Читать книгу Empty Hand. The Essence of Budo Karate онлайн

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But this should not lead to the conclusion that the original jūjutsu styles were directly derived from Chinese kempō. Techniques of unarmed fighting had existed in Japan since ancient times. The Takenouchi style, which is considered to be the oldest in Japanese jūjutsu originated from shortsword techniques. These techniques were taught by Takenouchi Hisamori. According to a myth, he had learned them from a hermit with long white hair who appeared while he was praying to the god of Atago to make him a master of martial arts. This happened in the beginning of the feudal wars in the 16th century, 100 years before Chin Gempin came to Japan.

Of course Chinese kempō had a strong influence on the Japanese jūjutsu. Although it was not its origin, it nourished and inspired its development. However, in jūjutsu highly dangerous blows (atemi) are not used and thus almost not practiced in order to avoid fatal injuries. But throwing and joint-locking techniques are very important. In particular, jūjutsu was aimed for supporting the fight with weapons. Since the beginning of the age of the samurai in the 12th century sword techniques had become crucial, and the fighting techniques with bare hands only played a secondary role.