The concepts of Ryukyu Kempo bridge the gap
between styles and aid students in defining their techniques -
regardless of style.
Ryukyu Kempo (also known as Chinese Kempo) has been the way of
martial arts in Okinawa hundreds of years. This is what martial
arts was before the transition into what most people know as
'modern karate'. Ryukyu Kempo is not a 'style' of martial arts
like Goju-Ryu, Shorin-Ryu, Shuri-ryu, Tai Kwon Do and the list
goes on. Rather, Ryukyu Kempo encompasses Okinawan arts with
emphasis on life-protection techniques, regardless of an
individual's size. The concepts of Ryukyu Kempo bridge the gap
between styles and aid the student in defining his or her
techniques, regardless of style.
Ryukyu Kempo incorporates many of the same concepts as 'Acupuncture';
dealing with over 300 pressure points of the body, chi flow (also call
Qi, Ki, or Bio-electric energy), yin & yang (positive & negative), the
12 bi-lateral body meridians, and the 5 elements (earth, wood, fire,
metal, water).
Ryukyu Kempo consists of two areas
that are not included in Modern Karate and most other modern Martial
Arts:
Kyusho-Jitsu is the pressure point striking of
Ryukyu Kempo. To perform a Kyusho-Jitsu technique, a student must be
trained in striking a combination of points. Strikes to the proper
points - in the correct order, angle, and direction - can disorient,
disable, or cause death to an attacker. The map of these pressure
point combinations are hidden within
Kata. With correct understanding and adequate practice of the
techniques contained within
Kata, Ryukyu Kempo techniques and combinations can be interpreted.
Tuite,
or "grab hand". This refers to the grappling and joint
manipulations contained in Ryukyu Kempo. Everyone's body is weak
in the same manor. These weaknesses occur near joints, nerves,
tendons, and muscles. Tuite should not be thought of as an art unto
itself. Tuite works in conjunction with Kyusho-Jitsu in that the
pressure points are the keys to releasing the joints attacked by Tuite.
Parts of the text on this page have
come from Grandmaster George Dillman's 2nd book: Ryukyu Kempo:
Advance Pressure Point Fighting. Coinciding information on
this page also comes from a continuous study of different works
both online and in books. One such book -for example-is The
Bible of Karate, Bubishi; published by Tuttle Martial Arts.
If you truly study the history of Martial Arts, you will come to
find that the roots of all arts are from similar -if not the same-
sources.
