Author’s Note: I believe that the term “Goju” Ryu derives from the Book of Change – as the concept of “hard” and “soft” recurs throughout from the earliest lines of text. Only later in the history of the evolution of Book of Change is the ideal of yin and yang incorporated and superimposed over the far-older hard-soft dichotomy. I find it interesting that the concept of the trigram and hexagram is used as a component within the Goju Ryu technique of “Kaki-e” or “Kake-te” – often described as “pushing-hands” or “sticking-hands” in English translation. Perhaps “circling-hands” might be a better description of this technique – with a practitioner philosophically (psychologically) and physically manoeuvring in a “circular” fashion around an aggressive opponent. This would imply a magnificent foundation to the spiritual and physical construction of the Goju Ryu style in China – prior to its transmission to Okinawa! ACW (29.12.2025)
Dear Tony
I was watching a video of traditional Judo self-defence kata techniques that contain punching, kicking, and locks – all integrated with “hard” throwing. The throw is “soft” – but the landing is “hard” – to cause maximum damage to the attacker. These self-defence katas also involve unarmed responses to sticks, knives – and since 1956 – a pistol. However, one of the techniques featured is named:
I was watching a video of traditional Judo self-defence kata techniques that contain punching, kicking, and locks – all integrated with “hard” throwing. The throw is “soft” – but the landing is “hard” – to cause maximum damage to the attacker. These self-defence katas also involve unarmed responses to sticks, knives – and since 1956 – a pistol. However, one of the techniques featured is named:
Ushiro-Kakae-Dori (後-抱え-取り) – Reverse-Bear-Hug Turned Around (Reversed)-Gripped Removed
This is an unarmed technique where a bear-hug from behind is countered, reversed, and via a double-handed hold around the back of just one of the elbows and fore-arms of the attacker – the attacker is effortlessly uprooted and thrown to the ground in an impressive style. Sometimes, there is a double-meaning in this naming. One is obvious and superficial (the bear-hug and its countering) – the other is deep and obscure (by the defender placing the knife-ridge of one hand and the palm of the other on one arm of the attacker – the attacker is uprooted and thrown). This made me think of the “Kakie-Kakete” in Goju Ryu:
a) Ka-ki-e - カキエ
b) Ka-ke-te - 掛け手
b) Ka-ke-te - 掛け手
And whether there is any linguistic or martial connection between this Goju Ryu technique and that of the traditional Judo technique of:
後-抱え-取り - Ushiro-Kakae-Dori
This requires the comparing of:
1) 掛 (2nd ideogram from “Ka-ke-te”) - 掛 Chinese - (gua4) and Japanese (ka) = both languages agree on the meanings of to - hang, suspend, depend, and arrive
2) 抱 (2nd ideogram from “Ushiro-Ka-kae-Dori”) - 抱 Chinese (bao4) and Japanese (ka) = both languages agree on the meanings of to – to hug, to grasp, to carry, and to halt using the arms
Both ideograms (1 & 2) share the same left-hand particle of “扌” – which is a contraction of the ideogram “手“ (shou3) – or “te” in Japanese – referring to an “open-hand”. The difference in meaning lies in the difference in right-hand particles – but you can see that an action of using an “open-hand” is being discussed.
1) The right-hand particle of “掛” (as used in Goju’s “Kake-te”) is “卦” (gua4) in Chinese (or “ka” in Japanese). This ideogram represents the trigrams and hexagrams found in the Book of Change (I Ching) symbols of divination and change. This particle is comprised of the element “圭” (gui1) in Chinese and “ka” in Japanese – which represents two jade-axes (士 + 士) – one balanced on top of the other (this is also used to denote an Emperor’s Seal of Authority). The right-hand element is “卜” (bu3) which represents a “crack” in a turtle plastron or ox scapulae – used thousands of years ago in the earliest version of divination.
2) The right-hand particle of “抱” (as used in Judo’s “Ka-kae”) is written as “包“ (bao1) in Chinese and “ka” in Japanese and represents a foetus enveloped within a womb – hence the meaning of “enveloping”, and “enwrapping” – so that all movement is naturally prevented at root or source.
Therefore, although there is a broad connection between the two martial terms – in that the hands are expertly used to nullify an aggressive opponent and remove all further danger (this explains the similarity in sound) – a difference in meaning then spirals out as each term is developed toward its different technical conclusion. The Goju version is a broad and all-encompassing philosophical and technical method – whilst the Judo version is a single technique amongst many which are different.
Best Wishes
Adrian
Adrian
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