According to Japanese researcher Kubo Tokutada Okinawans believe there is a certain mysterious energy at the tip of one's foot, which gathers in places a lot of feet pass through, and can be driven off by the shih-kan-tang.
在玄關設石敢當，據日本學者窪德忠解釋，是因琉球人以為腳尖有煞氣，最多腳尖聚集處，當屬玄關，所以設石敢當除魔。