorious over their
opponent. Saito(1974) offers an illuminating discussion of Kaeshi-Waza which
are handed down to high rank black belts in Aikido. "In olden days, Founder
Morihei Uyeshiba used to initiate his leading disciples into the art of
Kaeshi-waza instruct secrecy as a 'manual for martial competition' prior to
sending them out in the world as undefeatable instructors. The instructors,
armed with Kaeshi-waza, were thus able to gain leadership always in their
training sessions even when they were in a defensive position."(p.125)
It is clear from this that
Ueshiba withheld secret techniques from the lower rank Japanese students to
maintain the superiority of his upper rank students. Ueshiba then, it
appears, went one step further and purposely withheld techniques from any
student who were not Japanese. This statement is supported by Stevens(1987)
when he quotes a passage from Morihei Ueshiba's privately circulated text
Budo published in 1938 that gives the warning 'This manual is not to be
shown to non-Japanese.'(p.78)
What was it that Ueshiba would
teach his instructors? Saito(1974,p.125-165) demonstrates techniques which
are counterattacks to Aikido throws and joint locks. One assumes that would
be the basis of the Kaeshi-waza of Ueshiba. However, there appears to be
more to Ueshiba's art than counter techniques shown by Saito. Stevens (1987)
describes an event that occurred during Ueshiba's sojourn in Mongolia. "Morihei,
too, became an instant lama, giving lavish performances of chiokon-kishin
techniques and applying the laying on of hands to cure illness. When he
demonstrated his prowess as the King of Protectors by causing powerfully
built Mongol warrior to collapse by merely touching them -- the ignorant
fighters were unaware that he attacked their vital pressure points."(p.29).
The use of vital points appears to play a vital role in the martial art
Ueshiba. Not surprisingly, this does not appear to be taught to westerners.
Ueshiba's ability to 'merely touch' a person and cause them to collapse must
indeed have been a wonderful art. Such attacks to vital points would seem to
be something very worthwhile to pass on to your students. Yet, in an
examination of Aikido texts by Saito (1974), Tohei (1968), Uyeshiba (1962),
Westbrook (1970),Yamada (1974) and Shioda (1962) did not reveal any specific
references to vital points or such applications as attributed to Ueshiba.
Invariably these texts would suggest an Atemi-waza (strike to vital points)
prior to performing a technique. Most texts would offer general locations to
strike for particular throws or pinning techniques. Illustrations of such
general instructions can be found in the text by Saito (1974 p. 124) who
offers the following information on Atemi-Waza When performing Shio-nage: "Atemi
to our partner's face with your right hand", "Kicking his right knee
sideways to dislocate the joint.", "Atemi to his side with your left elbow."
These Atemi-waza are presented in such a way it seems they are used only to
distract the individual. Not as an integral part of the technique.
It is interesting to note all
of the texts will give quite detailed explanations of the throw, yet, are
extremely vague on the Atemi-waza What is even more interesting is a text in
Japanese language by Hashimoto (1964) where there is a comparison 27 Kyusho
(vital) points used in Aikido to the points used in Acupuncture. This list
is quite detailed and gives the nomenclature used both in Aikido and
Acupuncture. Hashimoto lists vital points used in Aikido which are found on
the Chest, Head, Face, Hand, Leg and Back. While the exact locations of
vital points have not been described in English language Aikido texts, it is
quite clear they are openly discussed in Japanese texts.
Prior to WW.II there were
several publications which discussed vital points and how they could be used
to knock out or kill a person. Several of these books give quite accurate
information, if you know what to look for! To give several examples
Mitchell(1936) demonstrates at least three workable knockouts(p.l35-143).
Hunter(1938) lists and describes vital points on the human body and
describes a knockout. l 8-24). He additionally describes various Katus or
ways of bring back a person to consciousness (vol 2, p. 7-9).
