What is Kyusho Jitsu

I have a lot of things coming soon with one of them being writing a series of articles…

What Is Kyusho Jitsu?

The History, the Science, and the Stuff Everyone Gets Wrong

Let’s get this out of the way first: Kyusho Jitsu is not some ancient ninja death touch that will drop a man with a single pinky poke. (Although, if you’ve trained long enough, it does get close.) At its core, Kyusho Jitsu is the study of how to use the human body’s natural vulnerabilities—specifically pressure points—for self-defense, control, and sometimes revival.

It’s not magic. It’s not guesswork. It’s just good old-fashioned anatomy, physiology, and a few thousand reps.

A Quick History Lesson (Without the Boring Parts)

Kyusho Jitsu has roots in classical Okinawan martial arts, where strikes were often short, sharp, and aimed at precise targets. Back then, they didn’t call it “Kyusho.” They just knew where to hit to stop someone from hitting back. The term “Kyusho” (急所) translates to “vital point” in Japanese. The art of striking these points got codified much later, particularly as martial artists started cross-referencing traditional kata with modern anatomy.

The idea wasn’t new—Chinese medicine and martial arts had been exploring meridians and energy points for centuries. But Kyusho Jitsu took that knowledge, blended it with science, and gave it a black belt.

So… What Is a Pressure Point?

A pressure point, in practical terms, is a location on the body where nerves, connective tissues like the fascia, monitoring systems like muscle spindles and golgi tendon organs are more accessible, blood vessels are exposed, or where muscle, tendon, or bone can be manipulated to cause pain or dysfunction. You’re not targeting “chi orbs” floating in space—you’re hitting real, physical places that affect the nervous system.

Yes, you can knock someone out with a well-placed strike to the points like Stomach 5 or Gall Bladder 20 or if you strike a series of points in the right combination. But it takes precision, timing, and intent. You can’t just mash buttons like you’re playing Mortal Kombat and expect magic. I personally believe in using the terms neurological disruption, dysfunction or incapacitation than saying knockout…

Why It’s Still Relevant (Especially If You’re Not 25 Anymore)

Kyusho Jitsu is the ultimate equalizer. It doesn’t require brute strength, just smart targeting. That’s why it’s perfect for smaller martial artists, aging practitioners, or anyone who wants to fight smarter, not harder.

Used properly, Kyusho enhances any martial art. It’s not a standalone style—it’s a layer you can add to everything you already do. It makes your strikes more effective, your joint locks more painful, and your self-defense more efficient. Basically, it turns your techniques from “that was nice” to “what just happened?”

And Finally… What It’s Not

Let’s bust a few myths:

• It’s not a “secret” style only taught on mountaintops.

• It’s not about memorizing 108 magic points and hoping one works.

• And it’s definitely not about hurting people without purpose.

Kyusho is a study, a discipline, and yes—a bit of an obsession for those of us who enjoy making big guys drop with minimal effort.

Please remember, if you’ve read this far, this is MY opinions based on 51 years in the arts with 26 of them studying Kyusho and Tuite with one of the worlds leading experts. It has been an all consuming deep dive and I am still learning more of this puzzle and constantly learning and adjusting my art.

(I also created the graphic here! My artwork is my other passion!)