Roland Habersetzer - "Bubishi - Bible of Karatee"
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Believe it or not - - Back about1990, for Joe Swift I completed translating a book from French to English. He recommended to Pat McCarthy I might be able to do the same for him. Pat then requested I do the same for a number of French books on karate he had. Thus for several years I found myself cursing my dictionaries, because karate terms were not found in those dictionaries, likewise the school French I had been taught was quite different from the French written for the actual French people. Eventually I completed what I had been requested to do. This came from one of those translation efforts.
The Bubishi refers regularly to the concept of vital points, which is necessary to include/understand as precise points on the anatomy of an adversary on which an action can lead to the defeat of this last. To some extent, a point on which the effect of an attack does not forgive (of where ‘vital’). The knowledge of these particularly weak points which are located a little everywhere on the human body is extremely old, more than a millennium. The first concern of this research was from elsewhere to look after, by the acupuncture and the moxibustion: the science of the meridians., immaterial lines the length whose circulates the energy internal of man (Chi), which is not to be confused with muscular energy, formed part of the first assets of Chinese traditional medicine. This one will locate 24 meridians in total, of which 12 principal lines running from part and from the other of the axis vertical meridians of the body. Each one of these meridians, true routes of Chi., is in relation to precise internal organs on which one can act by this intermediary. In effect, throughout these channels are localized some ‘cavities’ (hsueh), or point known as ‘vital’, particularly significant, either because less protected by the muscular mass, either because the meridian is to flower of skin. It is possible to act on these points from several manners: while pricking (technique of the acupuncture), while burning (technique of the moxibustion), while pressing (technical of Tsu-bo, or Shiatsu in Japanese), by striking in various ways (technique of Tien-hsueh, or di-mak, or atemi in Japanese).
All these types of actions stimulate, stop, disturb the current of internal energy, which they invigorate or disperse, which inevitably results in disturbances of the normal operation of the internal organs which are attach to the meridians aim at. This astonishing knowledge of the human machine has been utilized in two directions: to look after (concern of medicine, which was the first direction) and destruction (source of the martial arts, of which pragmatism was obviously elsewhere, a second direction which was in short derived as a perversion of the first). During centuries, experts distinguished themselves in this science, also masters of the one and the other of these directions (*).
(*) On the meridians the cycles and the old theories of the variations of the internal energy, one will be able to refer has the work Chi-Kung, la maitrise de l’energie interne of R .Habersetzer to the Editions Amphora, work from which is extracted the diagram from page 179.
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History reports that the emperor Jen Tzung (Jen-tsong: 1023-1063) had the idea of requesting from his doctor to make a statue of a man bronze, on which would be located the meridians and the points of acupuncture. It was in 1026 after J.-C., during the dynasty Sung (song). It is also said that this body made of hollow metal filled with water, and that the points in question was realized (made with) by fine openings masked by wax: speared correctly, they let out a bead of water. Thus, for the first time, an anatomy was represented in three dimensions. They were continued to be refined. Under [During] the Ming dynasty, one saw appearing three models of bronze men, the one representing the man , the other the woman, the other the infant, with their anatomical specificities. Finally, they ended up building a statue of the man in cryatal, transparent models which allowed to add the knowledge of the external localization of the vital points to that of the circulatory system and of the position of the internal organs.
