Nijushiho

Sochin

Nijushi means "24." Ho can mean "direction", "side", "part", "walk", and "step." Since there are exactly 24 steps within the kata, it is generally believed that Nijushiho was named for the number of steps in the kata. "Twenty-four Steps" is a good translation of Nijushiho. "Twentyfour Directions" is another acceptable interpretation. "Twenty-four Parts" is also thought provoking as is "Twenty-fourth Step."

The original Okinawan name for Nijushiho is Niseishi. Numbers hold different names in Okinawa from their Japanese Mainland counterparts, so the name doesn't translate any

differently on Okinawa other than not having the word "step" at the end. There are apparently two Niseishi kata that have migrated from ancient times to the modern day, one which has nothing to do with Shotokan's Nijushiho. Nijushiho is commonly referred to as an Arakaki kata. The Shito-Ryu Niseishi is virtually identical to the Shotokan version. Mabuni, son of the founder of Shito-Ryu, has said that his dad learned the kata from Kanryo Higaonna. Higaonna picked up the kata from Seisho Arakaki.

弐十四方

Nijushiho – “24 Steps” or “24 Directions”

Nijushiho

The kata is different from the other Shito-Ryu kata attributed to Arakaki Seisho such as Sochin and Unshu in that it lacks the "Arakaki trademark" of the double outward blocks from cat stance, reverse hand thrusts while stepping forward three times. These techniques were apparently removed from the Shotokan version of Sochin when it was ported over by Funakoshi's son. However, the Ryuei Ryu version of Niseishi (similar to the Shito) has them. That would mean that these three kata descend through Shito-Ryu to Shotokan together from the same source, Arakaki Seisho.

The Shito-Ryu version is more than likely the precursor to the Shotokan version.

About Translation of Japanese

The process through which Japanese words are translated has been systemized to a fine art from ancient times. The best way to translate is to pull from a foreign language and then express in your own native tongue what is being said. If you get confused, a native can help you understand the concept behind a word or phrase. However, a native speaker cannot and should not attempt to push translations towards a foreign language. The result is always a disaster, and is probably the reason that some people think that Bassai means "To Penetrate a Fortress." In fact, the problem of Japanese thinking that they can successfully push their words into a native-quality English translation is probably the source of most of the confusion that exists in Shotokan Karate where the meanings of terms are concerned. It would be best if they would submit to having their works written in Japanese and then translated into English by someone not only fluent in English, but with a literary level of writing skill.

This name of this kata cannot be interpreted to mean "Twenty-four Fighting Chickens Marching Towards Victory." In fact, that is where my nick-name was born: One of my friends was claiming that Nijushiho meant "Twenty Four Steps Marching Towards Victory," and I pointed out that the words marching, towards, and victory were not present, therefore the kata name could not mean that. At this point, a squabble ensued, and my friend retorted that my translation could not be the only one allowed, and that I should be more tolerant. The problem with that argument is that if translation ever becomes completely subjective, then the word loses meaning and translation, as well as ordinary conversation, becomes impossible.

Who's Been Mucking With My Kata?

Nijushiho contains two side thrust kicks that modern kata experts are claiming are recent inventions. In fact, when laying blame for the existence of these two kicks, fingers generally point to Asai Tetsuhiko, former Technical Director of the Japan Karate Association. Asai is now leader of his own break-away faction of Shotokan instructors. Originally, these two techniques were knee lifts. Films from the early 1950's and late 1940's show Obata Isao, one of the founding instructors of a large athletic association, performing Nijushiho without performing any side thrust kicks. He lifts his knee straight up without kicking.

Because of the recent revelation of this by the publication of the old films of Funakoshi's classes, some American instructors have stopped performing the kicks, and have returned to performing the knee lifts. Their reasoning is that the kicks ruin the distancing for the applications of the hand techniques surrounding the knee lifts. These instructors feel that the hand techniques are close distance techniques and that kicking at that point would be quite impossible to explain. Nijushiho, at some point, has come under someone's influence in recent years.

Nijushiho

In the older Ryuei Ryu version of the kata, the kicks are complete turns to face the side and front kick without anything performed to the side at all.

