Ni Sei Shi Kata - Practicing
Other Viewing Options Download larger version (WMV in a zip file) to save to your computer > |
'Twenty four'. (Okinawa). Refers to the twenty-four acupoint contacts, within the Kata. A
Karate Kata practised within numerous schools of Karate including Wado-ryu, Shito-ryu,
Sanku-kai, Ryuei-ryu, Kobayashi-ryu etc. The name of the Kata was changed by Gichin-Funikoshi, and is now known as Ni-ju-shiho (twenty four steps/moves) in Shotokan and
various other styles of Karate.
Ni - two
Sei/Ju - ten
Shi - four
Ho - walk, move
Niseishi is Chinese for the number 24. In Japanese, it translates as Nijushi, the ‘ho’ character
(in this case) means ‘move’ and hence Nijushiho translates as ‘24 moves’. The Chinese and
Japanese Kanji are identical. Chito-ryu Niseishi is not the same Kata as Niseishi from Shuri-te
lineage styles; even the Embu-sen (stepping pattern) is different. The complete origin of
Chito-ryu Niseishi is unknown, however some pieces of our Niseishi can be found in other
Okinawan Kata. Some Goju-ryu schools, specifically those in the line of Higa Seiko (a student
of Higashionna Kanryo and later Miyagi Chojun) practised a Kata they call ‘Hakutsuru’ (some
Japanese pronounce this Hakaku, in either case, it means ‘White Crane’) which contains the‘cut, front kick, slide forward, x-block, back to square stance, ridge hand strike, repeat’
sequence. It seems that Seiko Higa obtained this Hakaku Kata from Gokenki (1886-1940),
the Chinese tea merchant who taught Bai He Gungfu (White Crane Kung-fu) in Okinawa from
1912/13 until his death.
For further information please view the Niseishi Instructional Video page.