N E I H A N C H I A HALF-CENTURY MUSING ON

THE KATA OF OKINAWA By

HayashiTomio,ShifuIdonotspeakOkinawan,JapaneseorChinesebutIamveryfluentinacertainkindofforeign language—KATA, specifically thedialectof thephysicalmovementpatternsofOkinawanKarate.Ihavebeenspeakingthislanguageforfiftyyearsandteachingothershowtobecomeversedinitswaysforoverfour-and-a-halfdecades.When asked what drewme into the study of Okinawan karate; self-defense, fitness,competition, etc.,my answer has always been straightforward—Kata. I did not knowwhy the fighting forms of Asia compelled me such that I made their study my life’scareer.Intruth,IhadnoideawhatOkinawankaratekatahadtooffermeinthoseearlydays.IonlyknewIjusthadtodoit.Over the past five decadesmy kata have undergone significant evolutions. Butmoreimportant thanmy level of performance,myability tomimicmy teacher’s forms,myprowess in memorization, or the quantity of kata acquired, has been my insatiable

desiretounearththereasonsfortheexactcompositionofeachoftheengagingfightingchoreographies of Isshinryu. Going beyond my own initial understanding is whatmattersmosttomeanddefinesreallearning.Fornoneofuscanseebeyondthelimitsof our ownminds, sowhenwe succeed at such,wheneverwe can expandour initialvisionofasubjectlikemartialkata,Ihavefoundthatqualityalonevitalizing,relativizing,andanchoringourmartialskillsinthepresent.InthisessayIwillsharemyobservationsoftheNeihanchikataoftheIsshinKempoandIsshinryu systems. For those unfamiliar with the former style, Isshin Kempo wasdevelopedin1970bytheEastCoastkarateexpert,WilliamScottRussell.IsshinKempowas an outgrowth of his study of Isshinryu. This system, which I have headed sinceRussell’spassingin2000,canbeconsideredIsshinryu’sInternalsisterart.Weutilizeallthe Isshinryu kata of Tatsuo Shimabuku but perform each under the light of Kikoprinciplesinherentintheirstructure.ThemainstreamIsshinryucommunityisnotawareofthis leveloftechnique.Weconsiderthispracticeanart-within-an-art,andscarce inmodernmartialculture.BeforeIdiscussKikoanditsrelevancetoOkinawankata,andspecificallytoNeihanchi,I‘dliketosharemylearningcurveregardingkaratekata,beginningwithmyintroductionto the fighting dances of Okinawa in 1968, so you understand how I arrived at mycurrentlevelofkataawareness.In 1968, I was a skinny, seventeen year old, standing in a large, airy, high-ceilinged,pioneeringmartial studio, clad in a drafty pair of way too short, unbleached, twelvedollar,cottonpajamas.Ihadqueuedupalongsideagroupofotheryoungkadetsforourfirst,‘ThisisKarate’class.SomewhereinthehazeofthatfirstyearofhardphysicaltrainingIwastaughtaForm;aprecise, multi-move pattern consisting of staccato-like kicks, punches, blocks andstances.Theexercisefeltlikeamythickarateballet,theepitomeofasavagecombatartrefinedtoitsquintessentialessence—killing.Killingexpeditiously,killingartfully.Atleastthatwas the imaginativedramaplaying inmyheadas I swungmyarmsand legs likehumankatanaagainstinvisiblethreats.

Atiny%ofpeopleintheU.S.

willeverseriouslystudytheNeihanchikataIhadnoawarenessofspecificfightingstylesorsystemsofmartialartsbackthen.Asfaras I was concerned the karate I was practicing on this second floor, East Coast,pioneering suburban dojowas the karate the entireworldwas practicing, and kata, Iwas told,wasamajorpartofmykarate training.Wedidn’tquestionour senseibackthen anymore thanwequestionedour regular education teachers. As neophyteswedidn't know what to ask and even if we did, word got around quickly that directlyqueryingyoursensei,especiallyaboutyourrank,couldgetyouapunitiveyear’sextraextensionofyourcurrentrank.WecanthankthemilitaryculturesofbothJapanandtheU.S. forthatkindofauthoritarianattitude.Sowetrained likeunquestioning,obedientsuburbansoldiers inanalluringandexoticart thatwedidn’tunderstandbut couldn’twaittoolearn.Oursenseipointedandwejumpedthroughourmartialhoops,assumingkarate’spowerswouldbeconveyedfromsenseitoseitobyblindfaithandsweatalone.Myearliestdaysofkatatrainingwereonlytodowithoutquestion,anddohardandlongenoughuntilIreceivedmysensei’snodofaffirmationandwasawardedanothercoloredwaistnapkintocatchtheheavysweatrollingdownmytorsoonmyself-enduringquesttokaratemastery.

