Based on the 4th edition rules
Kiho lie somewhere between spells and Kata, and are most iconic of the monastic orders of the Brotherhood of Shinsei.
Monks start out knowing three Kiho, and learn two Kiho at each new School Rank. They can purchase extra Kiho (up to their School Rank in number) by paying XP equal to the Kiho's Mastery Level. They must qualify to buy the Kiho: their School Rank + the relevant Ring must equal or exceed the Kiho's Mastery Level.
Non-Brotherhood Kiho:
There are four types of Kiho:
Atemi Strikes: Atemi strikes use the Jiujutsu (Atemi) Skill. All forms of armor double their bonus to Armor TN against atemi strikes.
Staff Kiho: Staff Kiho can only be used while wielding a bo staff or three-section staff.
As long as you only make unarmed attacks, your Initiative Score is increased by +5. The damage of all unarmed strikes is reduced by your Air. If you make any other type of attack, the effect ends immediately. Otherwise, it ends after a maximum of one day.
When this Kiho is activated, you make a single unarmed kick attack and, as part of it, leap up to Air ×10' through the air, adding +1k0 damage if the attack hits, and granting 1 Free Raise towards the Knockdown Maneuver.
If the atemi strike hits, your target suffers 1k1 Wounds from the electrical shock accompanying your touch, and drops their weapon (as if Disarmed). They may spend 2 Void Points to negate the Disarm, but will then suffer +2k2 Wounds. The damage bypasses Reduction from armor.
You may take a Complex Action to focus your chi and remain utterly still. So long as you concentrate and do not move, you can see a number of miles equal to your School Rank at a level of detail to distinguish the physical characteristics of individual people, but not enough to read.
You become immune to the Shadowlands Taint (and other supernatural ailments, like the influence of the Lying Darkness) for a number of rounds equal to your Air. This prevents you acquiring the Taint while active, and allows you to ignore all Taint penalties and benefits from any Taint you possess. Any deliberate action that would normally result in acquiring Taint (like casting maho) ends the effect immediately, and you gain the Taint normally.
If the atemi attack is successful, the target cannot speak for a number of Rounds equal to your Air.
By making a Contested Air Roll against a target within line of sight, you may learn one piece of information: their highest or lowest Ring, their highest Skill Rank, or their highest-cost Spiritual Advantage or Disadvantage. Each successful Raise on this roll grants an additional piece of information. You can use this Kiho a number of times per day equal to your Air.
After making a successful unarmed strike, spend one Void Point. The strike inflicts half normal damage (round down) and knocks the targte back Air ×2' and falls Prone, regardless of whether they suffer any Wounds.
Spend a Void Point as a Free Action to activate this Kiho, then as a Complex Action take and hold a deep breath. On the next round, you unleash the breath as a Complex Action, creating a cone of freezing air, School Rank ×5' long, School Rank ×2' broad at the end. Any creature caught in the blast takes damage (DR = your Air). At the GM's discretion, some physical objects may also be damaged by the freezing cold.
You may take a Simple Move Action to leap up to your Air ×10'. The Kiho ends once you make one such leap.
Your Armor TN is increased by your Insight Rank + your Air.
If this atemi attack hits, the target suffers a penalty to all TNs as if they suffered from a number of Wound Ranks equal to your Air, for a number of Rounds equal to your Insight Rank + your Air. This effect is not cumulative with itself or with actual Wounds. This Kiho is considered impure by many sects of the Brotherhood.
You gain additional rolled and kept dice equal to your Air on all Stealth Skill Rolls, for a number of minutes equal to your Insight Rank.
You channel the force of your strikes through the air, hitting targets as if they were within arm's reach. Spend a Void Point as a Free Action to activate this Kiho. You may make unarmed attacks as a Complex Action, striking opponents up to your School Rank ×25' away.
When the atemi strike hits, make a Contested Air Roll against the target. On a success, they suffer damage (DR = your Air) from a violent electrical discharge from the surrounding air. This damage ignores all Reduction, unless it specifically mentions electricity.
Invoking the power of the Thunder Dragon, you fill your lungs. As a Complex Action, you draw a deep breath and shout a word of power. All living beings capable of hearing your shout must make a Contested Air Roll against you (you roll once), and those who fail are Dazed for a number of rounds equal to your Air.