In general these texts are
quite vague concerning exactly how to go about knocking out an opponent. If
the reader were already familiar with vital point theory and techniques
these knock outs would be self-evident. There were not any texts reviewed
which tied in Kata and vital point practice except Koizumi(1960). Each knock
out was described as an individual technique and not connected to kata.
We, the martial arts
community, have allowed this knowledge to virtually slip away. To give a
specific example Handcock and Higashi (1905) published a book which pointed
out a number of Kyusho (vital) points and detailed methods of Katsu
(resuscitation). This book was republished in 1961 by Dover Publications. At
the beginning of the book the following notation was printed: "This Dover
edition, first published in 1961, is an unaltered republication of the work
originally published by G.P. Putnam's Son's in 19O5, except that the last
two sections (26 pages) on serious and fatal blows and Kuatus, or the
restoration of life, have been omitted, because their use to the public is
doubtful and they do not affect the over-all value of the book. "While the
publisher may have felt the overall value of the book would not be effected,
the deletion of these two sections is a significant shortcoming.
There are majors flaw in these
early works, as well as contemporary works dealing with vital points:
-
They lack the direction and
angle to strike, and the results from the strike.
-
They lack the way in which
these points are set up to allow you knock out the person
-
Most importantly is how
these techniques are to be found in various traditional Kata. These
important aspects of the martial arts has been neglected for much too long
of a time.
It is critical at this
juncture we rediscover the true meaning of Karate-do.'
Drager, D. F. The Martial Arts and Ways of Japan: Volume 1 Classical Bujutsu
Weatherhill:New York (1983).
Drager, D. F. The Martial Arts and Ways of Japan: Volume 2 Classical Bujutsu
Weatherhill:New York (1975).
Egami, S. The Way of Karate: Beyond technique Kodansha International,
Tokyo (1976).
Funakoshi, G. Karate-Do: My way of life Kodansha International, Tokyo, 1975.
Hancock, H. Irving & Higashi, Katsukuma THE COMPLETED KANO JIU-JITSU (JITSO)
Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1961.
Hashimoto, Masae ATSUKUNAI OKYU NYUMON (An Introduction to Acupuncture
and Moxibusiton without Cautery. Tokyo, 1964.
Hunter, H.H. Super Ju-Jitsu: Vol. 1 Times Job Print: Ontario, 1938.
Hunter, H.H. Super Ju-Jitsu: Vol. 2 Times Job Print: Ontario, 1938.
Koizumi, G., My study of Judo: The Principles and the Technical
Fundamentals Cornerstone Library: New York, 1967.
Koyama, K., & Minami A. Jiu Jitsu: The Effective Japanese Mode of
Self-Defense. American Sports Publishing: New York, 1913
Mitchell, D. Skilled Defense. Dewey Mitchell System of Skilled Defense:
Cleveland, 1936.
Saito, M. Aikido: Sword Stick and Body Arts Vol. 4 Vital Techniques
Minato Research: Tokyo,1974.
Saito, M. Aikido: Sword Stick and Body Arts Vol. 1, 2, 3 & 4 Vital
Techniques Minato Research:Tokyo, 1974.
Stevens, J. Abundant Peace: The Biography of Morihei Ueshiba founder
of Aikido Shambhala:Boston,1987.
Tohei, K. This is Aikido Japan Publications: Tokyo, 1968.
Shioda, G. Dynamic Aikido Kodansha: Tokyo, 1968.
Vairamuttu, R.A. Scientific Unarmed Combat: The art of dynamic self-
defense the ancient Asian pyscho-physical study W. Foulsham: London, 1954.
Uyeshiba, K. Aikido Kodansha: Tokyo, 1962.
Westbrook, A., & Ratti, O. Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere: An Illustrated
Introduction Charles E. Tuttle: Vermont, 1970.
Yamada, Y. Aikido Complete Citadel Press: Sercaucus, 1974.
Yamanaka, K. Jiu-Jutsu Penton Press: Cleveland, 1918.
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