KataBunkaiMysecondintroductiontothemanyfacesofkataworkcamethroughwhatourschoolsomewhat mislabeled the shobu (duel/match). These were prearranged, situation-based,attack/defend/counterdrills,whatwenowunderstandasprearrangedkumite—anexchange,rehearsedmini-matches.Oneofuswouldattackandtheotherrituallyslayourattackerinahighlycontrolledtechnicalenvironment.Weweretoldwhattoattackwithandhowtodefend.Inthemid-1960-70’sthesedrillsformedthebreadandbutterof applied karate technique. Moves of a kata could be individually excised from the

whole and drilled in a repetitive tori/uke relationship. However, while training from1968-1975notoneofmythreeprimarysenseieverofferedconcreteapplicationofanykata frombeginning toend.During this timeperiod inAmericankaratehistory itwasuncommon to find dojos that systematically applied an entire kata to real-lifeencounters. The teachers often cited that solo Kata was simply part of ‘Traditional’karatetraining.Period.As the martial arts exploded on U.S. soil, so did the fascination to gain deeperunderstandingoftheprinciplesinherentinourtrainingmethods.Naturally,wewantedtoknowmoreaboutthehistory,philosophyandthetechniquesofourfightingsystems.Dialogs sprouted up everywhere enhanced by emerging digital communicationtechnologiesaswesoughtabetterfootholdwithinourdisciplines.Thebiggestconundrumthatexistedformanyyoungprofessionalteachersinthe1970’swascaught inasinglequestionmadebyanastuteobserverofakarateclass.“Ifyourkataissoimportanttokaratewhyisn’titmoreevidentinyourkumite?”Anotherwaytophrasehisquestion;‘wheredoeskatashowitselfrelevantinreal-lifeexchanges?’Forit wasn't hard to see that the way we practiced kata and the way we fought wasradicallydissimilar.Thiswould beginmy decades-long quest to answer this question and bridge the gapbetweentwofundamentaltrainingmodalities,kataandkumite.

One part of my puzzle got answered swiftly. Kumite in most dojos is considered‘practice fighting.’ Because of the potential liabilities from injuries, karate kumite hasnotalwaysbeenpresentedasreal fightingbutratherastaged,pseudo-actingversion.Theintenttoinjureiseitherdilutedorcompletelyabsent.Kick/punchkumitewasnever

designedasstagefighting,althoughmanyWesternadopteesmorphedtheirartstobejustthat,anadult,role-playfight.

Thatstillleftthegrandmystery.Whywerethekataconstructedpreciselythewaytheywere? What did the old world masters hope to convey in creating such dogmaticpatterns? Does every kata hold the same value or does one kata offer somethingcompletelyuniquefromanother?WastechnicalredundancycommoninkaratekataonOkinawa? I felt thesewere importantquestionstoanswer if IwasevertounderstandtheessenceofkarateForm.

I setabout to interpreteachandeverykata in the Isshinryusyllabus,drawing insightsfromavailableliterature,seminarswiththeexperts,andyearsoftrialanderrorpractice.Likemanyfirstandsecond-generationsenseiwedidn'tseean initial,naturallybuilt-inbias to our kata bunkai. Our interpretationswere predominantly ballistic, i.e. strikes,withoccasionaltakedowns.Weweregleefullytacklingallmannerofridiculousbutfunscenarios; simultaneous kick attacks on our left and right,which the kata told uswecouldeasilysweepawaywithconfident,two-handeddownwardblocks;crescent-kickingrubber knives out of our partner’s hands. Executing bold, lunging block/punchmoves(afteradjustingourattacker’sdistancesohe’dberipeforourwell-placedblows).Withhindsight, it was all a bit of oriental sleight of hand, appealingmore to our runawaytheatrical imaginations than amessy street fight. Looking back,wewere just enoughremovedfromacagey,adrenalizedbrawlthatIcanseewhyBruceLeecringedwhenheobserved Westerners trying to learn the trendy, karate line dance. Our bunkai wascertainly athletic, but itwas far afield froma sharp reality focus, andhence, in someways,ourkata-to-real-lifelinkwasdeplorablyunreal.

