Jion

Kanku-Sho

The name Jion is of unknown origin. There are claims that the name comes from a temple named Jion-Ji, which literally means Jion Temple. While living in Japan, looking at a local map of the area I was in I saw that there must be a hundred temples in Japan that go by that name, so the reference is not very specific or informative. What does the name Jion mean, and where does it come from? No one knows. There are many different ways to write the word Jion. Some of them are presented here for consideration as possibilities.

Ji can mean universal love, tender, gentle, and loving. On can mean grace, favor, benevolence, or kindness. Supposedly a Buddhist term listed in some ancient texts which no longer is used in modern conversation. Some try to use this to tie Jion back to China. But, there are a bunch of temples in Japan named Jion. Many of them use the same kanji spelling for their names. Jion as a temple name is as common as people named Jones. Because the name is so common, even if Jion were named after a temple, we would never be able to figure out which one.

慈恩

Jion – “Mercy of Love”

Jion

寺音

Jion – “Temple Sound”

Or, Ji can be the character for temple, and the second character can be sound. Thus, the meaning could be the sound of the temple bell ringing.

Ji could also be used to mean temple in combination with the character for mercy, showing perhaps the historical concept of seeking sanctuary within the walls of a temple as Musashi did at Kanchi’in in Kyoto.

Big Heart

Jion is a large scale and simple kata. Most of the techniques contained within the kata are very familiar to any karate player who might be advanced enough to begin learning Jion. There are generally only single technique/step combinations, and the pattern that the entire kata follows is actually quite simple. If one has mastered the Heian and the Tekki, performing Jion is not very difficult. Although somewhat more subtle than the Heian in its rhythm, Jion presents no serious obstacles to trainees. Jion is a favorite kata of people who aren't very good at kata. When you see Jion chosen in a tournament, you can be pretty sure that person is not a kata enthusiast.

The Shotokan version of Jion is changed from the Shito-Ryu version significantly. For example, the wedge block motions (moves 2 and 7) have been changed from cat stances to

寺恩

Jion – “Mercy of the Temple”

Jion

front stances for the purposes of Shotokan. Also, all of the square stances have been modified into horse riding stances. Some techniques previously performed in a front stance using turning have been changed to horse riding stance techniques performed to the side.

Big Four

Jion is number three of the Big Four Kata. The Big Four are Bassai Dai, Kanku Dai, Jion, and Enpi. These four kata are considered the standard Shotokan kata by international inter-style competition organizations. When competing in a style tournament, the performer will be required to perform compulsory kata (shitei) in progressive rounds. The first round consists of Heian and Tekki 1. The judge chooses a kata, and the performer performs that kata alongside his opponent. The judges choose the man with the best kata, and then the other person is eliminated. The second round of competition is always compulsory Big Four Kata. The judge chooses from the Big Four and the competitors perform that kata side by side. The loser is then eliminated. Jion is required learning for anyone planning on competing in kata competitions in style tournaments such as the World Shoto Cup.

These kata are also the group that a trainee can choose from to perform as a tokui kata during an examination for first degree black belt. You may pick which of them you wish to perform as a specialty kata and then perform that kata. For 2nd dan black belt, you are generally required to know all four of these kata, as the examiner is permitted to choose any of the Big Four as your compulsory kata.

The Three Respect Kata

Jion, Jiin, and Jutte are often grouped together as the Three Respect Kata. The reason for this is that Jion, Jutte, and Jiin begin and end with the performer holding his right fist under his left palm - a Chinese martial arts greeting frequently seen in your typical low-budget Kung Fu movie. Whether this is some action that was performed as the opening sequence in all of the Tomari-style kata is unknown. It is possible that this posture was performed by a particular person who helped develop all three of these kata a long time ago. The posture could simply be left over as if it were part of the kata, rather than his personal way of bowing.

Other kata begin with this covered fist action. Bassai Dai and Enpi both contain the covered fist at varying placement points at their beginning and end. In Bassai Dai, the right fist is placed inside the left hand, but the hands are lowered to the front of the lower abdomen. Enpi begins like this as well, but the fist and hand are at the left waist.

The covered fist action is described by some as being Chinese in origin. Whether or not this is the case is difficult to know. Since the Okinawans acquired some of the kata from China, it is not unreasonable to assume that the covered fist posture originated as a Chinese act of etiquette for beginning training. Rather than being left over from a particular Okinawan instructor, the fist-in-hand gesture may be from China.

