In teaching men who were going to the war, all the training was directed towards making them kick or hit a vital spot rather than try for a hold.
Mr. Haneishi, the jujitsu expert I brought from Japan with me, besides being a professional teacher of the art is also a bone-setter, and general first-aid practitioner.
He was once called in to render first aid to a burglar who had come off second-best in an encounter with a householder. When Mr. Haneishi arrived on the scene the burglar was dead, and blood was trickling from his mouth.
"Ah, you struck him on the mouth," observed Mr. Haneishi.
"No, I gave him suigetsu [solar plexus strike]," replied the householder, who was over sixty, and from the use of this technical jujitsu term the old man revealed himself as a graduate of the school of jujitsu.
It seems that the burglar threatened him by brandishing a two-handed, razor-edged Japanese sword over his head, and demanded his money.
The old man advanced to give this, and the moment he was close up delivered the blow shown in Figure 133 with deadly effect. The man collapsed, and blood rushed from his mouth, showing that his internal organs were ruptured by the blow, which is delivered with a penetrating effect and an upward direction.
Lesson 25.
FIRST DEFENSE AGAINST UPWARD BLOW OF KNIFE
Block his blow with your left hand, taking care that your forearm is held correctly, otherwise you may get cut.
Seize the little finger side of his right hand with your right hand, and the thumb side of his hand with your other hand, your fingers on the palm.
(Before doing this trick practice the preliminary exercise for the wrist twist in Book 1.)
Twist his wrist to your left until he drops the knife.
You can either break his wrist or force him to the ground and kick him.
(Observe my positions in Figures 135 and 136, and note how the strength of the whole body is brought to bear.)
His wrist is twisted not by arm strength alone, but by turning the body.
The parry shown in Figure 134 is not nearly so good as the parry shown in Figure 138.
In Figure 134 the Assailant is still balanced and can continue to attack. In Figure 138 you can swing him off balance and he is then open to the knee kick to his crotch, a right hook to his jaw with your fist, or a blow with the heel of the hand below his chin.
A combination of the last three blows is much more reliable than an attempt to seize the hand of a quick knife-artist.
Lesson 26.
SECOND DEFENSE AGAINST UPWARD BLOW OF KNIFE
Assailant strikes an upward blow at your abdomen with the knife in his right hand.
Step back with your right foot, swinging on the ball of the left.
Parry the blow just at his elbow with your left hand. Keep your elbow close to your side.
Take advantage of his forward impetus and unbalance him to his left.
Strike him an upward blow below the chin with the heel of your hand.
This jerks his head back and the shock to his spine does greater damage than the blow itself.
Some women's wrists and hands are so weak that they cannot strike a serious blow with the fist. But they can with the heel of the hand.
If you are a good boxer you may use the right hook to the jaw.
(In practice, shove his head back, do not strike.)
This shows the WRONG WAY to parry the blow.
It takes longer to parry when you raise your elbow in this awkward fashion.
You are off balance and not in the best position to counter attack.
Your body is still in front and he may reach it with his knife.