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I do nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to take thought for your persons or your properties, but and chiefly to care about the greatest improvement of the soul. I tell you that virtue is not given by money, but that from virtue comes money and every other good of man, public as well as private. This is my teaching, and if this is the doctrine which corrupts the youth, I am a mischievous person.
Socrates (469 BC - 399 BC), quoted by Plato, 'The Death of Socrates' |
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Techniques -
Kata: Nijushiho
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The History of Kata Nijushiho is provided by Shihan Des Paroz Technical
Advisor of The International Budo Institute and Sensei of the
Australian Kengokai.
From the outset of this short article, I must declare a bias.
Nijushiho is quite probably my favourite kata. Although each of various
kata are wonderful in their own way, Nijushiho has something about it
that makes it special. I don’t think I am alone in this thought – in
correspondence, Kyoshi Myron Lubitsch has expressed his belief that
Nijushiho “is the quintessential Shorinjiryu kata” and that it “is
indicative of the theories of movement, timing, distancing – everything
of Shorinjiryu”! A further point is mae that when senior Shorinjiryu
teachers give a demonstration, their demonstration often consists of
this kata.
What is about Nijushiho that makes it so popular – after all it is just
another kata. Isn’t it? Lets look at the history and some possible
theories about this kata that may help us to understand it a little
more.
The word Nijushiho is made up of 4 Japanese kanji – ni (2), ju
(10), shi (4) and ho (techniques). Quite simply, the name means “24
Techniques”. These characters may also be pronounced as “Niseishi”, and
some styles utilize this pronunciation. Hanshi Hisataka (1976) provides
an alternative explanation of the name when he tells that it implies
that combinations of 2 techniques are twice as powerful (4).
Nijushiho is a kata that is contained in the syllabus of many
styles, particular Shitoryu, Shotokan and Wadoryu, as well as a number
of Okinawan Shorinryu groups. However, the vast majority of these
renditions look absolutely nothing like our Nijushiho. These
Nijushiho’s are linear, where our is angular, and none of them contain
the signature technique – nekozeken (cat back wrist). Nekozeken is an
unusual technique that can be used as a blocking technique, a striking
technique or both.
Nijushiho exists as a form used in at least one school of
Fujian Crane-Fist (McCarthy, 1995). It is unclear as to exactly how
this kata came to Okinawa, and this is an interesting area of further
research. In fact, this school of Crane-Fist also teaches a form of
Sanchin, and it would be interesting to explore this school further to
identify possible links to Shorinjiryu.
In Okinawa, most versions of Nijushiho can be traced back to a
single figure in the annals of Okinawan karate – Master Seisho Aragaki
(1840-1920). A relatively little-known figure, Aragaki is also known to
have been a major source of several other kata – notably Sanchin,
Seisan and Sochin. Aragaki was a teacher of several key figures,
including masters Kenwa Mabuni (founder of Shitoryu), Tsuyoshi Chitose
(founder of Chitoryu) and also master Kanryo Higaonna, teacher of
Chojun Miyagi (founder of Gojuryu). Our version of Nijushiho is not
traced back to any of these masters.
Instead, Hanshi Hisataka (1994) relates that our version of
Nijushiho was passed to Shinan Kori Hisataka by Master Anko Azato (c.
1828-c.1915), a contemporary of Aragaki. Supposedly, this version of
Nijushiho was enhanced by Azato to reflect techniques he had honed to
defend himself in a duel with the swordsman Yorin Kanna (Sells, 2000) –
also referred to as Toshiaki Kirino (Hisataka, c.1963; Hisataka, 1994).
Azato is a lesser known but pivotal figure in Okinawan karate history,
having himself been an upper level aristocrat (of the Peichin class),
senior government statesman, learned scholar, master of both karate and
the Jigenryu school of swordsmanship, and a noted horseman. Apart from
being an early influence on Shinan Kori Hisataka, he was the main
assistant to Sokon “Bushi” Matsumura at his dojo in the gardens of
Shuri Castle. Among other students there was Master Chotoku Kyan
(1870-1945), principle teacher of Shinan Kori Hisataka. Interestingly,
none of the other styles influenced by Kyan include Nijushiho.
