The art that 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 traveled 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 on 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 the empty-hand movements, unlike the Japanese fighting arts which developed empty-hand techniques based on weapon handling) it found a 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 a 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 Okinawan'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" [te], 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 technologies. Likewise, the bodyguards assigned to the protection of the Okinawan king had to be martial arts experts in order to perform their job. Police officers of ancient Okinawa (no less than their modern counter-parts) also needed realistic and effective fighting methods.

In addition to these professionals for whom martial arts was one of the "tools of the trade," there were also civilian martial artists who studied self -defense against the possibility of a violent encounter (a not-so-unlikely prospect considering the presence of armed samurai). Over the generations, the methods and insights of the professional and civilian martial artists merged as Ryukyu kempo developed.

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 arts of exquisite effectiveness: kyusho-jitsu and tuite-jitsu. Kyusho-jitsu is the art of attacking pressure points (the same points used in oriental healing methods). 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.

Tuite-jitsu and Kyusho-jitsu are intertwined because the point attacks of kyusho-jitsu create the opportunities for tuite joint maneuvers, and the joint techniques of tuite make openings for decisive blows to exposed pressure points. These methods have been passed on in secret for centuries and may have roots in ancient India, and a secret art called marma adi.

Marma adi is based on methods of attacking 108 vital points. It is known that Chinese martial arts were influenced by Indian martial arts, and so, it is no surprise to find that Chinese kung fu contains two little known, but highly advanced components called dim mak and chin na. Dim mak (or dim hsueh) is the art of attacking vital points and corresponds to kyusho-jitsu. Chin na is the art of manipulating joints and is related to tuite-jitsu.

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 (unless the practitioner is extraordinarily strong and athletically gifted, a completely impractical expectation). So, it is amazing that kyusho-jitsu and tuite-jitsu, the two arts which are the very basis of Okinawan combative disciplines, have been virtually unknown to modern karate practitioners. Why is this?

The reason is two-fold. First, though Ryukyu kempo was designed solely for combat, there are other benefits -physical and psychological - of martial arts training. This means that, for those who do not need a fighting art, martial arts can still be enjoyed for these ancillary benefits. And, as we shall see, these benefits can form the rationale for teaching martial arts to the general population.

Second, modern karate is devoid of the combat techniques of kyusho-jitsu and tuite-jitsu because these arts were (as we have mentioned) passed on in secret. Though the practitioners of Ryukyu kempo were sometimes well known, their methods were carefully guarded. This was to prevent rivals from learning one's methods (or perhaps devising a counter technique ), and to keep the most dangerous knowledge out of the hands of untrustworthy individuals. In many cases, a master's most treasured techniques were only divulged to a single student who was the designated successor in the system. Even instructors who were willing to share their knowledge with all their top students usually would wait a long time before even beginning to teach these methods.

There are two oral traditions, which illustrate this point. One is that a student would be taught only physical movements for the first ten years, and only after that period of testing and evaluation would he or she be taught the "true art". (This was the case with the late Hohan Soken. ) The second tradition is one that simply states that individuals must be at least 35 years old before they are even taught the fundamentals of kyusho-jitsu and tuite-jitsu.

In 1891, so the story goes, two young Ryukyu kempo experts, Chomo Hanashiro (1869- 1945) and Kentsu Yabu (1866-1937) - students of Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura (1809-1901), and later of Anko Itosu (1832-1916), took their army physicals. As this was a time of military expansionism, Japan was vigorously drafting Okinawan men into the army. The military doctors noticed that, unlike other conscripts, Hanashiro and Yabu were exceptionally robust. The two credited their kempo training for their health and vigor. This prompted an investigation into whether Ryukyu kempo might be used to improve the quality of Okinawan draftees.

Around the turn of the century, as a result of this interest by the Japanese military, Anko Itosu (who was also one of Matsumura's students) began a program to teach Ryukyu kempo in the elementary schools.

Itosu detailed his plan for teaching Ryukyu kempo tode-jitsu to children in a letter to the Prefectural Education Department. The letter states, in part, "The purpose of tode is to make the body hard like stones and iron; hands and feet should be used like the points of arrows; hearts should be strong and brave. If children were to practice to de from elementary-school days, they would be well prepared for military service... This will be a great asset to our militaristic society."

Since, kempo was considered far too hazardous for children, he modified the art so that they could not hurt each other. Some of these modifications involved changing the manner in which certain techniques were performed so that they caused no injury - In effect blunting the weapons. Itosu also deleted all teaching of the core methods of Ryukyu kempo, removing both kyusho-jitsu and tuite-jitsu from the curriculum. Instead, he taught the children to block and punch.

Itosu also developed the five simple kata (fixed patterns or forms) called Pinan (Heian in Japanese) and he introduced important philosophical considerations into kempo instruction.

This had the effect of shifting the emphasis in training from combat to personal development. In this way he started a metamorphosis of kempo from bujitsu (martial science) to budo (martial way). To express this change, he proposed a new name for the art, one that was consistent with this new emphasis.

