It was believed that there were a few means of escape if one was confronted with a kappa.
Kappa are obsessed with politeness, so if a person makes a deep bow, it will return the gesture.
This results in the kappa spilling the water held in the "dish" (sara) on its head, rendering it unable to leave the bowing position until the plate is refilled with water from the river in which it lives.
If a person refills it, the kappa will serve that person for all eternity.
A similar weakness of the kappa involves its arms, which can easily be pulled from its body.
If an arm is detached, the kappa will perform favors or share knowledge in exchange for its return.

Another method of defeat involves shogi or sumo wrestling: a kappa sometimes challenges a human being to wrestle or engage in other tests of skill.
This tendency is easily used to encourage the kappa to spill the water from its sara.
One notable example of this method is the folktale of a farmer who promises his daughter's hand in marriage to a kappa in return for the creature irrigating his land.
The farmer's daughter challenges the kappa to submerge several gourds in water.
When the kappa fails in its task, it retreats, saving the farmer's daughter from the marriage.
Kappa have also been driven away by their aversion to iron, sesame, or ginger.
It was believed that there were a few means of escape if one was confronted with a kappa. Kappa are obsessed with politeness, so if a person makes a deep bow, it will return the gesture. This results in the kappa spilling the water held in the "dish" (sara) on its head, rendering it unable to leave the bowing position until the plate is refilled with water from the river in which it lives. If a person refills it, the kappa will serve that person for all eternity. A similar weakness of the kappa involves its arms, which can easily be pulled from its body. If an arm is detached, the kappa will perform favors or share knowledge in exchange for its return.
Another method of defeat involves shogi or sumo wrestling: a kappa sometimes challenges a human being to wrestle or engage in other tests of skill. This tendency is easily used to encourage the kappa to spill the water from its sara. One notable example of this method is the folktale of a farmer who promises his daughter's hand in marriage to a kappa in return for the creature irrigating his land. The farmer's daughter challenges the kappa to submerge several gourds in water. When the kappa fails in its task, it retreats, saving the farmer's daughter from the marriage. Kappa have also been driven away by their aversion to iron, sesame, or ginger.
Kappa (folklore)