While this Kiho is active, if you have not yet taken your Turn during the current Combat Round, you can spend a Void Point to immediately interrupt any opponent who declares a melee attack against you, to either take a Move Action away from the opponent, or to make an unarmed attack against them. The Kiho ends after you do this, or one day after activation.
You can shoot an arrow at a target that is out of sight but may be in range. The arrow must be able to travel in a straight line (it will not pierce stones or turn corners), but ignores visual obstacles, darkness, and so on. You must know the target's approximate location (within 30').
This Kiho can only be activated in the Defense or Full Defense Stance. On your Turn, you can make Grappling attack rolls as Free Actions against opponents who have attacked you since your last Turn (one for each qualifying opponent), overruling the usual rules for attacking in your stance. Opponents in a Grapple you control may be Thrown as a Free Action rather than a Complex Action. If the GM allows Grapple Throws to deal damage, they deal -1k1 damage. You may remain in the Defense or Full Defense Stance while maintaining a Grapple.
While active, you roll extra dice equal to half your Earth (round down) to resist poison or disease.
Activating this Kiho is always a Complex Action, but you may activate it even when you are not able to take actions, such as when Stunned. You can immediately roll to recover from a non-permanent Condition or other effect that allows rolls for recovery, such as Dazed.
While active, you can only adopt the Defense or Full Defense Stances. If your opponent misses you with a melee attack, on your next turn you can Disarm them (assuming you are within reach) for no Raises, regardless of the normal restrictions of your stance. This ends the Kiho. The Kiho becomes inactive if not used within one day of activation.
While active, you can detect the location and movement of any creature in contact with the ground within a distance equal to your Insight Rank ×50'. You cannot be ambushed or surprised by land-bound creatures. This lasts a number of minutes equal to your Earth.
If the atemi strike succeeds, declare whether you are targeting Fire or Water. If you target Fire, the target must make two Raises with no benefit on every attack roll (but they do not count against the maximum number of Raises). If you target Water, they suffer -4k0 on all damage rolls. The effects last a number of rounds equal to your Earth, ending in the Reactions Stage of the final round. The effects two can be combined with multiple applications, and the duration can be reset (not stacked) with re-application. You cannot use this Kiho more than once per Turn.
You gain Reduction equal to 2× your Earth. This stacks with other sources and lasts a number of Rounds equal to your Earth.
Your penalties at all Wound Ranks are reduced by your Earth. You can continue to take Simple Actions at the Down Wound Rank.
You must remain perfectly still for (10 - Earth) Turns. Afterwards, you immediately detect any spiritual or physical impurities (not only Taint, but anything physically or spiritually out of place, like poison, disease, things not native to Ningen-do, etc.; GM's judgement), including their relative strength, within Earth ×50', for one round. You can sense a total number of impurities equal to your Void, starting with the strongest. You sense the general direction of each impurity. The GM may allow an appropriate Lore Skill Roll to learn one more piece of useful information about the impurity. Intelligent beings who would be detected can make a Contested Earth Roll to avoid detection. (The GM can substitute another kind of Contested Roll if appropriate.)
This atemi strike deals normal unarmed damage, plus unkept damage dice equal to the target's Shadowlands Taint Rank. If the target is a human or other formerly uncorrupted creature, they lose all benefits of Shadowlands Taint, and are free from the madness brought by the Taint, for a number of Rounds equal to your Earth. This sacred Kiho is known only to a handful of sects.
This Kiho lasts a number of rounds equal to your Insight Rank +1. Every time an attacker makes a Raise when attacking you or taking an offensive action against you (not including spells), you gain Reduction equal to 2× the number of Raises. (This does not trigger from Free Raises.) The attack does not have to be successful. These Reduction increases are cumulative, up to Earth ×5, and lasts until the Kiho is deactivated or the skirmish ends.
This atemi strike deals normal unarmed damage +Xk0 (X = Earth).
While active, attempts to use the Knockdown Maneuver against you require 2 extra Raises. Any attempt to force you to move against your will, including Knockdowns, requires a Contested Earth Roll in addition to other costs and rolls. You may not make Move Actions without dispelling this effect.
