Kempo began in the temples in China, spread to Korea, to Japan, and from several avenues, arrived in Okinawa. In each country there was the core art usually known in some shape form or fashion as temple martial arts. The Buddhists temples in some of these countries became centers of the martial arts.
According to James Masayoshi Mitose, the temple Kempo was kept secret except for those who were dedicated to the temples. In some of the Japanese temples the art was known as Jukempo, showing that the main and central principle of the complete martial art was in fact the principle of Ju.
But there are six other principles that make Kempo what it is and which led to the cultural development of the main martial arts that we know today. In this article I will deal with each principle, look at the cultural martial art that derived from it and why, then examine the totality which should be the foundation of Kempo, and is of the Kiyojute Ryu main art of Kempo.
First of all, think of the temples of China, Korea, and Japan as having a complete martial art, known in the countries respectively as Chuanfa, Kwonpup, and Kempo. These temple martial arts were based on movements for religious disciplines, but included a comprehensive application which allowed the monks to deal with any combat situation in which they found themselves. Later we shall deal with what that statement actually means, but it would be better to look at the culturally developed arts first and how these developments affected the original art of Kempo.
Let us turn our attention to Japan. As the Samurai class was developing, the farmers who were the first warriors began to practice the religion of Buddhism and as they accepted the faith, they were also introduced to the practice of the martial arts by the monks in the temples. Some of these monks would be Chinese who had immigrated to Japan, while others would be Japanese monks who had traveled to China where they received instructions in religion and martial arts.
As the farmers, originally known as Jisamurai, literally farmer warriors, mastered Kempo, they sought to apply it to their personal situation. Basically this meant it developed into two main traditions. The first tradition was built around the Bushi, or upper level Samurai, who wore heavy suits of armor. This art in the past was known either as Katchu or Yoroi Kumi Uchi, which refers to the armor worn by the warriors. The armor prohibited certain techniques, such as strikes and skills which were designed to life a person off their feet.
The second tradition was constructed around the concepts of fighting in light armor worn by the Ashigaru, foot soldiers, and was referred to, in the past, as Kogusoku. Once again the armor prohibited most of the striking techniques, but certain throws, not feasible in the heavy armor, were possible in the light armor of the foot soldiers.
Eventually both Katchu and Kogusoku became known by the generic term, Jujutsu. When this occurred is subject to interpretation, but I personally believe it occurred during the sixteenth century, others feel it was as late as the seventeenth, eighteenth, even nineteenth centuries. Regardless of when it occurred, Jujutsu became the name for the grappling forms of the martial arts known as Katchu, Yoroi Kumi Uchi, and Kogusoku, among others.
Later, there arose a division so that the skills most associated with fighting in heavy armor, such as joint manipulation and armor clashing, were called Aikijujutsu, based on Katchu or Yoroi Kumi Uchi, while the division of skills associated with fighting in light armor continued to be called Jujutsu and involved reaps, sweeps, hip lifts, and other such skills.
Aikijujutsu and Jujutsu share many of the same skills, all of which are derived from Kempo. The Samurai who developed the innovations that specifically became Katchu, Yoroi Kumi Uchi, and Kogusoku, shared their martial art with the monks at the temples, so that the Kempo in the temples continued to evolve due to this rejuvenation and integration of the Samurai influence. Movements were not added, as much as, new interpretations were derived from the unique combat situations in which the Samurai found themselves.
Kempo stayed a living tradition, which meant that it never became set in prearranged forms. Throughout the history of Kempo, it was mainly a Jiyu Kata, that is Mukei, free form or no prearranged form, of martial art. This allowed it to fit any situation, any cultural development, any combat circumstance in which it found itself.
Now let us move to Okinawa. There was a fighting art that seemed to have been on the island for a long time. No one knows for sure what it consisted of, or where it came from, but it was probably brought by the original island settlers, whether from Japan, Korea, or China. Whenever the island was settled, it is believed that during the Buddhist’s revival, the Shaolin Chuanfa was transplanted to Okinawa, where it influenced the most ancient fighting art transforming it into the first Okinawan martial art, known simply as Te.
Eventually, Tametomo Minamoto came to Okinawa, married an Okinawan woman, who gave birth to a son known as Shunten. Shunten became the first king of Okinawa, it is believed because of the exceptional martial art skill passed on to him by his father, or the guardian his father left on Okinawa to educate him and teach him the martial arts.