Very quickly the interest also went towards another direction: how to use this anatomical knowledge No more to reestablish health, but to disturb it by provoking the vital items with brutality. Some Taoist monks, preoccupies by all that touched human longevity, were to the point of this type of research and accumulated observations and experiments. Perhaps the celebrated Zhang San-feng, hermit of the mountain Wu Tang, who would have lived with the xiii century in the province of Hopei, especially known to have created a style of combat ancestor to Tai Ju Quan after the observation of combat between a crane and a snake, formed it already with some disciplines in this field. More certainly, Feng I-yuan, another monk taoist, who lived during the Ming dynasty, advanced the knowledge in the manner of disturbing the vital points by the sole utilization of his naked hands. With him, undoubtedly were connections, for the first time, of a manner that that one can qualify, for the peroid, was scientific, anatomical knowledge and the knowledge of the means of striking. intensity of striking, types and angles of striking, but also striking taking account of the time cycles and phases of the moon and the sun to act according to optimal times.. The knowledge of the time cycles and the phases of the moon and the sun to act according to optimal times.. The knowledge of the time cycles which rhythms the circulation of the internal energy in the human body is probably due to Wu Liu Yuan, another taoist of the same time. That made it possible to know, very precisely, for each point aimed for, the best technical opportunity for which to employ a technique by one for resulting perfect control and wishes : immediately brutal effect or differently, of many hours, days, weeks (from which came the legend of the poison hand, giving death well after having been touched, such a mortal poison being diluted slowly in blood), faintness, sharp pain, blackouts, ruptured bones, or auricular, traumatism superficial or profound, and. Feng I-yuan would thus have located 36 vital points, carefully groups of categories according to the effect that could be caused there (pain, paralysis, fainting, death). These points are multiply thereafter to 72 (which is double.), finally to 108 (which is triple.), figures which of all evidence is symbolic (108 is a figure sacred in Buddhism. There are also 108 movements in the great sequence of Yangjia Tai Ji Quan. The kata of Karate Goju-ryu Suparinpe comes from the Chinese tao Yepatlinpa, which wants to say, therefore, 108 steps...). These sequences of movements (tao or quan, or in Japanese kata) were created to allow the memorization of these attacking techniques to vital points.
The Bubishi evokes through some summary drawings this sum of knowledge accumulated during the centuries (and probably experiments on a number of battlefields, seen with detriment to the prisoners of war). It does not provide in this domain of revelations to upset already known chapters through the records, in particular, of the Japanese schools of traditional Bu Jutsu (1) which inherit some of the Chinese discoveries. Some serious studies (2) have been undertaken these last years for, on the basis of specimens found from the Bubishi, to turn to all the interpretation possible from the contents of the pages devoted to this important domain of art of combat without weapons... They are very significant contributions to the knowledge of the art of millennia tien-hsueh (atemi) but their degree of detail comes out of the context of the present study, because it somewhat moves them away from the simplicity of the original document. Of the same, the allusions relating to
Thus those of Fujita Saiko, Konga-ryu Nin-jutsu and Sato-ryu Kempo.
Thus, those of Ohtsuka Tadahiko has through its publications of Gojukensha of Tokyo (Okinawa-den Bubishi) and, all recently those of Patrick McCarthy of The International Ryukyu Karate Research Society.
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care of the wounds or the diseases by processing based on medicinal herbs are too vague or too incomplete, some additional work suggests it has transcription errors in part from very ancient terms, so that it is possible, without risk, of claiming a clear information. A bad comprehension or a bad fragmentary use of knowledge can prove to be very quickly dangerous, as well what relates to the manner of tackling the vital points as that of repairing the damage caused. It is undoubtedly not for nothing these certain pages and comments of original Bubishi prefer to remain laconic.
Diagram of a clock
Daily clock of Chi
1 to 3 Chou
3 to 5 Yin
5 to 7 Mao
7 to 9 Chen
9 to 11 Si
11 to 13 Wu
13 to 15 Wei
15 to 17 Shen
17 to 19 You
19 to 21 Xu
21 to 23 Hai
23 to 1 Zi
Meridiens route for the energy in 2 hours periods (shih-chen)
1h to 3h: Liver (hours of the ram)
3h to 5h: Lungs (hours of the monkey)
5h to 7h: Large intestine (hours of cock)
7h to 9h: Stomach (hours of dog)
9 H to 11h: Spleen, pancreas (hours of wild boar)
11h to 13h: Heart (hours of the rat)
13h to15h: Small intestine (hours of ox)
15h to 17h: Bladder (heads of the tiger)
17h to 19h: Kidney (hours of rabbit)
19h to 21h: vessel-sex (hours of the dragon)
21h to 23h: triple warmer[heater] (hours of the snake)
23h to 1h: gall bladder (hours of the horse)
Visibly the practical details were to remain at that level of the only oral transmission, of master to disciple, in accordance with the ethic of the group which is shown in the document. We will respect this last, by containing [constraining] us to clarify some little of this zone of shadow [this shaded area] of Bubishi with indications which we had already made published in our wprl “ Kung-Fu, art and technique”. (3) The reader more particularly attracted by these questions, in the bad use of which we would not like to be any responsible, will refer to the recent work of P. McCarthy (4).
