The "Kyuyo" (the chronicles of Ryukyu) introduces an episode in which, during the sixteenth century, when Jikki KYOAHAGON was assaulted by an assassin he kicked the assassin in the groin through an art of 'kushu' (空手), which is considered to be an unarmed (bare hands) martial art prior to toudee, although there is no clear depiction of such an art.
古くは16世紀、命を狙われた京阿波根実基（きょうあはごんじっき）が空手（くうしゅ）にて相手の股間を蹴り上げたとの記述が正史『球陽』にあり、これは唐手以前の素手格闘術であったと考えられているが、その実態は判然としない。