Kappo/Katsu: that old black magic, or tht real thing

[efb8th]

Well, how about it, guys? Are we gonna take the plunge and talk about Kappo and/or Katsu? We mention it all the time in our threads, but we always dance around it. Are we ready to take it on in the Judo forum, share our secrets, show our ignorance: you know, the usual treatment?

I await your response.

Regards,

[kusanku]

Katsu and Kapo- very highly developed in Danzan Ru, also both Okazaki and Sig Kufferath have quite good reps utside the martiala rts community for their work in this field.

In Judo, there is more than is commmonly taught. What we were shown were methods of reviving unconscious people.

When a person was ko'd by a kick o bow to testicles, one lifted up the person, sitting, under the armpits(coincidentally locaton of heart one, how about that) and dropped him gently to the mat a number of times from about a couple inches height, in sitting position.

We were taught the use of the fist with first two knuckles extendeed, using the flat of this to tap up the spine from the tailbone, to revive people who had been ko'd by a hard fall from a throw.

revival for chokes, was often to sit them up, and slap, with the flat of this fist held inverted, between the shoulder blades, after making sure the tongue wasn't swallowed or between teeth, and massage the points and areas at the shoulders above the collarbones and the area known as shoulder well.

There was also often prssure applied with the points of the knuckles into these muscled areas, and sometimes with two extended fingers.

This was about the extent of what I learned in Judo concerning these arts, other than general massage for the person who ad just been thrown through the floor, and so on.

From chiropractic, Ilearned some techniques f replacing ribs and spinal alignment, and in Okinawan Kenpo we learned a great deal abut revival for specific atem, energy restoration, and general healing for after being struck on points and combinations of points.

But here, the knowledge begins to blend into standard shiatsu and An Mo(AMMA) and tui na, which are specialized fields of knowledge taught quite openly, no secrets as such, just some years of training and practice before becoming fairly proficient.

What is secret in martial arts is taught openly and internationally, in acupuncture, shiatsu, acupressure and other such diciplines,but I repeat,deep study of these is necessary before becoming an actual practitioner of any of these arts of healing.

I do not myself have that deep a study, but I understand some of the Judo and DZR people do.


I do however have a great deal of information on the actual theory and practice of these arts, as I was taught where to find this.

For a simple introduction to Shiatsu, I recommend Wataru Ohashi's Do-It-Yourself Shiatsu from Arkana Books.I believe Ohashi is also an Aikidoka.

Who is next?:-)

[efb8th]

Good stuff, John!

Most people who get serious about the healing side do cross train in Chiropractic (it's pretty easy to steal stuff from them for the price of a treatment), or shiatsu. Good books include SHIATSU: Japanese Finger-Pressure Therapy by T. Namikoshi and HELPING YOURSELF WITH REFLEXOLOGY by Mildred Carter.

You're dead right about DZR's concentration on healing. But the 1934 COMPLETE KANO JIU-JITSU has all the kappo that is generally taught by them, with a few minor positional variations, such as doing the T-6,7 percussive strike with uke seated and the operator's fingers up, so that they glance over uke's head. The Kano Kappo is done at the same point, but with uke lying face down, and the strike is done with fingers pointing toward uke's feet. I have done both with good effect.

Master Okazaki was trained in the Japanese healing system called Seifukujitsu, and his son Hachiro still runs the family Massage and Healing business to this day. While kappo is basically a first-aid system, Seifukujitsu is a comprehensive healing art, comparable to advanced Chiropractic and other bodywork. DZR often includes specific techniques for therapeutic work outside the dojo, and Okazaki had quite a reputation as a healer in Hawaii.

While on my way to a judo tournament in Northern California in the late '60's, I stopped in for breakfast at a cafe just south of Willits on Hwy 101. The Hawaiian lady who owned the place saw my zoris and immediately asked if I did judo. I said yes, and her next statement floored me. She said,"Then you must know Okazaki! He made my brother walk!"

His reputation was long indeed.

Regards,

[MarkF]

I know maybe three katsu techniques, mostly similar to those described here and elsewhere, but most get little or no training. While I encourage students to take a course in cardiopulmonary resussitation (this was mandatory in my field), I am sorely lacking and should get off my behind and do something about it.

Can someone give a list or describe some of the more necessary katsu waza? I don't need a term paper or anything, just something descriptive as the thoracic 6 descrption.

Mark

[kusanku]

Ed- Yes indeed , those are good sources yougive, Mark, those books by Toru Namikoshi and Mildred carter are excellent.

Also, there is a real good book written by a Chropractor named F.M. Houston, I think, called something like Healing Benefits of Acupressure that is almost as good as the others mentioned by me and Ed. too, and has some information they may not, or may not present in the same way.

Believe it or not, there is a list of what we might call kappo and katsu techniques, Chinese style, in Yang Jwing Ming's book Analysis Of Shaolin Chin Na, an Instructor's Manual for All Styles, in the back, where he tells in detail how to correct effects of common injuries.

Basically, the kappo and katsu massage, and arts it comes from, and chiropractic is a good place to start, deals with both western and easern medical paradigms from a pragmatic viewpoint.

Now what the Okinawan kenpo people teach , is a very complicated process of correcting combinations of points by hitting, rubbing, massaging, tapping, etc., certain seemingly unrelated points in specific orders and ways.

What to me is simpler, is to go as Ed suggests to a good chiropractor, get some treatments, pretty quick you will see what is what, they tell you, get a good book or books on shiatsu, and learn the whole underlying theory of that art,they tell you, and it is the same as the 'secret' techniques of the esoteric healing parts of the martial arts, usually as or more detailed and easier to understand, for me at least.

Both Toru and Tokujiro Namikoshi's books are excellent, as well as the others.