Amphora Editions, work out of print. The chapter on the tien-hsueh owed much to the research of George Charles.
Work quoted:
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< Drawings from the Bubishi>
Drawings of a modern interpretation of the Bubishi published by Ohtsuka Tadahiko Sensei, with his authorization. It is a taken from figures 13 and 46.
The Technique of Tien-hsueh
The tien-hsueh consists of to concentrate the energy of a blow struck in time (speed of application) and in space (precision of the blow) to a vulnerable point of the human body (1). Struck with a certain proportion of force, or according to a certain angle, at such a point can cause an incapacity temporary or definitive, partial or total, the inhibiting pain, the blackout, death…
At a first stage, the technique of the tien hsueh has as a goal to disturb, even of stopping momentarily or definitively, the blood circulation or flow, respiratory by precise attacks on certain anatomical points of the opponent. Of same, it is in practice to the range [impact] of all the world from acting on a muscle or a group of muscles, of kind to cause a paralization more or less long.
The second stage of the tien hsueh is much more complex. It consists to disrupt (and increasing, diminishing, while blocking momentarily) the vital energy (ch’i) which circulates from one organ to the other by the intermediate meridians.
Lastly, to a stage superior, and according to the tradition of Kung-Fu which makes the state of things disconcerting, sometimes incredible, it would be possible to attack one with this energy nothing that in applying his proper energy, with a very light contact (not of blow strikes) even without any contact! We are it in the techniques said secret, of the iron hand (tieh sha chang), which still known by some old men initiates.
The vital points (hsueh) are in general some points of acupuncture, without which he has the one there rule absolute. One cannot always know, everything, for the old habits of the secrecy made many lists of these points under different terms.
According to the technique and the force employed, the effects of the tien hsueh can be immediate or different, localizes or generalizes, short lived or persistent. The relation of cause and effect is not always so obvious that onel can appear to the first look. And one could verifier, for example, that a shock on a point as first seen as banal can have consequences even more dangerous that a shock on a point apparently more vulnerable (testicles or plexus). Because the purely mechanical effects of a blow are not the only ones has enterer in line of the account. In contrary direction, it can arrive that a blow reputed terrible, decisive, not absolutely that to a side effect, the opponent remaining apparently little affects (habituation to the pain, particular resistance). Lastly, it arrives that a blow doesn’t behave with an effect of delayed action, being able to go a few minutes has several days. How to know and determiner undoubtedly? That is all the art of tien hsueh.
(1) See the aspects practiced in Decouvrir Kung Fu of R. Habersetzer to the Amphora Editions.
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On the basis of the principle that the vital energy (Chi) circulates in the meridians of an immutable way and passes from one vital point to another following a determined path, the traditional Chinese medicine had established (see above) that, for each organ, there exists one precise period of the day, during which the flow of this energy is maximum.
Knowing this circuit, traditional acupuncture can mitigate an excesses or insufficient energy in a body or an organ group (in both cases, there is an unbalance of the organism, therefore disease), respectively while dispersing or by invigorating some points with acupuncture. (which is also the hsueh of Kung-Fu). One sees the interest that one can draw in the art from the tien hsueh.
--It is possible from disrupting deeply (made same abstraction of the shock properly known as) a organ or an organ group while acting on the hseuh corresponding to this organ or to an organ directly in connection with it.
--The hseuh are more or less receptive depending on the hours.
--Bringing a surplus of energy to an organ already in plentitude of energy or to operate [cause] a new dispersion of energy in a body already in deficiency of energy, are two forms of precipitation of an unbalancing which are also dangerous, even fatal.
--Knowing the diagrams of the meridians and the interactions of the organs, it is possible to affect an organ of little importance for in fact putting by consequence in danger a vital organ. This degradation, by rebound [ricochet], can besides intervene to more or less long in the long term (a different effect).
