Reflections on Mutsu Mizuho’s Toudi Kenpo

In 1933 a Japanese karate-ka, originally trained by Funakoshi Ginchin, Mutsu Mizuho published ‘Toudi Kenpo’ or ‘Kenpo Karate’.  A large part of the material in the book reportedly was the result of a trip to Okinawa in 1930.

 

While the book is currently only available in Japanese it strikes me as one of the most interesting pre-WWII karate texts available. The book is quite large, with much detail on technique and information on his kata studies. But almost 2/5’s of the book is showing the use of karate technique.

 

Not a single use for a technique, but technique concepts grouped together with variations of technique being shown.  I think it may be one of the largest karate technique studies I’ve seen.

 

Now I don’t read Japanese, and I have to thank Joe Swift for all the information I’ve related above. But I can see what the drawings suggest and I’d like to share a lesson from 1933 for everyone.  Perhaps that will open a glimpse of older karate usage to consider.

 

The attack being demonstrated is where the attacker is moving their right foot forward and delivering a right blow. [VS – this could just as readily be an attacker trying to grab with their right hand.

 

[I would like to note that I don’t believe these demonstrations are complete techniques to finish an attacker, but are more opening techniques to score on them (create pain to allow them to move more readily). Thus they represent more of a demonstration where karate can and should go.]

 

The opening theme of this section is where the defender steps forward with their own right foot, on the outside of the attackers right foot [An exterior line of defense] and uses a middle level open back hand parry to deflect their strike to the right. After which they:

 

Alternative 1. It appears to me the defender jumps to replace their feet, right back and left in alongside the attackers right foot. As they do this their right hand turns over, grabs their arm before their elbow. They finish by releasing their right knee, dropping themselves down, and delivering a left reverse punch under their armpit into their ribs.

 

Alternative 2. It appears to me the defender jumps to replace their feet, right back and left in alongside the attackers right foot. As they do this their right hand turns over, grabs their arm before their elbow. They finish with a left reverse punch to the base of the attacker’s neck.

 

Alternative 3. It appears they step behind the attacker back, their right hand turns over and slides down to grab their wrist, and their left arm crosses the top of their left shoulder and grabs the right side of their uniform(clothing). Pressing the attackers arm across your chest would bow them as you pull your grabbing left hand back to the rear.  This also permits the side of their jacket/uniform to press into their carotid sinus. There exists a potential to black them out from this control.

 

Alternative 4.  It appears they step behind the attacker back, their right hand turns over and slides down to grab their wrist, and their left hand grabs their left shoulder. Their right hand is extending their locked arm out to the side as their left shoulder is jerked back, an opening for a takedown.

 

Alternative 5. It appears they step behind the attacker back, their right hand turns over and slides down to grab their wrist, and their left hand grabs their left ear.  Their right hand is pressed down as their ear is pulled back.

 

IMO, Mutsu’s demonstration of the range of karate response is greater than any other karate text I can recall.  And he wasn’t Okinawan, yet within 11 years of Fuankoshi first demonstrating his karate in Japan, Mutsu and other Japanese adepts traveling to Japan were suggesting a greater range of martial possibility, including ground work, than many accept was part of the Okinawan arts.

 

And sadly I do not believe a school continued with Mutsu’s direct tradition in Japan. All we are left with are the books he wrote and the suggestions they call forth.

The work is too extensive to suggest anyone try to obtain a copy in Japanese.  Its real value will come when it is translated into English (and other languages) and made available for general audiences.  Then we can see if his suggestions resonate still.

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Related post:

http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2011/07/there-is-no-first-strike-in-karate.html