The term to-de (or tou-di) means "Chinese hand" and can also be pronounced kara-te. Itosu proposed replacing the word "to" / "kara " (Chinese) with a different word, also pronounced "kara" but meaning "empty". Thus he argued for the name karate, meaning "emptiness of hand." (This new name, karate-do, was not officially adopted until the mid 30's.) As a result, Itosu became the father of a new martial art -from the combat methods of Ryukyu Kempo tode-jitsu, Itosu created a school-children's budo known as karate-do.

Itosu recommended teaching his modified art to those training to become school teachers. By teaching the teachers, then sending them out, he hoped to spread his new method. As he explained in his letter, "It is my opinion that all the students of the Okinawa Prefectural Teachers' Training College should practice tode, so that when they graduate from here they can teach children in the schools exactly as I have taught them. Within ten years tode will spread all over Okinawa and to the Japanese mainland."

Itosu's plan succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. Not only did his karate-do spread to the Japanese mainland (it took about 15 years, and was introduced by Itosu's student, Gichin Funakoshi) but eventually it spread to the world. Every practitioner of karate, of kempo and of tae kwon do for that matter, owes Itosu a huge debt of gratitude. Without him, the Okinawan fighting arts would still be a provincial secret.

Because karate-do was an openly practiced art, it quite naturally came to the attention of westerners following WW II. However, when westerners learned the art, they did not appreciate the difference between karate-do and Ryukyu kempo. They believed they were learning a fighting art and not a children's art.

It is easy to understand why this was so; many of the earliest karate instructors were not actually karate practitioners. In fact, they were Ryukyu kempo experts who publicly taught a karate-do curriculum. Often, these instructors would have tremendous reputations as fierce fighters, because they employed Ryukyu kempo's devastating methods. The oriental students of these great masters understood that someday, if they persisted in karate-do training, their sensei (teacher) might take them aside and privately introduce them to the secrets of Ryukyu kempo. Western students, however, did not understand this. They assumed that they were paying for all the secrets these teachers possessed, when in fact, they were merely paying for instruction in karate-do.

This misconception has resulted in frustration and disappointment for countless non-asian martial artists in the last half century. After years of training and dedication, traditional students can find themselves struggling with less-effective (and sometimes completely worthless) fighting skills.

Of course, there is no one to blame for this event. Non-orientals were not (intentionally) misled. After all, Gichin Funakoshi (the founder of Shotokan-ryu, and the "Father of Japanese karate") said it plainly: "The ultimate goal of karate-do lies not in victory or in defeat, but in the perfection of the character of the participant." In contrast, a true combat art is vitally concerned about the issue of victory and defeat, since survival is its reason for being.

This is not to say that karate-do is a bad idea. On the contrary, the school children's art has proven to be a very beneficial practice for millions. Karate - along with the culturally equivalent arts of tae kwon do and wushu -has grown both in popularity and status as an enjoyable and valuable sport. Karate-do has clearly evolved far beyond its original purpose of preparing school children for military service.

Unfortunately, most people take up the study of martial arts to learn self-defense. For them, the children's art is not adequate. Also, many martial artists who thrived for years under the aegis of Itosu's revolution reach a point in their personal development when sport and fitness are no longer the prime concerns of training -a point when the issues of self -defense and real combat move to the forefront. What is there for them? How can they regain the original intent of the Okinawan fighting traditions?

The answer is to reintroduce kyusho-jitsu and tuite-jitsu into karate training. And the avenue for this reintroduction is through kata. Kata are the formal exercises of karate. They consist of fixed patterns of movements. In karate-do, kata is described as a series of blocks, punches, and kicks. Ryukyu kempo sees kata as an almost inexhaustible collection of pressure point and grappling techniques.

The body is covered with kyusho, vital points, or pressure points - also called tsubo, a shiatsu term. These points are used in acupuncture, moxibustion, and massage to promote health and healing. These same points can be used to hurt. Because the points are highly responsive, strength is not required to effectively utilize them. This makes pressure point fighting a highly efficient form of combat.

In acupuncture, the needle must be inserted correctly, and manipulated properly for any given point to work. Likewise, in kyusho-jitsu and tuite-jitsu the proper angle and method of activation for each pressure point must be employed to obtain the desired effect. For this reason, instruction on pressure point fighting must include not only the location of the points, but also information on the proper use of each point.

The movements of traditional kata contain this required information. Each move is a self-defense technique that precisely maps out the proper points to use and the correct method of using them. This is why kata training has always stressed technical precision as one of its values. In karate-do it has simply been assumed that this interest in precision was merely part of the discipline of the art, a never-ending quest for perfection. In fact, the precision is important to insure that pressure points are properly attacked in real combat.

Kata only works if there is a deep understanding of its meaning. And this is the key to restoring the original combative quality of Ryukyu kempo to the grade-school art of karate-do. To do this, one needs to study kyusho-jitsu and tuite-jitsu and come to an understanding of their basic principles. Then, one should analyze the traditional forms to determine the pressure point techniques, which they contain. This is called "bunkai," or application.

Finally, by visualizing these applications when doing the form, and by taking the time to practice the applications with a partner, the old methods can come to life again.

Reprinted with permission, from the book "Advanced Pressure Point Fighting of Ryukyu Kempo"
by George A. Dillman with Chris Thomas.