Different Names - Same DNA

I think that Jion, Jutte, and Jiin are the same kata. Like Kanku Sho, Kanku-Dai, and Shiho Kosokun, the Three Respect Kata are the same kata taking different shapes due to being passed down through different paths. Finally, the rivers of these kata spill out into the same waters: Shotokan. Back together again, they are treated as if they are different kata teaching different things. However, in reality, it seems that the three kata are teaching the exact same things, using the same techniques, stepping the same way, doing nothing different from one another at all. One kata - three versions.

Jion

The evidence to support the single kata theory is easily demonstrated. Jion and Jutte contain the same techniques. In Jion, there are the three stepping palm heel strikes. These strikes also live in Jutte. They live in Jiin as well, but with palms turned a little upward, they become sword hand strikes and are difficult to recognize as the same techniques. Jion contains the three stomping forearm blocks. Jutte does also - but they are outside blocks to the upper level - the Mountain Posture. They are the same technique, but with a different perspective.

Given the strong evidence that the three kata are the same kata in different versions of itself, which came first? I think Jutte came first, Jion came second, and Jiin is actually the most modern of the three having been created as a sort of "Sho" form of Jion which reached back to Jutte for some of its source material.

This is great news for people who practice Shotokan karate who think that they will not be able to wrap their brains around different versions of Bassai, Kanku, or other kata from other styles. If you have learned these three, you have already learned to differentiate between three versions of the exact same kata.

Jion is by far the most popular of the three kata, since it falls within the Big Four. Everyone eventually learns this kata while they are at brown belt.

Aggressive and Different

Jion is unique among the kata in a couple of regards. Jion is one of the few kata in karate in which block/counter combinations are executed while advancing forward. Jion introduces a set of techniques which are especially obvious in their combat effectiveness.

Directions

1. Fist in Hand - Stand with both feet touching from ball to heel with the toes forward.

The knees should be straight. The left hand should be over the right fist. The elbows should be pointed down and no wider than the sides of the body, and the tallest knuckle on the left hand should be directly in front of the chin. Do not bend the wrists and point the elbows out sideways. Instead, keep the elbows in pretty close to the sides of the body and the wrists straight. 2. Let's Go! - Jion, unlike some kata, does not begin with a dramatic and demonstrative hand waving exercise or painfully slow execution of some incomparable posture. Jion gets right down to business. Step backward with the left foot so that it becomes the rear foot of a right front stance. Do not move the torso to the rear as you do this. Simply bend the right knee, shoot the left foot backward, and lower the torso in place. Do this very suddenly and explosively. At the same time, unfold the hands from their positioning and down block with the left hand as you inside block with the right hand. These arm actions are not preceded by folding or crossing of the arms. Simply burst them into place, and focus the arm actions with action of planting the left foot. Your body should suddenly be in motion, and then should come to a halt like a bird flying into a window. 3. Wedge Block - Step to the left 45° angle with the left foot so that you are in another front stance. The first half of the step should be pretty fast. As you move the foot forward and touch it to the floor, decelerate considerably so that your weight settles into the stance gently. As the feet cross, bring the fists up in front of your eyes about one foot away. The palm sides should be facing inward and the arms should be

Jion

crossed at the wrists. Turn the wrists as you pull your elbows down to your sides to perform a wedge block. The action of bringing the hands up should be extremely fast, in time with the first part of the stepping motion. Parting the arms and performing the block should start with a very small burst of speed, and then lose speed and gain tension as you move. 4. Kicking and Punching - Keeping your arms in the same position relative to your body, step forward and throw a right front snap kick to the middle level. As the foot touches the floor, a right middle level punch should be focusing. The punch is launched from the wedge block position of the arms. Do not pull back the right hand into a chambered position before throwing the punch. The timing for these two techniques is very quick with no pause between them. Pause after you throw the punch for just a moment. 5. Double Punch - Throw two punches from your current position. Do not try to consciously wiggle your hips to power up the punches. Your hips should stay square to the front facing position. The first punch should be fast and snapped, the second punch is strong and thrusted. There is no time between the two punches. The kick and punch section and this form a rhythm of 1-2----1-2. Most people ruin this part of the kata by turning their hips when they punch, pausing too long between punches, or by throwing all three punches in a row 1-2-3. Don't do that. 6. Repeat as Necessary - Snap your head to the right 90° and them step in that direction first quickly then slowly to perform a wedge block. Perform the exact mirror image of everything you just did from the wedge block to the double punch above.

