Written and translated by Motobu Naoki
The following description is found in Tomiki Kenji's "The Principles of Judo and Kendo" (1972):
Many of the scrolls of jūjutsu illustrate the physiological pressure points and pathways that were introduced to Japan from the Chinese mainland, emphasizing their lethal effectiveness. However, in the subsequent history of jūjutsu, the content of the "atemi wazai" (striking techniques) has been scarce, both as form and training method, and nothing worth seeing has been handed down. Until 1923, when "karate," which developed in the particular historical context of Okinawa, was introduced to mainland Japan, atemi techniques were largely forgotten. This raises a question: were the same level of power, variety of techniques, and training methods seen in Okinawa karate present in the "atemi techniques" that were popular during the Edo period (1603-1867) ? (Note 1)
Tomiki Kenji (1900-1979) was a martial artist who studied under Kanō Jigorō (founder of Judo) and Ueshiba Morihei (founder of Aikido), and he was the founder of Tomiki Aikido, which incorporated randori competitions. He also witnessed the demonstration of karate by Funakoshi Gichin and Gima Shinkin at the Kōdōkan [of judo] in 1922.
Generally, in jūjutsu, atemi (striking techniques) are limited. To begin with, jūjutsu does not have the same concept of defeating (killing and wounding) the opponent with atemi as karate, boxing, or muay thai. Therefore, atemi in jūjutsu is mainly used as "support" for jūjutsu techniques, such as lightly striking to facilitate taking the opponent's arm or sleeve, or striking to reduce resistance and make grappling techniques more effective, and not for the purpose of defeating the opponent through atemi.
In addition, there are generally no training methods in jūjutsu to increase the power of the strike, such as the makiwara-zuki in karate. In Motobu Udundī, practitioners used to train nukite (spear hand) by thrusting their fingers into the sand on the beach. There have been no efforts to train specific body parts to enhance striking power in jūjutsu. This is likely due to a philosophical background, as will be discussed later, rather than mere negligence.
In recent years, a classification has also been made to distinguish between strikes that aim to defeat (kill and wound) an opponent, such as in karate, called "hon ate" (本当て, real strike), and strikes that do not aim to defeat an opponent, such as in jūjutsu, called "kari ate" (仮当て, provisional strike). In modern terms, strikes in jūjutsu are considered to be "light contact."
Of course, there are numerous schools of jūjutsu, including those that have been lost to history, and some of them do place emphasis on striking. Therefore, it should be noted that the above is a general tendency and not applicable to all schools of jūjutsu.
Why hasn't jūjutsu pursued "Hontate"? One explanation is the concept of "Shinbu Fusatsu" (神武不殺) in Japan, which means "the divine military does not kill." This phrase originated from the Chinese classic "I Ching," but I don't know how historically accurate this explanation is since I haven't looked into it in detail. It is likely a concept popularized by Confucian scholars such as Yamaga Sokō (1622 - 1685) in the Edo period and not a very ancient one.
However, there may have been a sense among Edo-period Japanese people that when it comes to aesthetics and ethics, "atemi" (striking techniques) were considered "vulgar." Killing with a sword was seen as a "refined" way to kill, while killing with atemi was considered "vulgar." There may have been a particularly strong aversion to kicking techniques.
This influence persisted into the 20th century. Morihei Ueshiba reportedly removed kicks and leg attacks from aikido because he considered them "dirty" (Note 2). "Dirty" is an aesthetic concept. In other words, kicking techniques were eliminated out of a sense of aesthetics, regardless of their technical effectiveness.
In the first place, since the samurai in the Edo period wore a sword on their waist, practicing swordsmanship was more practical than practicing atemi if the goal was to cause injury or death. In other words, there was no rational reason to pursue "hon ate" (real strike). However, with the enforcement of the Meiji Restoration's sword ban and the development of modern criminal law, it became illegal to use a sword for self-defense, leading to an increased importance of "hon ate" even for self-protection.
Against this historical background, some judo practitioners may have become aware of the crisis when karate from Okinawa and boxing from the West came to Japan. The study of "rikaku taisei" (離隔態勢, attack and defense at a distance) at the Kodokan before the war may have also been conducted under this sense of crisis.
In any case, there is a fundamental difference between the "atemi" (striking) techniques of jūjutsu and karate, depending on whether the goal is to defeat the opponent or not.
Note 1: Judo 43 (9), Kodokan, 1972, p. 6.
Note 2: Payet Yumiko, "The Ideology of Ueshiba Aikido in the Early Period," Doshisha University Journal of Japanese Language and Culture, No. 12, Doshisha University Japanese Language and Culture Education Center, p. 135.