So our Nijushiho, with its nekozeken and fast, angular movement
stressing evasive action over blocking, is derived from Azato. It is
unlikely we will ever know where Azato got this kata. Perhaps he and
Aragaki exchanged technique, a feasible scenario for two aristocratic
government officials. Perhaps they both learned it from another source.
Perhaps it was a common kata among Okinawan masters of their time.
This also explains why our Nijushiho is different from most
other styles – ours is based on one that has evolved from Azato, whilst
that used in Shitoryu, Shorinryu and other schools traces back to
Aragaki. What has puzzled me, however, is why the version in Shotokan is unlike
our Nijushiho. The founder of Shotokan, Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957)
was a student of Azato, and never studied with Aragaki. Given this, you
would think that the Shotokan version would at least resemble ours.
Cook (2001) relates a story that apparently Funakoshi may have
forgotten a number of kata, specifically including Nijushiho. In an
effort not to lose the original teachings, Funakoshi sent his son, Gigo
Funakoshi, Masatoshi Nakayama and several other senior students to
Osaka in around 1927-28 to learn several kata from Kenwa Mabuni. As
we’ve seen already, Mabuni was a student of Aragaki, thus explaining
why the Shotokan version resembles that of Shitoryu.
This is further backed up by Chambers (date unknown), who tells
us that the kata (re-)learnt from Mabuni included Rohai, Wankan,
Nijushiho and Sochin, among others. Chambers goes on to describe that
the form of Shotokan Nijushiho was further modified by Gigo Funakoshi
and his contemporaries to include several side kicks and other
techniques not present in the original form.
Interestingly, Hanshi Hisataka has of recent years been demonstrating a
version of Nijushiho with a similar form as the Shotokan one. This he
refers to as Kudaka no Nijushiho, suggesting the possibility that
perhaps that form of the kata is traced back to the Kudaka (Hisataka)
family. Outside of the Kenkokan group, this version of Nijushiho does
not appear to be practiced in Shorinjiryu.
Sells (2000) tells of the existence of at least two other forms
of Nijushiho – a longer “Okinawan Nijushiho”, and the short
“Niseishi-sho” of Chitoryu. I personally have yet to see these two
kata, so cannot comment as to whether either is related to our form.
So we can see that Nijushiho has an interesting and colourful
history. Next time you compare our version with another stylist,
hopefully the above will serve to help you explain why ours is
different.
The Shorinjiryu Nijushiho was one of the original five kata
emphasised by Shinan Kori Hisataka (1907-1988), along with Sanchin,
Naihanchin, Chinto and Kusanku. Of these, it is the only one not
depicted in his c. 1963 book. According to Hisataka (1994), Shinan
chose Sanchin, Naihanchin and Nijushiho as the basic kata, as they
emphasise three directions – linear (Sanchin), lateral (Naihanchin) and
angular (Nijushiho).
Clearly Nijushiho is well suited to the task of relating
angular fighting strategies. Various open leg step (hiraki ashi) and
cross-legged (kosa ashi) movements are utilised to move around the
imaginary opponent, and many of the techniques emphasise getting inside
the opponents attack to negate the technique. Presumably this strategy
is derived from Azato’s applications against a swordsman, where it
would be necessary to kill the effectiveness of the long range weapon
by getting inside its effective range.
As a matter of interest, the sai kata practiced by many
Shorinjiryu schools (and depicted in Scientific Karatedo) is commonly
just referred to as Sai no Kata. However, it appears that Shinan
referred to this kata as Nijushiho no Sai. Close investigation of the
two forms will bring many similarities to light, and it becomes obvious
that the two are originally the same. By depicting Nijushiho no Sai in
his c.1963 book, Shinan filled the gap left by not including Nijushiho
with the other forms.
Nijushiho is unique among all Shorinjiryu kata, and the
Shorinjiryu version is unique among all kata in general. It is at the
same time graceful and fast, and gives insight into evasion, angles,
and killing the techniques attempted by an opponent. Nijushiho is a
kata that should be studied in great depth by all practitioners of
Shorinjiryu, as it contains so many of the essential elements of our
style.
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