Pause after the last punch. 7. Upper Block Reverse Punch - Pivot on your right foot to the left 45° until you are in a left front stance again. During the first half of this pivot, draw the left arm back while you upper block with an open-handed covering action with the right hand.

During the second half of the pivot, complete the upper block by blocking upward from the chambered position you are in. Draw the right arm back now. Your foot should land in time with the focus of the second blocking action. Actually, the whole movement is just a single upper block. It is pretty standard in Shotokan circles to perform an open-handed covering action before throwing the upper block, and it is especially common in Shotokan kata. As soon as the upper block completes, bring the right hip forward by straightening the right leg to rotate the hips to front facing as you throw a right reverse punch to the middle level. All three motions should have very fast timing 1-2-3. Pause after the punch. 8. Upper Block and Punch Again - Step forward with the right foot. As you step the feet together, you should draw back the right arm and be upper blocking with the left hand open in a sword hand as in the last sequence. As you complete the step, upper block with the right hand using a fist, and then reverse punch quickly on the left side performing the mirror image of the above technique. 9. Upper Block and Stepping Punch - Step forward with the left foot again and upper block with the two motions as above. As soon as the block is finished, step again strongly and throw a middle level punch with a kiai.

The rhythm of these techniques performed in this particular direction is 1-2-3---1-2-3---1-2-3.

Jion

10. Swastika Posture - Turn 270° while pivoting on the right foot. Be careful during this pivot to keep the torso erect. Most people tend to stick their rears out and bend forward during this turn. The other hideous habit that you don't want to acquire is that of reaching with the foot before you actually turn. Some people, even Kanazawa teaches this way, instead of pivoting completely and then stepping out, bend forward at the waist, stick their foot behind them, and then try to pivot on both feet to twist around and complete the turn. Don't do that. When you turn 270° or 180°, always stay straight up and down. Bring the left foot forward to the right as you turn on the right foot. Spin so that when you complete the step, you are now facing to your rear, but looking over your left shoulder. Without any pause, step out with the left foot into a back stance. That is how you should turn - always keep your support foot under your head when possible.

To assume the swastika position the left arm is moved down into a downward block synchronized with the right arm being moved into an upper level inside block to the rear. There is a trick to doing this movement properly. Make sure that the right arm, while moving upward, takes a curved trajectory. Do not pull it away from your left side in a straight line. Instead, make the right fist travel in a diagonal arc away from your face so that your fist goes over your head and is never close to your head horizontally or vertically. Most people bend their right elbow too much and pull the fist under their chins.

11. Hook Punch - There are two different ways to perform this technique, and both are legitimate. You can hook punch from the upraised position of the right arm, or you can lower it into a chambered position and then punch across your body. Either way, lift the left foot up and push with the right so that you shift to the left about one foot.

Assume a horse riding stance facing to your right, but keep your nose pointed to the left 90° over your left shoulder. Punch across your body so that your finishing position has your right elbow even with the side of your body, your fist slightly lower than your elbow, and your whole right arm posture makes a nice, neat rectangle with your torso when viewed from above. This punch is middle level. 12. Repeat, Repeat - Turn to the right 90° by pivoting on the heels. Don't shift the feet anywhere when you do this motion other than to turn the right foot. Shift your torso to the left, but not the feet, as you assume the back stance facing the other way.

Perform the swastika block/posture and the hook punch as above. The timing for these four techniques is 1--2--3--4. Be careful not to perform them in the very common 1-2---3-4 fashion that most people do. 13. Down Block - Look left 90° and step in that direction with the left foot into a left front stance. Fold the arms at the midpoint of the step and down block as the foot settles. Pause.

14. Palm Heel Strikes - Step forward into a horse riding stance facing to the left so that your right side faces your imaginary opponent. Your head is still pointed in the same direction. Reach around widely from the chambered position your right hand was in instead of moving the hand directly from the hip. The idea is for this technique to take a very wide trajectory to give it a chance to wind up on its way to the target.

Don't perform this as a block, but rather as if you are striking someone in the midsection with the bottom corner of the palm heel of the right hand. Focus the technique in time with the step. Step forward twice more, repeating this technique.