It is interesting to note that there are no official documents about Shotokan in which instructors assume responsibility for deliberately modifying the kata. For example, nowhere in the Best Karate series does Nakayama tell the story of how the Gojushiho kata changed names, and yet there is an interesting story there according to rumors. Likewise, Asai is not given credit for his modifications either. Given the Japanese propensity for accepting responsibility for their actions, it is surprising that no blame is laid at anyone's feet and no credit is ever given to anyone for having influenced the kata. Apparently, the goal of some Karate organizations is to pretend that the kata we have today have always been this way, and are perfectly preserved. This is not unusual behavior for humans, as we also have certain books we look to for wisdom which we steadfastly refuse to believe have been edited or otherwise tinkered with so that they do not say the same thing today that they did in the past.

Nijushiho is another of the kata taken from Shito-Ryu, heavily modified, which no longer can be considered a Goju-Ryu style kata, but which has it's roots in the Naha city system.

Directions

1. Natural Stance - The initial posture for this kata is the natural stance, just like the

Heian kata.

2. Drag and Drop - Step back into a back stance with right foot. Step very far and drag front foot back about 6 inches as well. With your left hand, execute a pressing-down block by shaping your left arm as if for a hook punch. Open the hand and face it palm downward. Reach far forward with the left hand, and then bring it backward as your stance slides into place. 3. Pull and Poke - Shift forward six inches by lifting the front foot and pushing off with the right leg. As you do this, leave the left arm in place and punch with the right fist. You'll have to twist at the waist or collapse your stance. I prefer to leave my stance intact and twist at the waist.

4. An Elbow for an Eye - Shift forward as before, but this time, shift into an hourglass stance with the feet about one foot width apart. Begin the technique explosively, but finish by using tremendous tension while moving very slowly. This technique suddenly slows down at the very end. The elbow isn't really at eye level.

Shoot it out at just below shoulder level.

This sequence of three techniques is more interesting if you move the initial block from the left hand to the right hand. Think of the right hand as grabbing the wrist, and the left as pressing on the opponent's elbow. When you punch, you'll want to do it over your hand, not under, but this makes the elbow fit in very nicely as you pull your opponent's arm further in and drive the elbow into his armpit as you pull his arm with your right hand. 5. Swirl and Turn - Turn by pivoting to the rear on your left foot. As you pivot, open both arms wide with the hands open. Raise them upward and around you in a circle until they cross in front of you at the wrists, then pull back strongly to make two draw

Nijushiho

arms. This techniques actually uses increasing speed as you go through it, which is a little backward from most slow techniques which utilize increasing tension. 6. U Punch - Using both fists, punch right fist over left. The right fist punches at chin height, the left fist punches under-handed at the middle level. Perform the punching action immediately following the chambering action above. 7. What Goes Up - Raise the right knee into the chest. Simultaneously pull both forearms up in front of the face with the palm sides of the fists inward to the face. The elbows should be touching as should the fists, and the elbows should be at a 90° angle. 8. Must Come Down - Set the foot down in front of you in a front stance, and slowly wedge block with both hands. Some people prefer to cross their arms quickly just as they begin the blocking action, rather than simply parting their arms and turning the fists over.

9. Block and Elbow - Pivot to the left and raise the right arm up in an open-hand so that it takes the shape of an upper level rising block. Step with the left foot in that direction so that it becomes the front leg in a front stance, and then upper level rising block for real with the left arm. Immediately follow up the rising block with a rising, undercut elbow strike. The fist should be in a vertical position for this strike, as if hitting the underside of the opponent's chin. The right fist finishes next to the right ear.

10. Swords, Legs, and Punches - Pivot on the left foot and shift the right foot back a little so that you assume a horse riding stance. Look to the rear, which now becomes the right side as you pivot, and sweep the right hand in a round shape from left to right in a vertical sword hand block. Decelerate the block as it reaches its maximum extension. As soon as the block is complete, raise the right knee to throw a right side thrust kick to the level of your armpit. As you extend the foot from the chambered position (don't pause), pull the right fist to the right hip strongly. After kicking, set the right foot back into the chamber, and then down on the floor into a horse riding stance again. As the foot lowers, punch with the left arm. Straighten the left elbow, don't hook punch, and twist at the waist. Be careful not to collapse the left leg of the stance as you punch. 11. Repeat Again - Repeat the above three techniques again to the mirror side without shifting or altering the positioning. 12. Round Block - Pull the left foot back to the right so that the heels touch. Send the right foot to the left 45° angle so that it becomes the front foot of a new front stance.