Kick-boxingemergedasarealitytestofmodernkarate’seffectiveness

Somewhereinthelate70’stomid-1980’s,kickboxingemergedasaprimaldesiretoseeifthiskarate‘stuff’reallyworked,andtomakeitworkbetter,ifnot.That’swhenkatabunkai began tomature and the gap between play and fight, to narrow. Therewerecertainlyschoolsthathadafirmgripontheirkata,buttheywereintheminority.Ittookthesobering,coldwaterstingoftheteleviseddefeatsbythejujitsumen,organizedbytheGraciefamilyyearslater,towakeupandshakeuptheTraditionalstrikingartistsofthe entire country to the brutality and realism of ‘anything goes’ matches. Karate’sfantasykataplaytimehadcometoasoberingcrossroad.ThemessagereadcleartotheTraditionalists—manupyourartsortheywillbeleftbehind.FormanyWesterners,Traditionalkarateheldotheralluresbesidespurefighting,whichcontinuestocommerciallysustainthesearts.Karate’smajortrendinthemid-60’s-mid-80’sallowedittodevelopstrongrootsinlocalcommunities.Addtothistheintrigueanddraw of karate’s one-punch-kill mystique that the movie media hyped, and thoseseeking an Asian philosophical sanctuary, a barefoot Zen retreat in a physical self-discipline,andyoucanseewhymanyschoolsstayinbusiness.AsmallcadreofWesternsenseisawthewritingonthewall.Traditionalkatawouldgoobsoleteifitdidn'tgetbettergrounded.Ifwecouldn’tmakeastrongercaseforwhytoperformkataother than themantra, “it’s traditional,” ifwe couldn’t drawa strongerlink to its value in a real fight then kata and thewhole traditional ‘kit and caboodle’woulddieout.

TheMostInterestingTwistItturnsoutwedidn'tneedtochangeourkata.Loandbehold!OurKatasteppeduptotheplatewhenweactuallyviewed itunderthisstark light.Wejustneededtochangethewaywewerelookingatit.Kata’sworthhadbeenthereallalong.Wehadbeentooimmature, too naive, too limited in our thinking to see its vital lessons. Kata are andwereeverybitaslethalaswefantasizedasyoungmen.Wejusthadn’tfiguredouthowto tap kata’s killer potency. And so the pendulum began to swing the otherway. Bysimplychangingourviewpointourkatabegantopresentuswithpressurepointlessons,joint-locks, grappling maneuvers, subtle energy cultivations, and a abundance ofsophisticatedanatomicalknowledgeformanipulatingbodiesinviolentembrace.Amidstthisemergingandgratifyingdiscovery,Ihadanevenmoreastoundingepiphany,a single event thatmademe realize that to this day in 2019,we still have not reallyunderstood the full face of Okinawan karate kata. That was the day Kiko principles

emergedinmyform.Itdidn'thappenallatonce.It’sbeenapainstakingprocess,whichI’vebeenengagedinforthelasttwenty-fiveyears.

WithoutKikoprinciples,thefullfaceofauthentickaratekatawillbegenerallymisunderstood

Inowbelievethateverythingmainstreammartialartistshavebeentaughtabouttheirkataislikelyhalfofitsvitallessons.Manyareinpossessionofatruncatedart,aswiseasonethinkstheyare,andascleverasonethinkstheirbunkaiis.I’ll let you decide how far you’ve come in your kata understanding as I unravel mymysteryaboutthebunkaiofNeihanchikata.

ManyNames,ManyExpressionsThere are many variations of the Neihanchi form. It can be found in the Shotokan,Shorin ryu, Shuri-Te, Wadoryu, Isshinryu, Shaolin Kempo and Kyokushin systems. Noexistingwrittenhistoricalevidenceexiststoclarifytheoriginoftheformtodate,sowemay not ever know the original intent of the form. Some believe it is ballistic-based,grappling-basedorasynthesisofthetwo.Wecanhowever,divinecertainhierarchiesof

knowledge through the form’s technical composition, which in my opinion explainsmanyofthereasonsforitsdifferentvariations.IbelievethattheNeihanchikataofIsshinryucametowesternshores‘mostly’intactinterms of conveying its full spectrum of lessons. There were likely some omissions,additions, and/or modifications to the original form by T. Shimabuku and/or by hispredecessors.Let’stakeacloselookatShimbuku’ssequencingofmoves.Readerscanhavethesamebase to viewmy form breakdown by looking at Tatsuo Shimabuku’s Neihanchi videoperformanceathttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nQLgxvgRDU.

“Fromthelate1960’s-1990’sInevercameacrossanymartialsystem

thatoffereditspractitionersastep-by-stepmethodologytointerprettheirkata.”

