enzuigiri

Enzuigiri combines two Japanese concepts from entirely different domains. Enzui, written 延髄, is the medulla oblongata, the brainstem structure that controls heartbeat and breathing without any conscious instruction. Giri, written 切り, means a cut or slash, the same root that appears in kiriotoshi, the downward strike of classical swordsmanship. Together they name a blow aimed at the exact anatomical site where a strike would be most consequential.