It became a tradition, within the Okinawa royalty, to pass this special martial art only to other family members. Thus the Okinawan royalty always had an advantage over any other people on the island as far as skill and combat capability. While the rule of the island passed between several braches of the royalty, it still stayed within the royal families.
The royal martial art was known as Bushi Te, that is, the warrior hand or skill. It is believed that the families had their own special name for their family martial art, but in general it was referred to as Bushi Te. (Since 1609 Japanese has been the encouraged language of Okinawa. In the Okinawan dialect, known as Hogen, Bushi Te is known as Udonde, but the last several generations of Okinawans have phrased the art in Japanese, which is why I use it here.)
From the twelfth century until the fourteenth century, only the royal families practiced the Bushi Te form of martial art. Due to greater contact with China and Chinese settlements on Okinawa, it was possible for non royalty to learn martial arts, if they could talk a Chinese monk, diplomat, or military envoy into teaching them.
For the most part this Chinese influenced art mainly revolved around striking and was known as Karate, whereas the Bushi Te revolved more around grappling, since the Okinawan royalty were more like a police force in regard to island security and thus needed the ability to arrest without injury. However, the Okinawan royalty also possessed great striking skills and weaponry skills for those times they faced the Wako, that is pirates who plied the waters around Okinawa.
Over the years, the most ancient, royal Bushi Te art became known as Karatejutsu, while the more common man’s martial art was called simply Karate and developed into what is known today as Karatedo.
The Karate art is extremely effective in regard to striking and kicking. There have been some who say that Okinawan martial artists do not kick above the waist and that would be true of some of the styles that were influenced by southern styles of Chinese Kempo. However, in the Karatejutsu division there are some exceptional kickers and this was passed on to those who paid attention to the ancient history of the Okinawan martial arts.
Aikijujutsu is based on the principle of Aikiho, the concept of harmonizing one’s energy with that of an attacker. Juho is the idea of yielding to an attack, so that the opponent can be overcome with their own force and this is the main principle of Jujutsu.
Karate is based on Goho, the strength principle, which is the most efficient use of one’s strength, in the sense of focus and coordination. The most fundamental principle of Karatejutsu is Shuho, which is the principle of taking. This is a deep principle and can be interpreted in many ways, with the most common being, take whatever the attacker gives you and use it to defeat them.
The two other principles of the martial arts are Nimpo and Bukiho. Bukiho means the principle of martial tools and refers to the proper manipulation of weapons and anything that can be used as a weapon. Today this art is commonly called Kobujutsu or Kobudo. It refers to formless manipulation and is the highest level of weaponry. This idea was developed by both the warriors of Japan and Okinawa, though the common use of the art has been highly modified in modern times. However, there are still some martial artist today who teach the original Bukiho, rather than the modern Kobudo form.
Nimpo is probably the most misunderstood of all martial arts principles. Many Ninjutsu systems use the term Nimpo to stand just for the martial art, such as the Satsuma clan’s use of the term, and the current use of the term Nimpo by Masaaki Hatsumi of the Bujinkan.
Yet the term Nimpo when used to stand for the Nin principle has a much deeper meaning than just the art of stealth which is the common translation of both Ninjutsu and Nimpo. Nin can be translated not only stealth but also patience. Thus Nimpo is the patience principle.
Patience is one of the most important virtues which a martial artist needs to possess. The reach a truly high level of skill, it takes years of practice. Too many people want quick results, or some kind of shortcut to greatness, or at least superior fighting ability, but the truth is, that doesn’t really exist.
The only way to achieve superior fighting ability is to spend years of training in physical movement, mental cultivation, and spiritual development. Specifically in Kiyojute Ryu, Nimpo is the division of auxiliary training methods to heighten ones physical, mental, and spiritual abilities. This training takes a great deal of time and effort, therefore it requires a great deal of patience. At it’s most mundane, the training enhances stealth skills, at it’s most sublime, it is the foundation of spiritual growth. Regardless of how it is examined, Nimpo augments the fighting skill of the martial artist.