Tobegin,whyisShimabuku’sNeihanchi,oranymaster’sForm,constructedpreciselytheway it is?Many do not realize that the IsshinryuNeihanchi is the only variation thatinitiatesmovementtotheleft.Allotherversionsinitiatetotheright.Doesthismatter?Webelieveso,andShimabukumayhaveunderstoodtheesotericreasonwhy.

What’sInAName?

Dothevariousnamesfortheformgiveuscluestoitsworkings?Frommyvantage,verylittle,partlybecauseithasbeencalledbymorethanahalf-dozennameswithdifferent

characters and cryptic meanings: naifuanchi, naifanchi, neihanchi, naifanchin,naifunchin,andnohanchin.Theformismostwidelyknownasnai(inmytraining—nei)hanchi.Bothprefixesmean"inner,internal,insideorwithin".TheShuri-TestyleNaifunchinisbelievedtohaveemergedfromanearlierChineseformcalled Naifanchin, no longer practiced in China. The kata was a primary conditioningformintheShorinryulineageandbelievedlinkedtotheSouthernWhiteCranesystem.Thisprobablydoesn’thelpanyonesincemostwill likelyneverstudyWhiteCrane.Thiskatamay have been constructed for the same purpose as ChojunMiyagi’smodified,shortversionofSanchin,toofferstudentsatemplateuponwhichnewtechniquesandapplicationscouldbebirthed.ThegeneralunderstandingisthatthelegsarebeingconditionedinthefamiliarStraddleLegorHorsestanceusedthroughouttheform.TheHorsestance(Chinese=mabu/horsestep),nottheformal,narrowerNeihanchistanceofIsshinryu,isoneofthekata’smainfeatures.Thekata,alsoknownasHorseRidingForm,mayhavepromptedFunakoshitorenameitTekki, for ‘Iron Horse’ or ‘Iron Horseman.’ Funakoshi’s renaming however, does notexplainifhisdescriptor,Iron,revealedsomethingofthetechnicalnatureoftheform.Thewidelyacceptedinterpretationofthekata’snameasInternalDividedConflictgivesus little technical insight into the purpose of the form. We need finer historicalclarificationofwhattheOkinawansmeantby‘Internal’inthecontextoftheirkata,andwhereandwhythe‘divide’occurs?Other creative interpretations can be just as puzzlingwhen you playwith the form’svarious names; ‘Nai/Nei’ = inner/inside, Han = bend/arch/curve, Fuan =crisis/complication, complexity, Chi = set or performance, Chin = battle/conflict. Youcould get ‘inner curve performance/battle,’ or ‘internal arched set,’ ‘Inside the battlecurve,’‘Innercomplexityconflict’,etc.Intriguingideas,tosaytheleast.Funakoshi’sTekkilabelwasstraightforward.Callthekataafteritspredominantstance,theStraddleLeg/Kibadachi,andgiveitsomepanachewiththedescriptorIron.Butthewhole situation is baffling when you realize that Isshinryu’s formal description of aNeihanchistanceisnotaHorsestanceasperformedinShotokanorothersystems.An

Isshinryu-styleNeihanchistanceisashoulder-wide,feettoed-inposture.AtypicalHorsestance is considerably wider with the feet straight. Various Neihanchi forms displaystances thatappear similar but I believe this kata uses a special variation of a Horsestance,whichIwilldiscusslater.IntheIsshinKemposystemweperformtheentirekatainonestance,theformal,Isshinryu,shoulder-wideNeihanchi.Myinterpretationofthekata’snameyields;‘Aninternallycomplexperformancedividedintomultipledimensionstodealwithconflict.’Onone level it isobviousthat the ‘divide’ is thetwo,nearmirror imagehalvesof theForm.Thedescriptorinternalorinnersuggeststhedivideisbestgraspedlookingatthekata’s ‘inner’ dynamics. Unfortunately, most karate-ka don't have a clue what thismeans.Thinkofthiskataasafightingtemplatedividedintoright-side/left-sidefunctioning,andfurther divided as a north/south facing engagement. Let me explain; Neihanchi’soriginator(s) probably understood that this form, in factany kata,will have a slightlydifferent technical expressionwhenperforming it right side/left sideand facingnorthversussouth.Fewexpertshavecaughtontothiskatasubtlety.Andthisdifferenceisnotaboutwhetheroneisrightorleft-handed.How would a sensei initially teach such a kata to a student?Which way should thestudent face if technique is influenced by directionality?Where should the student’sinitialfocusbe?Theearlyteachersofthisknowledgemayhavehadaconflictwithhowbesttoteachthekatagivenitssubtletiesofdirectionalityandsidedness.It’ssafetosaythatallauthentickatahavebeengoingthroughvariousstagesofchange;evolution, evenof de-evolution.We canmake a similar analogy tohumanaging. YoumightbecalledBillyasachildandWilliamasanadult.Yourchildhoodiscertainlynotthesameasyouradulthood,andnotwopeoplewilleverperceiveyouidentically.Thisiswhy we will always have different names, different expressions and differentunderstanding for any kata. All the extant variations of Neihanchi are essentiallyoffspring,allsiredfromthesamesourcepatternandprinciples.Fixednames,notionsandtechniquescanlimitstudentsfromdelvingdeeper intotheirart. On the other hand, it can’t be ‘anything goes’ either. Unlimited comes with adifferentsetofproblems.Sowheredowestart?Ifweinterpretthekataasaninternallycomplex set, thenour first dividebeginswithhow tobest teach it in order to get its

