History

PENACOOK SCHOOL KARA-TE

1 Fisher Ave. Boscawen NH 03303 (603)753-4159

History Of Ryukyu Kempo
(from Advanced Pressure Point Grappling by George Dillman)

   " The art which we know as karate developed on the Ryukyu archipelago, a chain of islands between Japan and China. The largest of these islands is Okinawa, so the terms Ryukyu and Okinawa are used interchangeably. Because of its location, the Ryukyus became a meeting point for Japanese and Chinese Culture.
    By 1393, a Chinese economic and cultural mission was established in Okinawa. There, well-bred Okinawans learned to speak and read Chinese. They were also educated in Chinese governmental administration, and in many cases travelled to China for further study. In this way, Okinawans became familiar with Chinese culture, including the methods of Chinese boxing. Nowadays Chinese boxing is called "kung fu", but the original name is "chuan fa" ("fist method") which is pronounced "kempo" in the Okinawan dialect.
     In 1507, circumstances arose which were particularly favorable to the development of kempo in Okinawa. At that time, the second king of Okinawa, Sho Shin-O, ended feudalism in the Ryukyu Kingdom and unified the islands. Part of Sho Shin-O's reforms was to outlaw the private ownership of weapons. In this setting, self-defense methods with a strong component of empty-hand fighting would, quite naturally, become highly favored. Since kempo is a fighting system based on empty-hand combat (even kempo's associated weapons systems are based on empty-hand movements, unlike the Japanese fighting arts which developed empty-hand techniques based on weapon hauling) it found fertile ground in which to flourish.
    In 1609, the Satsuma samurai clan of Japan invaded and subjugated Okinawa. While the Ryukyu monarchy continued to exist, it remained under the thumb of the Satsuma until the throne was abdicated in 1879 (at which time Okinawa officially became part of Japan). As a result of the Samurai presence, the practice of kempo moved underground and the art was nurtured in secret. the Japanese brought with them their own samurai battlefield arts (bujitsu). Okinawan martial artists became familiar with these systems, and adopted some of their methods into the evolving Ryukyu version of Chinese kempo.
    In addition to the presence of Chinese kempo and Japanese bujitsu, the Okinwawn's also possessed an indigenous fighting art known as "te" (or "ti", which means hand). This was the art of the Okinawan Royal Guard and consisted of pressure point strikes and grappling techniques. Te has continued to be practiced and exists even today.
    One of the reasons that te does not enjoy a large following, even in Okinawa, is that its methods became absorbed into the emerging art of Ryukyu kempo. Thus, Chinese kempo formed the basis for a uniquely Okinawan art which incorporated elements of Japanese bujitsu and the methods of te. As a result of this intertwining of cultures, Ryukyu kempo was also called tode-jitsu, a name which acknowledged these sources: "to", referring to the Tang dynasty of China; "de", for the Okinawan element; and "jitsu", the Japanese suffix used to refer to combative disciplines.
    Originally, Ryukyu kempo tode-jitsu existed for the sole purpose of self-defense in direct response to various practical necessities. For example, professional security escorts of the day needed to be well-versed in combative techniques. Likewise, the body-guards assigned to the protection of the Okinawan king had to be martial arts experts in order to perform their job.
    Because Ryukyu kempo developed for strictly utilitarian reasons, it needed to be a very effective and practical fighting method. At the very heart of Ryukyu kempo's combative approach lie two intertwined art of exquisite effectiveness - Kyusho-jitsu and Tuite-jitsu. Kyusho-jitsu is the art of attacking pressure points. Touches and strikes to these points can result in pain, unconsciousness and even death. Tuite-jitsu is the art of joint manipulation. Pressure points are used in this art as well, to control and weaken joints, making them vulnerable to attack.
    Together, tuite-jitsu and kyusho-jitsu make Ryukyu kempo a remarkably sophisticated fighting style that depends on knowledge, grace and technique, rather than brute strength. Without proper knowledge and understanding, Ryukyu kempo cannot work. So it is amazing that kyusho-jitsu and tuite-jitsu, the two arts which are the very basis of Okinawan combative styles, have been virtually lost to modern karate practitioners. Why is this?"
    Several theories exist to explain this mystery. One is that the deadly techniques were removed during the period when the arts were taught with an emphasis on the development of Karate-do or character development. Another was that the arts were becoming integrated into the schools and it was considered to be too dangerous for children. The final theory is that many cultures including our own had invaded or occupied the islands and as these techniques were considered highly guarded secrets, they were not taught to many individuals.