Jion

15. More Swastikas - Turn 270° into a back stance. Follow the directions above. 16. Double Hand Block - block to the left 45° angle with both arms in a double arm block posture. The left arm blocks like an inside block, and the right fist is pressed against the meaty portion of the forearm from the elbow toward the wrist, palm inward. As you block, bring the right foot up to the left and stand up with the feet together quickly. Do not chamber before throwing the block.

Turn to the right 90° and step with the right foot into a back stance and repeat the sequence in the mirror image of itself. 17. Crossed Arms - Standing in place with the feet together, cross the arms at the wrists and bring them down with deceleration as you place the shoulders at 45° and move the fists to your sides. Your arms should point outward and down at that angle. 18. X-Block - Now raise your right knee strongly as you chamber both arms for punches quickly, and then lunge forward, stabbing the fists downward into X-blocks. Most people stab their arms down like this for all of their X-blocks, but usually the X-block does not require a chambering action. You should finish in the crossed leg stance with your knees bent. Don't bend forward - stay straight up and down. 19. Sweep Up - Now, stab the left foot backward behind you, as you did during the first technique of the kata, leaving your torso in place and your front knee bent so that you end up in a front stance. As you do that, quickly block to both sides as you did with the Crossed Arms technique listed above, except this time go as fast as you can. There should be no time between the X-block and this block. 1-2 is the timing. 20. Double Inside Block - Step forward into a front stance with the left foot forward and inside block with both arms. The left arm should fold inside the right. Be careful to focus in time with the placement of the foot. 21. Shades of Tekki - Step forward again and X-block to the high level with your hands in fists. The right fist should be inside the left fist. Immediately raise the left fist up so that the left arm takes the final position of an upper level rising block. The right arm. should strike around somewhat and forward as a vertical back fist strike. You should nearly straighten the elbow and strike to your own nose height.

Reverse arms by punching forward with the left fist at lower chest level quickly while you move the right fist so that it points to the right ear. The right elbow should collapse as the right fist comes back from the vertical back fist position.

Now bend the left elbow so that the left fist comes back as the right fist circles around performing an outside block. The left fist should be directly under the elbow of the right arm, and the left arm should be in the hook punch final position described above.

The entire sequence from the X-block forward should be 1--2-3-4. 22. Inside block punch - Turn 270° into a left front stance and perform an inside block. Step forward and punch. Turn 180° and inside block. Step forward and punch.

Perform this sequence with even rhythm 1--2--3--4.

Jion

23. Down Block - Look left 90° and step in that direction with the left foot into a left front stance. Fold the arms at the midpoint of the step and down block as the foot settles. Pause.

24. Dropping Blocks - Now, stepping three times as you did with the palm heel strikes, you will execute dropping blocks. Only this time, instead of stepping, you will also raise and drop your feet. Be careful how you do this. Do not raise the knee and then swing it around to drop. Rather, pivot the hips to front, raise the knee as if you were going to perform a front snap kick, and then continue the pivoting action as you lower the leg. That way, the knee will travel an under-curved course instead of an over-curved course, allowing you do bring the knee up strongly and snap it back down extremely quickly - which is your goal. Up and down quickly and strong.

As you raise the knee, move the down block fist to cover the groin. Raise the right arm so that the elbow is nearly straight and the fist points upward, and then snap the arm back down immediately in synch with the knee's movements. Up with the knee, down with the knee. When you complete the block the palm should be inward on the right fist, and the arm should be in that same position it was in for the hook punch.

Repeat this twice more, and be careful to move the blocking hand into position to protect the groin as you step. 25. About Three Step Rhythm - The palm heel strikes and the dropping blocks are both examples of repeating a single technique three times in a row. When you do there are two possible rhythms allowed: even rhythm and enhanced. The even rhythm stepping is 1--2--3. The enhanced rhythm is more like 1---2-3. Tournament performers tend toward the second rhythm as of this writing. 26. Pull and Stab Slow - Turn 270° into a horse riding stance, and reach across your body with your right hand as if grabbing opponent. Arc the hand up over the head and bring it down. Slowly and powerfully punch to the side with the left arm while drawing the right fist to a position directly in front of the right breast with the palm down.

27. Pull and Stab Fast -Pivot 180° so that you are looking over your right shoulder (don't move the feet), chambering the right fist at your hip as you reach over and across with the left arm. Perform this part of the motion very slowly, and then suddenly pull and punch with the right fist as you shift to the right six inches. Punch quickly and kiai. 28. Finish - Stand up by lifting and moving the right foot to a position next to the left foot. Return your hands to the fist in hand position from the beginning.