Two examples: from 11h to 13h, the Heart is in plentitude of energy, it is enough to excited, by blows, strikes or pressure, the Spleen-Pancreas to cause a hypertension of the Heart, which can be fatal. On the contrary, from13h to 15h the Heart is naturally in loss or energy which, continuing its circuit, passed in the small intestine. It is possible to accelerate dangerously the processes by exciting the meridian (or certain points of this meridian) of the small intestine, or by stimulating the gall bladder, to cause a hypertension of the Heart, being able to go until he blacks out.. It is seen, we are far from the simple mechanical effect of the blow or strikes. In a certain manner, it is good that, pushed to this level, the science of the tien hsueh is lost, or at least is not put to the reach of anyone at all. It is also seen that certain old histories were not stripped of foundation: they reported that masters of Kung-Fu were able, from a very light blow, relatively unimportant, to cause unrelentingly such internal lesions (bursting of organs, atrophies, internal hemorrhages, etc.) that they had had misfortune to touch in combat ended up dying without knowing too much why, a few weeks or some later. Of which probably the naming of certain techniques, badly defines, like ‘the poison hand’ or ‘the iron hand’.
The Principal Hsueh
One distinguishes five fundamental families from vital points on the human body:
A: Points causing the blackout: houen hsueh.
B: Points causing a partial or total incapacity: hia hsueh.
C: Paralyzing points: ma hsueh.
D: Points mortal: sieu hsueh.
E: Points having multiple complications (of which different effects being able to lead to death): mou hsueh.
With regard to the four first families, one can strike these points without taking account of the hour, (circuit of the energy: see above), the fifth isn’t however effective if these
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Points are concerned [connected] to one precise hour of the day. It remains that a number of points of the four premiere families have equally as much of an effect much larger than those that respect the hour of the fullness of energy of the meridian which traverses them. In this case, same certain of these points, apparently of less importance, can cause very serious complications in entire body, and go until death.
Here are some of these points (plate on page 186). This isn’t well understood that a general idea intended to inform the reader on the extreme richness of the art of the tien hsueh (with indications on the ‘times’ of optimal efficiency).
A - Among points of fainting (houen hsueh)
No 2 : tai yang, on the temple, between 23 h and 1 h.
No 3 : weng tching, between 13 h and 15 h.
No 4 : sseu tsiao, on the jaw, between 8 h and 9 h.
No 7 : hiuan ki, on the sternum, between 3 h and 4 h.
No 8 : kiang tai, “plexus cardiaque” [Plexus (solar), heart attack ?] between 9 h and 11 h.
No 10: ki men, to same level, from 23 h to 1 h and from 11 h to 13 h.
No 11: tchang men, to the extremity of the 11th rib, from 1 h to 3 h.
B – Among the points called ‘ of silence’ (hia hsueh)
No 6 : kien kin, from 3 h to 5 h. Impression of electrocution then, in the 5 hours which follow, partial
paralysis from the arms of the side of the point of attack.
No 22: ya men, from 15 h to 17 h. Convusion or death if the attack is very powerful.
No 24 : fong men, from 3 h to 5 h. Impression of choking, suffocating.
No 26 : jou tong, from 21 h to 22 h.
No 28 : fong wei, from 15 h to 17 h. Vomiting and general weakness.
No 29 : tsiong ts’ou, to the left (jam) block the spleen (from 9 h to 10 h), to the right the liver (from 1 h to
3 h). Intense pain.
No 30 : saio yao, from 17 h to 18 h, Paralysing Pain in all the stomach, eventually dying.
C – Among the points leading to a paralysis (ma hsueh)
No 13 : kio kou, the back of the body doesn’t respond any longer. A Death Point if attacked from 11 h to 13 h.
No 23 : t’ien tchou, the arms are paralyzed. Intense Pain in the pectoral and the under-spine [very difficult, perhaps under the spine], Complications if the point is attacked between 22 h and 23 h.
No 16 : pi jou, paralysis of the arms, impossibility of closing the hand. Attacks the respiration system if the point is attacked from 3 h to 5 h.
No 17 : kiu tche, paralysis of the hand. Intense heat in the fingers. Most effective between 21 h and 22 h.
No 14 : hou keou, pain irradiates in the arms. Most effective between 15 h and 17 h.