The right fist, still hanging from having punched in the previous set of techniques, should be flipped over so that the palm heel is turned up and the back of the bent wrist is used as a hooking block moving downward. The left hand, also in a palm heel, strikes slowly from overhead as the torso leans into this technique. The finishing posture is something like the Mountain Punch of Bassai Dai, however, the hands are in palm heel postures. The hips should be turned to the side during this technique.

This technique is performed with great swiftness during the leg exchange and the first half of the right handed block, but the second half of the technique, where the

Nijushiho

right hand finishes blocking and the left joins in to strike from above, is performed with increasing tension. 13. Ridge Hand - Pivot in place using both feet to rotate to the left counter clockwise.

As you pivot, use the rotation of the body to swing a reverse side ridge hand strike to the upper level (your temple). At the same time, swing the other hand back and around behind you in a horizontal palm heel strike to the rear. 14. Smack Down - Now step the right foot up to the left so that you are standing with your feet together. Don't bend the knees visibly. Bring the left arm up in a swinging motion so that the back of the left hand smacks into the upraised palm of the right hand. Kiai on this technique. 15. Grab and Break - Step the left foot straight back into the unmovable stance and bring both open hands down and away from each other a little. The left should move as if scooping the underside of someone's lower leg as they front kick. The right should move as if striking with the open palm to the knee cap. It is important that both hands appear to focus downward at the same time as the stance settles in.

Immediately follow up with a small scale U punch with the left hand in the higher position to a 45° angle downward. Do not lean forward. Act as though you are striking the invisible leg you just grabbed. 16. Back Handed - Pivot 180° to the rear so that the right leg becomes the rear leg in a back stance. As you pivot, fold the arms quickly for an back sword hand block with slow, increasing tension. Perform the block quickly and then decelerate as it progresses. 17. Vertical Elbow - Step forward into a side-facing horse riding stance with the right foot forward. Strike upward with a vertical elbow strike so that the vertical fist of the right hand finishes next to the ear. The strike is to the upper level. Immediately chamber the right fist over the left shoulder and reach forward with the left arm to prepare for a right downward block. Think of the folding action as a lower level punch with a block accompanying it. Shift the feet toward the right foot 6 inches as you make this punching action. Throw the block as you shift toward the left foot about 6 inches by lifting the left foot and then pushing off with the right. Shift in and out quickly and immediately throwing the punch and then the block. 18. Another Back Hand - Pivot 180° and make another back stance and block with the left sword hand again as above. 19. Another Elbow, But Different - As you step into a horse riding stance, strike with the right elbow into the left palm so that the arms form a rectangle at middle level in front of the torso as in Bassai Dai. Strike downward, again as in Bassai Dai, with a single down block immediately following the elbow smash. 20. Another Back Hand -

Move the left foot in front of the right so that you take a 90° angle to the line you just traveled up and back. In a back stance, make the same vertical sword hand block.

Step in and back out with the vertical elbow strike, punch, and downward block. 21. Swirly Pull - Turn 225° to the rear to the left, and step forward with right foot into a three point stance while pulling both hands strongly back into drawn posture. Pivot

Nijushiho

on the left foot at first. As soon as the right foot is planted, move the left foot as well, shifting it to the right about one foot and forward about one foot so that it becomes the front foot of the stance.

22. U Punch - In place, punch with the right hand on the high side and the left on the middle level at the same time.

23. The Lawnmower Man - Step forward with the right foot, and back hand block with left and right hands turning them in a circle until the right hand is at the right waist and the left hand is in front of the left shoulder. This technique is extremely difficult to describe in text, but here's an attempt.

From the U punch, hook the back of the right hand using the back side of the palm heel posture. The left hand does the same. Move both hands clockwise, keeping the palm heels facing into the center of the circle your hands are describing in front of you. Once the hands are vertical with the left on top in front of the face and the right on the bottom in front of the belt knot, they are really facing to the sides now. Rotate your wrists so that they are back-end leading again as you continue around this circle of doom one more time. This time, the palm heel backside blocks (otherwise known as round blocks) never make it back to the vertical position. Instead, pull them to your sides as you draw the circle a second time. The right palm heel is drawn at the right waist; the left is drawn over-hand style at the left shoulder.

Slowly ease two palm heel strikes forward with the left hand high. Finish by drawing back the right leg into the natural stance.