Kyusho in Shotokan
An antagonism, because Shotokan karate has adapted completely to sport. Thus one excludes the other. In karate where fights follow certain rules, without any physical contact, it is not necessary to acquire the knowledge about vital points. Furthermore, it makes no sense to adopt this know-how into sport, because for Kyusho special hand positions and different angles are used. The targets are not taken into consideration in the predefined rules.
Every competition system needs certain rules to guarantee a fair fight rating. So there are changes in training and its concept, how certain techniques should be executed, is not the same anymore.
Today's Shotokan karate is completely adjusted to this sport system and the training is built up in such a way, that the fighter is being prepared systematically for competition. The basic techniques are practiced by the different Kihon exercises and are stored in the muscle memory. The different Kumite ways, starting with Gohon-Kumite, then the Sanbon-Kumite and various intermediate stages up to the Kihon-Ippon-Kumite and Jiyu-Ippon-Kumite, the competitor is led to the tournament. Thereby the Kata exercises are rather irrelevant for Kumite. This is the situation which the old masters had foreseen and pointed out over and over again that karate will be diluted by sport.
In my opinion it is not sensible to condemn the sport or to discuss this matter because sport is still the fundament and driving force of karate’s worldwide spreading and retransmission. It is undisputed that Shotokan karate and in particular the grouping JKA were the forerunners in this respect. Today one can say that Shotokan karate has farthest veered away from the origins of Okinawan karate.
Senior karate-kas, who have exceeded their competition time, are left with the feeling that there is something missing. This might be one of the reasons why Krav Maga and mixed martial arts are increasing in popularity. If one looks somewhat back in history, there were three essential transformations in Shotokan.
The first one started with Master Anko Itosu, who changed the karate to that effect, that it could be practiced in schools, as a physical training. This was the karate which master Funakoshi primarily taught at universities in Japan. It is certainly not to be denied, that he changed karate so as not to be in competition with Judo or Jiu Jitsu, whose masters had promoted him.
The second big change took place during the militarization and the war. In all probability Master Funakoshi’s son Yoshitaka and some master students were mainly involved in this process. Under the influence of the military and the fact that most students were drawn in the war, it was concentrated on a few techniques that the students practiced hard and with perseverance. Techniques which were too difficult or complex were neglected as there was not enough time to prepare for the battlefield. What exactly was taught by those young masters at the ominous Nakano school will possibly stay in the dark of history forever. Documented is that some of todays well known Masters were somehow linked to the Nakano school, though.
The third big change and for karate probably the worst one, was the complete conformation to sport. To evade the American’s ban of Budokan and all martial arts, karate became one of the first fight sport, which were permitted in the post-war period again. The reason being it was shown as a sport like boxing. But at what price?
In his book Karate Kyohan of 1935 Gichin Funakoshi dedicates a whole chapter with 15 pages to the vital points. In his introduction he writes that every student of karate must know the vital points, "the point where the impact of attacking is comparatively effective."
In the issue of 1956 there are only 2 pages and with no explanation. Whether this knowledge has been really lost, is not clear, because some masters have pointed out these techniques in courses, but have never explained them. It is also proved that some JKA instructors have investigated this area.
However, the central issue remains, in what way does a normal karate-ka benefit from this knowledge? As already above-mentioned, it was self-evident for master Funakoshi that every serious karate-ka should deal with Kyusho. As well he was always of the opinion that the Katas should form the foundation of the system and be transmitted without any changes.
Now, in Kata there are many techniques and movements performed that are not used in today's competitions. This has also led many karate-ka to the opinion that Katas are only practiced for nostalgic reasons and for the next test and actually are useless for competition. Also in Kata competitions the trend is visible to shift from effectiveness to show. Funakoshi pointed out the fact over and over again, that practicing Kata, without knowledge and the practitioner’s imagination, is nothing more than gymnastics. Thus, it is up to us to find out what is there so important to discover the Katas.
The Master indicates another instruction with the saying: “Those who want to comprehend the new, must research the old”. Unfortunately, a lot of knowledge was lost in the confusion of World War II and the hard times thereafter. Luckily there were a few karate masters, who granted us a look back into the past.
For example, Hohan Sokon, in direct line up to Matsumura, who accepted and taught American students in the 60s.
Another one being Taika Oyata who was the first teaching Kyusho in America and the one who steered the interest to this aspect of the karate.
There were certainly also lines via Tai Chi and other internal Chinese martial arts, of which I have unfortunately no knowledge.
Presumably the whole construct of ideas of Chinese medicine descended to modern Kyusho. Texts by Hohan Sokon, Gichin Funakoshi and other old masters do not mention this connection but refer more to western medicine.
Kyusho International, with Evan Pantazi, is rather found in the tradition of the old masters, because it was ascertained with medical studies and practice on partner as well as worldwide experiences, that the Chinese model is amiss in many cases and must be shaped mostly.
From the start of my studies in Kyusho I have been impressed by this more realistic model. I gained my first experience in Kyusho at the International Kyusho Convention in Thonon, France, in 2006, after more than 25 years of practice in Shotokan karate. At this event I saw some substantial realistic reality-related things which were coherent and probably more successful and effective in a self-defense situation than my hitherto existing knowledge and experience in Dojo and competitions.
At that time I set off on a very interesting journey that has changed my view on my karate. Kata is the key to the system and Kyusho has helped me to a much better understanding of many things. I was confronted by the curriculum of Kyusho International, with subjects I had never thought about before.
Are there also throws, take-downs, tuite or even ground fighting? Of course there are! At least they were in the past. They were there because it had been a real fight art. The old masters certainly thought about how to get out of a situation in which they had fallen to the ground. I suggest all doubters to watch a Mixed-Martial-Competition and wonder seriously, whether they would endure a fight with their karate competition experience.
At a course in Switzerland in 2011 Evan Pantazi pointed out what an analysis of Kata Tekki Shodan would look like from the Kyusho point of view. All techniques were practiced respectively with vital points on arm, head, body and leg. With take-downs, tuite or the way one can use the movements also in ground fighting. In more than one hundred possible scenarios, I never got the feeling, that the techniques were designed for the scenarios. No! Everything was logical in itself and realistic. This seminar was really an eye opener. Also indications to Ironshirt, Chi Gong and body-mechanics were not missing. All this with only one single Kata, with which I could continue my studies.
Now I also understand master Funakoshi’s statement that he had studied this Kata for 10 years. In my opinion Kyusho offers a lot in many respects to a karate-ka. However, one should not pad into the trap trying to integrate Kyusho into karate.
We should incorporate karate into Kyusho and pursue as a continuing study. If Kyusho is integrated into karate, the techniques will change inevitably and so do the Katas. If a single Kata is studied on its own intensely, it will change according to imagination and main focus, because every vital point needs another angle and perhaps another hand position. The Kata will become yours.
However, this should not lead to the fact that the Katas are changed. We should give students the possibility to pursue their own studies from the original. Kyusho cannot be learned theoretically but must be practiced on the partner and also be exercised itself. Because not everybody has the same training main focus, inevitably students would quit those who exercise karate especially because there is no physical contact in form of blows.
As we can see from the variety of factions within Shotokan, there are countless different main focuses concerning practicing. Kyusho could be one of them and Kyusho International with its curriculum offers a practice system, with which it is easily possible to exercise.
I want to thank Evan Pantazi and all senior students they have supported me and helped me open-minded without keeping back knowledge.
Hermman Woodtli
Switzerland
4th Dan JSKA under Keigo Abe