These skills were developed specifically by the Goshi, rural Samurai of Japan as skills necessary to the survival of their clans. Eventually these Goshi were so well known for their Ninjutsu/Nimpo abilities, that they were employed by other clans to assist in their battles. However, these Samurai were not just mercenaries, they would only join and fight with other clans with whom they had philosophical agreement. While the term Ninja is used by many modern practitioners of Ninjutsu/Nimpo, classically the Goshi would have been greatly insulted to be called by that name.
Thus we see seven martial arts based on seven principles. Six of those principles make up the seventh and greatest principle. Aikijujutsu was practiced by the highest level warriors of Japan and was based on the principle Aikiho. Jujutsu was practiced by the foot soldiers and based on Juho. Karate was the common mans martial art on Okinawa and based on the principle of Goho, while Karatejutsu was the royal martial art of Okinawa and based on Shuho. The stealth fighters of Japan, commonly called today Ninja, but more appropriately called Goshi, practiced the art of Ninjutsu based on the principle of Nimpo. Finally, the warriors of Japan and Okinawa practiced a weapon art, called today either Kobujutsu or Kobudo, and based on Bukiho.
The seventh martial art, of course is Kempo, and is based on the principle of Toitsu. In Kiyojute Ryu the main art is formally called, Shogei Toitsu Kempo, ‘all arts unified fist law’ or ‘all arts beginning in one fist law’. What this means is that Kempo is the original art from which all other arts derived and that in Kiyojute Ryu all skills and abilities of the other six arts are taught in the one art of Kempo.
The six principles, which have developed into the various martial arts of today (Aikido, Judo, Karatedo, Toide, Kobudo, and Nimpo) are not mutually exclusive concepts, but rather complimentary principles. I like to look at it in a progressive manner. Everyone who enters martial arts training come into it with one thing, their own personal strength.
Through Goho, a person is taught how to use their strength most efficiently. This is the beginning of self defense. But it is not enough. If an opponent is strong enough, big enough, or a good enough fighter, Goho will only provide so much protection. Now the martial artist needs a principle that will overcome strength. The beginning is in Juho, where we learn to yield before superior strength in order to conquer it. But if a person is a warrior who is genuinely skilled, this too may not be enough, thus we must refine Ju until it becomes Aikiho. This is where we blend with the energy of an attacker in order to overwhelm them.
Which leads to the next level, Nimpo. Here the patience we have been practicing to keep us training for years gives us the ability to be patience enough to wait for the right moment to do the one thing that will defeat an opponent most effectively. But a higher level of refinement might be needed, at least desired by the true martial artist, that level is Shuho. In this principle, we learn to take whatever the attacker gives us and turn it to our advantage. This is an extremely high level of finesse, which only a person truly dedicated to peace can achieve.
Now we have been through a circle of refinement, beginning with Go, going to Ju, then Aiki, then Nin, ending with Shu. But the training is still not over, for now we have a new level of strength upon which to draw, from our years of training. This is physical, mental, and spiritual strength, thus we begin a new cycle. Life and our training is a spiral. We begin with strength, develop gentleness, harmony, patience, and the ability to take what life gives us and then discover a new level of strength starting the cycle over again.
The principle of Bukiho is what makes humans more evolved than the animals, our ability to use tools. Each principle in the circle is enhanced by the addition of weapons. Thus a person at each level learns how to use the tools in their environment for self defense combined with the empty hand principle, thus allowing all things to be weapons to the one who understands.
This then is the ultimate principle of Toitsu, unity. Now this is not eclecticism or cross training, for these are artificial collections of techniques and there is no time to remember a technique in real combat. Kempo, as it was intended to be, a Toitsu, a complete unity, is a genuine understanding of the principles of combat as complimentary principles.
In Kiyojute Ryu Kempo Bugei, all seven arts are studied to allow the Kempoka to master each and every principle. Too often it is impossible to truly master all the principles without delving into them one at a time through certain sets of movements which best exemplify the individual principle.
Kempo is a lifelong study. It is a joy to engage in the training. Most of all the training adapts to the person, so that no matter how old you become, you can still practice Kempo. The older you get the more you need Kempo for health and well-being. Sadly in our society the elderly are preyed upon by all too many people.
Kempo gives us exercise and internal energy development for health, vigor, and vitality. The skills, movements, and understanding also gives us the ability to defend ourselves. When Kempo is truly a Toitsu, it is at it’s highest level, this then is the Kempo of Kiyojute Ryu.