An Unusual but Familiar Kata

[Wastelander]

Hello everyone,

A little over a month ago, we had a KishimotoDi practitioner spend 10 days teaching us a little of his system. It's a rare style of old-school karate (Shuri-Te, specifically) that most people haven't even heard of, so we were thrilled to get the opportunity! There is a lot that is familiar, but because it's a style of Te, rather than modern karate, it has some strange aspects to it, as well. I thought some people here might be interested to see the differences and do a bit of comparison.

Here is the version of Naihanchi Shodan we practice at my dojo, which is the most popular version of this kata:

Here is the KishimotoDi version of Naihanchi (they only have one Naihanchi kata), which looks familiar, and yet strange at the same time:

And to see a little bit of Tachimura no Naihanchi (what they call their version) in action, here is a snippet of a drill we did during his seminar:

[Wado Heretic]

Thank you for posting this, I must say it is a distinct kata and worth watching. Some questions if you can answer them;

1. The dropping and raising appears similar to some Xing Yi Quan principles and similar movements appear in kata derived from Bái Hè Quán. Do you know of any historical connections between the origins of this naihanchi and those systems?

2. Is there significant use or any emphasis on pelvic alignment or transitions to generate power?

3. Is the significance of the one knuckle strikes considered relative to a percussive or grip based outcome?

Thanks again, and thank you for posting the kata.

[Wastelander]

Thank you for posting this, I must say it is a distinct kata and worth watching. Some questions if you can answer them;

1. The dropping and raising appears similar to some Xing Yi Quan principles and similar movements appear in kata derived from Bái Hè Quán. Do you know of any historical connections between the origins of this naihanchi and those systems?

2. Is there significant use or any emphasis on pelvic alignment or transitions to generate power?

3. Is the significance of the one knuckle strikes considered relative to a percussive or grip based outcome?

Thanks again, and thank you for posting the kata.

I'm far from a master of KishimotoDi, but I'll do my best to answer your questions!

1. This system traces back to "Tode" Sakugawa Kanga, so we know that Naihanchi has existed at least since his lifetime. Unfortunately, we have no written documentation that explains where the material came from before that. It is most certainly possible that Sakugawa, in his capacity as a Satunushi, would have traveled to China and been influenced by the martial arts he saw there. I am aware of several theories about the origins of Naihanchi, but none of them actually fit very well, in my experience. Lately, there have been many claims that Naihanchi came directly from a Chinese form called Daipochin, but I don't see a connection between them. Honestly, the closest I have seen is some Northern Long Fist material, and even then I have never seen a form that looks like it would have been an ancestor to Naihanchi. More likely, it was a combination of Okinawan and Chinese methods, and never came directly from a Chinese form, to begin with.

2. No--all power generation in KishimotoDi is done by twisting at the waist, dropping at the knees, or stepping into your attack. Unlike what we consider "traditional karate" today, there is no "koshi" used to drive techniques. While this runs counter to what we have always been taught, it is quite clearly stated in old writings by Motobu and Mabuni that twisting at the waist is the method Naihanchi is intended to use. It takes some getting used to! The system is much "softer" than modern karate.

3. The one-knuckle strike, to the best of my knowledge, was the favorite striking method of Kishimoto Soko, whom the system is named for. For application, it doesn't actually matter what striking tool you use, because they look at it like the tip of an arrow or spear--what tip you use is dependent on what your target it and how it is being protected by your opponent. As far as the applications I have been taught, so far, the ones that utilize the one-knuckle strike are almost always following sticky-hands-type limb control, and they are almost always targeted at the pressure point on the upper-lip below the nose, or at the eye.

I hope that helps!

[CredoTe]

...

2. No--all power generation in KishimotoDi is done by twisting at the waist, dropping at the knees, or stepping into your attack. Unlike what we consider "traditional karate" today, there is no "koshi" used to drive techniques. While this runs counter to what we have always been taught, it is quite clearly stated in old writings by Motobu and Mabuni that twisting at the waist is the method Naihanchi is intended to use. It takes some getting used to! The system is much "softer" than modern karate.

...

This is actually the basis for Gamaku (power generation) from Ti in general, and one of the primary purposes of Naihanchi kata is to develop this concept (in addition to the fighting applications in the kata). There are a few good points of Ti shown in the kata/drills you shared, which makes sense since KishimotoDi spelled out would be Kishimoto no Ti (Kishimoto's Ti).

Essentially, hips (koshi) are a part of the waist area and are used to connect the lower part of your trunk (below the navel) to the upper part (above the navel) in a centrifuge-like rotation. The glutes connect the centrifuge above with your legs below, thus connecting your power generation to the earth through your legs. When we train our Gamaku, one hip pushes while the other pulls, during which ALL of the the muscles from the earth up to the top of the centrifuge are tightened, thus allowing the entire body to be used in power generation instead of just hips. However, rather than describe the movements of Gamaku as "soft", I would say they are small, precise, and powerful, executed like a spring-loaded chain with an iron ball at the end.

When hips are turned really well but without connecting them to the rest of the body, then a student develops what we call "swingy" hips. Their hips turn really big, but nothing behind them. Looks like power, especially in tournaments, but is not really.

In my experience of Ti, the dropping motions you showed apply to Tenshin (body positioning / footwork) to gain an advantage on your opponent while simultaneously defending and attacking, all with Gamaku.

[Wado Heretic]

Thank you for your swift reply.

1. My own research concurs with such supposition. I have been unable to find a direct ancestor of Naihanchi within Chinese systems. However, I must say, if one were to base a Chinese influence on appearance the KishimotoDi variation appears to have a greater southern influence, in comparison to the more popular variation of Naihanchi which does appear to have a northern influence. Perhaps this is down to the influence of Japanese thinking on the more homogenous traditions deriving from Itosu.

2. This I have experience with and you are right, it is a difficult transition. I must say that the branch of Shorin-Ryu I study does in fact use similar hip dynamics while the pelvis is relaxed or tightened depending on the technique used. That is what I was referring to. In most renditions of Naihanchi I have seen the pelvis is pushed forward or pinched, I take it the KishimotoDi variation keeps it relaxed so as to allow the dumping and twisting movements to flow more easily?

3. That seems congruent with most heterodox schools use of the one-knuckle technique. I have seen some weird and wonderful explanations for the technique so was curious as to what it might be in KishimotoDi way of thinking.

[sensei8]

Solid posts, all!!