You can choose to enter the Full Defense Stance immediately before you are attacked, once per activation of this Kiho. Afterwards, you cannot change Stances during your next opportunity. This Kiho lasts for the rest of the day or until used.
If this atemi strike hits, the target's Water is considered 2 lower for the purposes of determining how far they can move with a Move Action, for a number of Rounds equal to twice your Earth.
Opponents engaged in a Grapple with you suffer additional Wounds per Round equal to your Earth during the Reactions Stage, regardless of who is winning. This effect lasts a number of minutes equal to your Earth.
This Kiho can only be activated after 2 hours of meditation, as a Complex Action. You must call a Raise on the activation roll for each mundane poison, disease, or similar non-supernatural effect affecting you. Your body is purged of a number of such impurities (but not Taint) equal to the number of Void Points you have at the time (not counting points spent to activate this Kiho). All those remaining Void Points are then spent.
Your skin becomes extremely hot to the touch, and anyone touching you (including those who strike you unarmed, or who you strike unarmed) suffer Wounds equal to your Fire. This lasts a number of Rounds equal to twice your Fire.
Your unarmed attacks deal full damage to non-metal substances like wood and stone, and you suffer no ill effects for striking them. (The GM determines how much damage an object can take.) This lasts a number of minutes equal to your Fire.
Any damage you suffer from fire, heat, or cold is reduced by -2k2. This includes spells and other Kiho. The effect lasts one day.
You can make unarmed attacks as a Simple Action instead of a Complex Action. You must make an unarmed attack against an opponent (not an ally or inanimate object) each Round or the effect ends immediately.
Whenever you are struck by a melee attack, you can immediately make a counterattack (a single unarmed attack). If you have not taken your Turn yet this Round, this counts as your Turn. If you have, this is a Free Action. This attack ignores any Wound Penalties caused by the attack it is responding to. This Kiho lasts until the end of the skirmish.
This Kiho can only be activated by spending a Void Point. Your fists are wreathed in flame and your eyes burn like fiery embers. You must make two Raises on the unarmed strike to activate it. The unarmed strike deals normal damage, plus additional damage with DR equal to your Fire (rolled and kept). You and the target must make a Contested Fire Roll; if you win, the target is struck Blind for a number of hours equal to your Fire.
While active, increase the distance you can move with any Move Action by +5'. This lasts a number of Rounds equal to your Fire.
A target struck by this atemi suffers a TN Penalty to all actions equal to 3× your Fire, for a number of Rounds equal to your Fire.
You get +2k2 to all INT-based Skill Rolls. When the Kiho ends, you are immediately Fatigued.
Mastery Fire 4 for Kuni Shugenja and Kuni Witch-Hunters.
While active, a successful atemi strike against an unintelligent undead creature results in a Contested Roll of your Fire against the creature's Shadowlands Taint. On a success, you sever the creature's connection to Jigoku and instantly destroy it.
While active, a successful atemi strike against an opponent results in a Contested Fire Roll between you. If you succeed, the opponent is Stunned for one round.
A target struck by this atemi is Dazed.
The target of this strike loses one Simple Action this Round. This can only affect a target who has not acted this Round, and no target can be affected more than once per skirmish.
You can move across the surface of water as if it were basic terrain. The effect lasts as long as you take a Simple Move Action each round, up to five minutes, at which time you may reactivate it if necessary.
You must spend a Void Point to activate this Kiho, immediately after successfully striking a target with an atemi strike. The target regains Wounds equal to your Water immediately and at the start of your Turn every subsequent Round, for a number of Rounds equal to your Insight Rank. You cannot target yourself.
You must expend a Simple Action each round to maintain this Kiho. When a spell specifically targets you (not an area that includes you), you can make a Contested roll of Staves/Water against the Spell Casting Roll. If you succeed, you disrupt and negate the spell against you (other targets may still be affected). You can do this a number of times per skirmish equal to your Water. At the GM's option, maho may also be deflected by making 3 Raises on the Contested Roll.
A target struck by this atemi is paralyzed, effectively Stunned and unable to take Move Actions, for a number of Rounds equal to your Insight Rank.