No 15 : pai hai, repercussions on all the organism.
D – Among the points proving to be mortal (sieu hsueh)
No 1 : t’ien ling, summit of the skull (fontanelle). Most effective in the morning.
No 5 : k’i men, To the source of the larynx and of the esophagus. Death by arresting respiration. Point
particularly effective between 7 h and 9 h.
No 9 : t’ang men, Cardiac region. Stops respiration and the heart.
No 12 : ki men, Affects the nervous system in his body. Spasms, convulsions, death. From 19 h to 23 h.
No 20 : nao hai, Fainting and then death. Particularly sensitive from 15 h to 17 h.
No 21 : tien si, Direct influence on the brain. Dazzling flash, loss of balance, dead. Particularly sensitive from 23 h to 1 h.
No 25 : pei lang, 7th dorsal vertebrae. Most effective in the afternoon.
No 27 : ki sin, 5th lombar, Death by blockage in the kidneys and then in the spleen. Most effective in the Night.
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E – The points with multiple complications (mou hsueh)
They cause very serious disorders while acting gradually in the whole organism if they are attacks at the hour where the vital energy is there at its maximum and according to a particular strike (which determines for example the time of reaction, immediate or deferred ). The majority of these points are elsewhere mortal (especially to the head) if the striking is very powerful. It is a short-term result. In fact, the art of the tien hsueh researches most, in the case of these points, of the delayed effect (progressive attenuation and generalized, definitive paralysis, changing for the worse, etc.) Here are some (circled numbers on the drawing on page 186) : jen tchang (1), tien ting (2), wo kong (3), tchouanseu (4), tai yang (5), chang tsiang (6), tai yuan (7), tsi kan (8), chi hai (9).
There are a quantity of different points. To the limit, the practitioner should deliver himself to a morphological study of his adversary according to criteria of traditional acupuncture... In only one glance, it should be able, by a kind of physiognomy, know the weak points of this one (structure and general aspect, behavior, attitudes, gestures, ways of going, of expressing themselves, the shape of the face, eyes, ears, etc). Such sign would teach him whereas the adversary has fragile lungs, such other would denote a disordered renal state ... It is then enough to attack at the good place, without same an excessive force!
Let us return more precisely to passages of the Bubishi relative to this field. Some drawings (page 185) present various hand configurations. This page evokes the kata Rokkishu (techniques of the 6 hands) from which is the inspiration of Chojun Miyagi, founder of Goju-ryu Karatedo, for to create Tensho No kata. They are six methods of using the hand as a natural weapon: ' saber hand’, ' spade hand', ' claw', ' spade fingers'... The hand must be conditioned, through special training consisting in particular to prick it in a container filled with sand then increasingly larger gravel.
One to notice that the Bubishi illustrates the hand, not the fist, or another of the ' natural weapons' such as currently listed in Kung Fu or in Karatedo. One will remember indeed that the abusive practice of hardening to the striking post (makiwara) on the one hand, the incomprehension of certain technical smoothness by Okinawans when they recruited these techniques from China on the other hand, finally the will of certain old men masters of Okinawa to pass their art to the future generations like pedagogic tools more than like a warlike legacy first to a modern time, have been as much an factor in the same direction: the impoverishment of the techniques executed with open hands and their replacement by techniques of the fist, unquestionable powerful but of employment more limiting and tending has to block internal energy instead of radiating it (*).
Page 184 represents an other means of using the body for the techniques of tien-hsueh.
N.B. These drawings long figure in the Bubishi and haven’t been reproduced here to recall the richness of the ‘natural arms’, inventories in the course of the centuries. But also for, in the same reason of their absence in the Bubishi, underlines the importance given to the simple open hand
See equally on page 166, the vital points of ‘the Bronze Man’ such as indicated by the Bubishi.
(*) Read, on this aspect fundamental of the appearance of techniques and kata origins, the work ‘Koshiki no kata’ of R. Habersetzer from Editions Amphora. See equally ‘Happoren No Kata’ in the last part of this volume.
Translated from the original French by Victor Smith, I take all responsibility for any mistakes.
https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2014/02/comparison-of-vital-points-listed-by.html
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