指圧と護身の秘術を語る
Shiatsu to Goshin no Hijutsu o Kataru
Discussing the Secrets of Shiatsu and Self-Defense
First Ever English Translation of the Table of Contents
by Billy Ristuccia (Version 2.0)
My English translation of the table of contents for Okuyama Ryuho, the founder of Hakko-ryu Jujutsu 八光流柔術 book: Shiatsu to Goshin no Hijutsu 指圧と護身の秘術 (Discussing the Secrets of Shiatsu and Self-Defense). This book details the deep link between Koho Shiatsu Igaku 皇法指圧医学 and Goshinjutsu 護身術 (self-defense). There have been at least four editions of this book, which is part of Okuyama Sensei’s lecture series of publications. Depending on the year of publication, the included articles and photos have changed from edition to edition. The 1966 edition includes a rare photo of Junji Saito Shihan, the founder’s cousin, demonstrating in Japan. The 1986 edition included an article about my teacher Mike Depasquale Sr. and his teacher Junji Saito Sensei spreading Hakko-ryu in the United States together. No matter the edition, the book is broken into 4 chapters.
- Chapter 1 – is dedicated to explaining the principles of Koho Shiatsu.
- Chapter 2 – details how the principles of Koho Shiatsu are deeply linked with self-defense applications of the Jujutsu techniques of Hakko-ryu. Okuyama Sensei taught that a single finger can be used to heal a person, or it can also be used to harm an attacker.
- Chapter 3 – is dedicated to various public lectures Okuyama Sensei gave.
- Chapter 4 – contains various information that had been published in magazines.
(One Finger to Beat a Fist)
One of the major principles taught by Okuyama Sensei is that a single finger can be used to heal or to harm. Here Okuyama Sensei explains that the use of violence from your own fist to control violence is not needed. You do not need to harm an attacker. You do however need to remove their will to act out their violent intentions. Using a strike with a single finger to subtly break their will of violence. Okuyama Sensei begins to explain the three major tenets of Hakko-ryu:
- Sakarawazu 逆らわず (No Resistance)
- Idomazu 挑まず (No Challenge)
- Kizutsukezu 傷つけず (No Injury)
Rare Photo of Junji Saito in Japan
Kasa Osae Dori 傘押捕
“The Elegant Art of Umbrella Catching”
Junji Saito 斎藤順受 was Okuyama Sensei’s cousin. He brought Hakko-ryu Jujutsu and other martial arts systems to the USA and taught them to my teacher. Here is a very rare photo of Saito Sensei giving a demonstration for Okuyama Sensei during a public lecture on the self-defense methods of Hakko-ryu Jujutsu.
Shodai Soke Okuyama writes about this demonstration: “The Elegant Art of Umbrella Catching“. There is a secret method explained here. You can use multiple different objects, but the secret reversal trap is the same. When confronted, present the item to your opponent and tell them they can have it. When they go to take your item, you take them instead, locking them up under your control. Saito Shihan will use an umbrella in this example, but it can be a rolled-up newspaper (Hōsho Dori 奉書捕) or even a handkerchief. There is a way to hit their head (strike their mind) and strike their “pulse” to make the attacker stop or be unable to move for a moment when they try to launch their attack after they have grabbed hold of your umbrella (or other personal belonging). In that moment you reverse the trap on them instead!
Okuyama Sensei ends by writing, “To summarize, the most important thing is to always smile, maintain good posture (composure), and to never use force no matter what the circumstances are.”
This rare photo of Saito Sensei is included in the 1966 edition of this book. Later on, Saito Sensei would move to the USA, bringing with him Hakko-ryu Jujutsu and other martial art systems he had mastered. He taught Hakko-ryu to my teacher, Mike Depasquale Sr., who was tested for Shihan rank in the United States. Usually you must go to Japan to test for Shihan. Shodai Soke allowed this in the case of my teacher, who was trained directly by both Shihan Naraki Hara and Shihan Juji Saito, the founder’s own cousin.
Junji Saito in the USA
In the 1986 edition of this book, Shodai Soke Okuyama included this report about my teacher’s Dojo in Closter, New Jersey, where, together with Junji Saito, they were spreading the message of Hakko-ryu Jujutsu and other Japanese martial arts.
Junji Saito, together with my teacher, formulated a public curriculum they called “Yoshitsune Waza”. It was named this after the name of the school, “Yoshitsune Dojo” to simply mean the technique taught at this school. This curriculum was designed as a form of self-defense by combining Jujutsu techniques from Hakko-ryu, Sekiguchi-ryu, Sosuishi-ryu, and Kito-ryu together with Kodokan Judo and Nihon Goshindo Kenpo.
Okuyama Sensei was impressed with their self-defense curriculum and often gave praise to it in his own books that contained his own principles of Goshinjutsu. Okuyama Sensei was happy to see the principles of Hakko-ryu spreading in the USA.
