Tsuki

 

The curve of the Japanese sword does not lend itself to stabbing as much as a straight blade, however a knowledge of human anatomy and serious training can render it just as effect as a stabbing weapon.

The thrusting tsuki technique appears in ZNKR Iaido’s number 9, Soetezuki  and  number 6 Morotetsuki (incidentally in Japanese compound-words, tsuki is pronounced ‘zoo-kee’) but it’s exact application to teki’s belly is ambiguous…until now, that is!

If we peer into the abdominal cavity we will find two major blood vessels and when I say major, I mean they are big! They are the descending abdominal aorta and the ascending inferior vena cava, the artery running anteriorly to the vein.

 

The diagram on the left shows a lateral view of the the abdominal cavity and the descending abdominal aorta and ascending vena cava can be seen to be lying up agaisnt the vertebral column and not dangling in the middle or front of the compartment as many erroneously think. A frontal view is presented on the right showing the bifurcation point at the level of umbilicus. Stick your sword in here!

 

The point at which they bifurcate to travel down into each leg produces a increase in the vessel’s diameter and this widening means it is a larger target that if stabbed will bleed profusely into the abdominal cavity, incapacitating teki very quickly indeed. This bifurcation occurs at about the level of the umbilicus (belly button) so this is where you should aim your tsuki.

 

A full-depth thrust of about 20-30cm will pierce the aorta/vena cava around the bifurcation producing rapid and catastrophic blood loss bleeding into the abdominal cavity visible as an abdominal distention.

Unconsciousness will occur in 5-10 seconds, death in about 30-60 seconds  as the circulating volume bleeds off into the abdominal cavity. 5-10 seconds is a long time when you have an enemy, with a sword, wakizashi, tanto and teeth only a couple of feet away!

 

A shallower thrust, that misses the descending abdominal aorta, will produce a slower incapacitation and much slower death from the spilling of intestinal contents (liquid poop) into peritoneum – haemorrhage, acute abdomen, massive infection and death will likely result in time. The worrying aspect of this is teki will still be able to fight which is probably nukitsuke is applied at the very start of the conflict to incapacitate the right arm.

Incidentally it is the abdominal aortic and vena cava that are usually split in road traffic accidents where the body is rapidly decelerated in a dorsoventral direction (back to front). Since the arota and vena cava are generally unsupported, they are whipped, rapidly back an forth by the deceleration causing them to split and bleed out into the abdominal cavity. The rate of unconsciousness and ultimately death will depend upon the amount of splitting that occurs. A well-know member of the Royal family is likely to have died due to this is a Parisian tunnel back in 1997.

 

To close this series of articles It must be bourne in mind that global effects of these techniques will depend upon several factors - 

1. he overall circulating volume.
2. The ability to 'take a blow' - tolerate neural shock.
3. Muscularity of the neck in the case of head cuts and the effects of contrecoup.

4. Psychological effects - fear, intimidation etc.