By the way, the McCarthy translation of the Bubishi has certin significant errors in the meridian charts, whether by design or accident I know not, but do not go by it at all.

The Dillman books may also contain some errors.

The books Ed mentioned and the ones I did too, have no such traps in them.

Do shiatsu slow and gentle at first, and learn what is what, and results should be beneficial, its simple enugh in practice, the theory is a mite tricky, is all.

[efb8th]

An example of an Okazaki Seifukujitsu technique that I have had good success with follows: For MIGRANE headache.

On the side of the body where the headache is manifesting itself, place your thumb pad in the inside center of the patient's scapula. Penetrate inside and under the scapula, and then press the thumb pad toward the shoulder joint.

Continue working up the inside of the scapula about 1/2 in. at a time, pressing straight in with the thumb pad (thumb nail pointed up toward the head) and when you meet significant resistance, pulling back down toward the starting point. Keep working in 1/2 inch steps up the prominent muscle of the
rear quarter of the neck on the affected side; then work your way up the back and over the top of the ear, changing the stroke to a thumbnail down position and pulling steady pressure over the ear and down to the mastoid.

Do this sequence at least six times, starting with firm but fairly light pressure, and ending on the fifth and sixth passes "drawing a pulse" with each half-inch thumb pull. (By that, I mean waiting for the feel of a pulse under your thumb before you move up the line.

A useful American herb for the control of migrane is feverfew, available in all health food stores. A good quality brand name preparation will be sufficient. Take two in the morning the first day and one each morning thereafter if migranes are chronic. If they are episodic, take two at first signs of onset, receive the above treatment, rest and take another feverfew before retiring. Follow up with one each morning for three to five days.

Guys, if you master this one and Mama has migranes, you will be a hero for life!

[kusanku]

Ed-
Hey, that one is a humdinger!Never knew it before, that seifukujitsu is a pretty comprehensive science, I guess. Migraines, yet. I didn't have anything for those, only for headaches (Massage Sylvian fissure on side f head, and also LI 4 at thmb web, only one and ot for pregnant women, that is not a good idea.)

And sinus headaches, from Ohashi , put the finger and apply pressure at a point midway on the outside of the nose, alternate sides, ten seconds, release, repet two more times, each side.

As for fever, I also heard raspberry extract or even juice or crushed raspberries was good for lowering fever.

These are good discussions, many good things maycome from them.

John

[efb8th]

I haven't run across a headache yet that I couldn't at least reduce. I am a very popular guy around the office! As you are probably aware, the optic nerves run through the occiputal(sp?) lobes, so for an eye strain headache, I place my left palm on uke's forehead and feel around for the depressions at the base of the skull on either side of the atlas/axis (commonly known as those bulge-thingys, if my memory serves). I penetrate these depressions with my right thumb tip and middle fingertip and press toward the uke's third eye (at my left palm center) then flood ki from my right to my left hand. I estimate 80% of the headaches I treat end there.

Anybody else? What's your favorite healing technique?

Regards,

[MarkF]

Narcotics seem to work just fine.:)

The post on MIGRAINE reads almost exactly like a doctor who treated me for chronic migraine, but he also used local anesthetics as well, in the mastoid areas. Also, there are nerves in the brow which, when compressed and pressed hard, does wonders, but you must hurt yourself to relieve yourself.

Another is taken from bio-feedback. While this may not completely relieve the headache, it is sufficient for you to get some sleep in a dark room. Place your hands in water as hot as you possibly can stand (this means water you normally would consider too hot), blood flow from the upper body and head are released to the arms and hands, taking the pressure off the vascular vessels responisble for the headache. All headaches are vascular in nature, but with a million different causes.

Really fine technique, Ed, and it helps to have someone you know who can do the techniques--if you are the sufferer. Headaches are not taken seriously enough, as they are rarely dangerous, meaning doctors are not really interested in the fact that one side of one's body can literally go numb, and can incapacite you for days, even weeks or months.

An holistic approach may work, as in Valerian. While it may drug you into a stupor, many find relief with it, without the annoying side effects "drugs" have. This stuff "feels" like a drug, but so far has only been distributed as a diet supplement, ie, vitamins. Works great for HA brought on by stress.

Another pain reliever is a half-cup of strong, black coffee. Very strong. Caffeine is prescribed for headaches, but taken alone, has little effect on most people. Taken in the form of coffee or tea, it has amazing effect on HA.

Sorry. I forgot you wanted katsu, but well, this is my area.


Mark

[Joseph Svinth]

A hundred wristlocks done to submission on each side also helps in reducing incidence of reported pain from headaches.

[efb8th]

Hi, Joe.

Got any kappo/katsu links for us? Since you dropped in we might as well take advantage of your specialties.

Regards,

[Joseph Svinth]

My first aid Bible is "Medicine for Mountaineering & Other Wilderness Activities", ed. James A. Wilkerson (Seattle: The Mountaineers, 4th ed.,1992). But if you're interested in the acupuncture side of things, check out http://www.qi-journal.com/Articles/Acupuncture.html , I think you'll like it.

[MarkF]

All an MD needs to legally apply the needles is a weekend seminar and a signed certificate to add it to his/her curriculum vitae. This is in California as of the early eighties so it may have changed. In NM, it is a goldmine for those palming off fake natural medicine. Best seek out a licensed Doctor of Chinese Medicine for anything beyond accupressure or shiatsu, but they do make housecalls. I found playing with the bio-feedback moniters for six months paid off good dividends. A Mexican Buddhist helped me with a headache using an almost verbatim instructional of the bio-feedback. These days, I've found I have much more patience for these things then I used to, and that does include Bio techniques without the machines.

Mark