The Kyusho Jitsu Kenkyukai (Kyusho Jitsu Study & Research Group) is a group dedicated to the research and practice of the acupoint and anatomical charts featured in early 20th century classic karate texts and in the Densho (legacy) scrolls of Koryu Ju Jitsu systems.

Based in Scotland, with study group sessions in both Fraserburgh and Perth, we are predominantly a karate organisation, but our research and practice inevitably takes us into other martial arts and the research into common concepts across systems.

We organise training sessions on various aspects of Kyusho Jitsu, Atemi Waza, Tuite Waza, Kansetsu Waza and other techniques that have been displaced by the increase of sports in the practice of martial arts.

We regularly run seminars by instructors across martial arts systems, who are willing to teach openly, many of the specialties of their systems.

As a predominantly karate organisation, we put kata at the centre of what we research and practice.

We use the standard Genki or base model for teaching kata. Genki refers to form visible in the kata, which is the blueprint for the original form which the origin of the kata is based.

The Genki model introduces the following four separate but interconnected elements of kata.

• Bunkai 
• Oyo
• Henka
• Kakushi

Bunkai – means ‘disassembly’ or ‘to take apart and analyse’.

It refers to the analysis of the various movements from which the kata is composed, as interpreted by individual schools or systems.

Bunkai is often confused with the application of the kata. Bunkai is not the application of kata.

Breathing, stance, posture, body shifting are all part of the study of bunkai. By breaking down and analysing kata in this way, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of the principles involved.

Oyo – means ‘practical application’.

Oyo moves beyond the primary pattern of the form by beginning to study how the basic concepts and principles of kata can be applied to different scenarios. It is within Oyo that the application of kata begins to be studied.

Henka – Means ‘variation’ or ‘change’.

The execution of kata and your expression will never look the same as others, despite using the same basic model emphasised in the form.

Henka allows us to take a basic principle identified in the analysis and application stage of learning kata and apply those principles to situations outside of the obvious interpretation.

The emphases within the fundamental movement, the force applied to the individual techniques, the ability to coordinate the movement to
variations in attack & defence scenarios, the size of the attackers, the differences in the rhythm of the attack and many other aspects of the effect of how different individuals execute the pattern of the form, can never be the same.

Henka begins to move the consciousness outside the restrictions imposed by the framework which creates the form and opens up the possibilities of expressing the principles taught within the kata to non-compliant, dynamic situations.

Kakushi – Means ‘hidden’.

Each kata includes two parts. Omote (the surface or visible part) and Okuden (the hidden part).

Kakushi deals with techniques which, although always present in the Genki model, are often overlooked, because they are not obvious at a superficial level.

Kata, at least within the context of karate, were originally handed down by oral tradition (kuden), so many of the hidden techniques were never recorded.

It often takes an instructor from a different style of karate, or another martial art completely to that which an individual practices, to make these hidden techniques obvious. It’s important to understand that Kakushi refers to ‘hidden’ but not ‘secret’. There are no secret techniques in karate. Only techniques that are not superficially obvious.

There is another expression often used within the Genki model which is referred to as Bunseki.

Bunseki relates to all 4 elements of kata expressed within the Genki model.

Buneski means ‘analysis,’ similar to bunkai, but refers to a more complicated or deeper technical analysis than that to which bunkai implies.

Buneski can be described as a technical analysis of a subset of principles identified within the bunkai of kata. It’s within bunseki that Kyusho Jitsu is studied.

Kata is often referred to as the heart of karate, the core of all karate skills. The true essence of training lies in developing the ability to use the techniques effectively, not just performing them as a choreographed form.

The Kyusho Jitsu Kenkyukai welcomes practitioners, instructors, and martial arts enthusiasts from all backgrounds.

Whether you’re interested in joining a study session, attending a seminar, or contributing your knowledge to our research, we’d love to hear from you.