Each round you take a Free Action to move your staff, you add your Water and Staves to your Armor TN. For each Simple Action in a round you spend on this Kiho, you can add your Water to your Armor TN until the beginning of your next Turn.
You gain Reduction equal to your Water, stacking with other sources. This lasts a number of Rounds equal to twice your Water.
For a number of Rounds equal to your Insight Rank, you recover Wounds equal to your Water in the Reactions Stage.
This Kiho must be activated by spending a Void Point. You strike your hands together and release a great kiai shout. Everyone in front of you, within your Water ×5', must make a Contested Water Roll against you or become Dazed.
You make an atemi strike with your staff. If you succeed at a Contested Roll of your Water against the target's Earth, the target is Stunned.
You make an unarmed attack by striking a body of standing water or the earth. One opponent in contact with the water or earth, within your Water ×10', is struck by the unarmed attack. If you were hidden, your position is revealed to the target and anyone in their immediate vicinity.
The target of this atemi strike can ignore the effects of their highest-point Mental or Physical Disadvantage for a number of Rounds equal to your Void.
You must strike an opponent with three atemi strikes in three consecutive Rounds immediately after activating this Kiho, and spend an additional Void Point after the third strike. Your opponent suffers from weakness and pain: all Rings are reduced by each hour, to a maximum penalty equal to your Insight Rank. At 0 in any Ring, the target becomes catatonic (they do not automatically die at Earth 0), and must make three Contested void Rolls against you (using their full Void with no penalties). If they lose all by 5 or more, they die.
Using dim mak is grounds for excommunication from the Brotherhood of Shinsei.
You become aware of all living things within Void ×10'. You are also aware of any object or individual within that range that has been deliberately concealed, including secret doors, secret compartments, buried objects, etc.
You must be meditating or in the Center Stance to activate this Kiho. You become generally aware of the presence of Elemental spell effects and nemuranai within Void ×10', knowing the general nature and direction, but no specifics.
You make an atemi strike and a Contested Roll of your Void against the target's Fire. If you win, the target's mind is purged of all thoughts, and they forget everything that has happened in the last minute. At the GM's discretion, this may make them Dazed for one round.
Monks only.
This Kiho is activated as a Complex Action, and must target a supernatural creature (not native to Jigoku or Tengoku). You must chant a sutra, form mudra with your hands, shake a ringed staff, or perform some other gesture of spiritual rebuke. Make a Contested Roll of your Meditation/Void against the creature's highest Ring. On a success, the target suffers -Xk1 to all rolls (X = your Monk School Rank) until it is slain or departs from your presence.
If you succeed on the atemi strike, you can spend a Void Point to learn the total number of Spiritual Advantages or Disadvantages (your choice) the target possesses. If you succeed in a Contested Void Roll, you also learn the name and specific nature of the highest point value Advantage/Disadvantage. Subsequent uses on the same target reveal new Advantages/Disadvantages.
An opponent struck by this atemi must expend two spell slots to cast a single spell. This lasts for a number of Rounds equal to your Void.
Target an opponent within 50' when activating this Kiho, and make a Contested Void Roll. If you win, their Initiative Score is reduced by 5 and yours is increased by the same amount.
This Kiho is known to a handful of reclusive masters, and discovered by a new soul once in a generation.
You expend all remaining Void Points. The target loses one random Social, Spiritual, or Mental Disadvantage, and gains a new random Social, Spiritual, or Mental Disadvantage of equal value. (The GM can opt to choose the Disadvantages instead.)
You can spend Void Points on damage rolls for your unarmed strikes (one per attack).
Select one individual within 20'. They gain a Void Point on their next turn. No one may benefit from this Kiho more than twice per day.
One of your Rings and its Traits are considered 1 Rank higher. The Ring depends on the environment: Earth in the mountains, Water on the seashore, Air in the plains, Fire in the desert or volcanic areas.
This atemi strike appears to be a normal unarmed strike. You must call a Raise on the atemi strike. The strike inflicts no damage, but you immediately regain 2 Void Points. This Kiho can only be used on enemies.
You must be meditating or in the Center Stance to activate this Kiho. You float a few inches above the ground, and can move at your normal speed across any surface (ground, water, molten lava) without touching it. You are immune to Grapplign and Entangling attacks.