The 6 Ji Hands of Shaolin
I get hundreds of questions each week regarding Kyusho in regard to Health and Healing as well as Martial Arts. It has been my career for decades and thoroughly intriguing.
Here is one such question recently asked on my You Tube Channel:
Sensei, what would be more precise to activate pressure points for Kyusho, closed fist or open hand??
The short answer is... Use what you are better with. I personally prefer the open hands for many reasons, first being that these hand formations pictured to the right are from an original manuscript dating back centuries. They were developed by Shaolin Monks to access the weaker anatomical areas of the human body. They were also the original hand positions of the Martial Arts before the introduction of the fist.
They are easier to deploy, can access far more numerous and vulnerable targets as they were positioned to reach deeper into the body cavities,well past the muscle, bones, tendons and even the nerves (although they are perfect for attacking the neurological system as well), and into blood vessels and body organs.
It looks Easy
Kyusho appears to have great affect with minimal effort (as designed for smaller, weaker or even older individuals to equal the playing field), but it is not easy... it takes training.
In fact most things that appear easy are due to long committed training with strict focus over many years. The Kyusho Knockouts are dramatic and look like the receiver is barely struck... but that is only because of the accuracy on specific targets, penetration past natural body protections like muscles and bones, as well as the correct trajectory on a specific target (enabled by the special hand rotations).
These tools are far more refined than the basic primal fist. The fist first is a product of emotions (Fear, Anger, Desperation), which in turn limits the potential. The broad area of the fist will strike only the surface structures of the muscle and bone, it acts much like a snowshoe keeping the mass on the surface area. The open hands used in the Shaolin Hand methods, will bypass these structures to gain maximum power transference to the more vital structures (Nerve, Vascular and Organs).
Martial Arts Adopts the Fist
As stated, these 6 hand positions were the more original Martial Art tools or hand weapons. It devolved into the fist for many reasons such as working with novices or not fully accepted or loyal students. They quickly tamed down the fighting arts to accommodate a more public involvement. This was especially adopted when the Arts migrated from China into Okinawa and most prominently when it was introduced as a sport in the Schools of Japan. As the Arts became more of a sport and physical fitness than life protective, and the hands as well as the targeting of Kyusho, became a closely guarded and secretive method.
Now the fist of course still works, but requires far more effort and power (and distance to gain velocity in the strike), to attempt to break or damage the external body. And it still hurts!
One more "Vital Point"
Legalities... yes today's society is more litigious and people will take you to court even if they were the offender. Many people are quick to film these days to with their phone cameras, so fast that they catch car accidents and other such tragedies... but even more so as fights or attacks occur in real situations.
The fist when shown in a court of law has far more aggressive appearance and therefore much harder legal defense. With the short twisting actions of these 6 Ji Hands, the range is only inches and the hands in open position so that is very difficult to prove intent to harm over attempts to push the assailant away or secure them for protection and control. This is a huge difference, especially for a juries perception. If you look to be protecting yourself instead of trying to bludgeon the opponent with fists, it is far more defensible.
Tighter is not better
When you clench a fist your body also instinctively tightens. This slows response time, hinders body action as well as spikes emotions making judgments and clear mind far less likely.
This also makes it necessary to use your arm range to deploy that fisted tool, so in a very close and or grappled position, your are more severely hindered. The open hand can be easily deployed to several vital targets with simple wrist actions.
.
.
.
Good Health – Evan Pantazi
#Kyusho
Image Credit: 張可均
▶️ DTube
▶️ IPFS