mainpointsacross.Thesemainpointsmustbeclearlydefined.Wemustdetermine ifthe kata is to be a ballistic form, a grappling form, a pressure point kata, a chi-kungpractice, all the above, or something altogether different. Next, when we actuallypractice the Form, we can further divide the kata into two mirror sets with slightlydifferentapplicationsasaresultofinternaldistinctionsbetweentheleftandrightsidesofthebody.OneofthebiggestbonesofcontentionamongstseriousWesternprofessionalteachersofOkinawankarateisthatmanysecond-generationsenseilearnedtheirsolokataintactbutfewweretaughtadetailedmethodologyfordecipheringthem.Evenmorescarce,ifnotentirelyabsent,wereanylessonsimpartedaboutakata’sinternaldynamics.Wedogetalittlehelpwiththenamewhenwelookattheacupunctureterm,‘bend’or‘bends’,which refers to thebody’sprimary joints. In thearmthiswouldbe thewrist,elbowandshoulderjoint.Gaininganinsidepositiononanopponenttobendhisjointstoendaphysicalconflict isagoodstartforunderstandinganoverarchingpurposeforNeihanchibunkai.

ThePUSHHANDSConnectionOneofthetwomainbranchesoffightingartdevelopmentthatbeganinChinaiscalledPush-Hands(theother,bluntlyput,gloveupandfight).IfNeihanchihadoriginallybeendesigned as a basic, two-person, push-hand-styled training that explored varioussituations, includingawarenessof internalenergymanipulation,we’dhave somethingreally engaging to teach our students. The British, Shaolin Kempo expert, NathanJohnson, has done much in his published research to help us understand Okinawankata’s link toChinesepush-handdrills. PushHands exercises,moreoftenerroneously

attributed exclusively to the Soft arts like Tai Chi, allow two people to study theinterminglingofenergyfieldstobuildsensitivitytodegreesofenergyexchangesduringphysicalcontact.Keepinmindthatmostkaratesenseioffertheirstudentsrandomkataapplications and hope they can remember them should those specific circumstancesarise.As an aside, I remember being taught Seiuchin kata forty-five years ago in a Horsestance.Itlaterdawneduponmethatperhaps,theformshouldbetaughtintheSeiuchinor Shiko dachi stance afterwhich it was named. Is there a point to naming the kataSeiuchin if there is no Seiuchin stance used in the entire form? Shimabuku took thisformfromtheGojuryusystemwheretheyuseaSeiuchinstance.ButGojualsouses45degreeanglesfortheopeningmoveswhileShimabukuusesa90degreeangle.WhydidShimabukuchangeboththestanceandtheangleofperformance?In a personal interview years ago with the late AnthonyMirakian, head of SeibukanGojuryu in theU.S., thismaster flatly commented about thedifferencewithhis quip,“Shimabuku didn't knowwhat hewas doing.”My response toMirakian’s assessmentwasthatShimabukumostlikelydidknowwhathewasdoinganddemonstratedhowtheprinciplescouldbereworkedinhisversion.The point I stress is that Seisan kata utilizes Seisan stance. Sanchin emphasizes theSanchin dachi. Shouldn’t it follow that Neihanchi kata ought to use the Neihanchistance?Alright,FunakoshichangedthenametoTekki,literally,IronHorse,whichraisedanotherinterestingquestion.ArethereHorsestancesthatarenotiron?Cantherealsobe a Water Horse, a Wood Horse, a Fire Horse, an Earth Horse? The Chinese FiveElementPhases runsas a strongundercurrent inmanyChinese soft styles andmeritssome consideration here. Is there a quality to an iron Horse thatmakes this stanceunique? My research says, yes. Which brings us back to ask, what exactly is theNeihanchistance?IsitatypeofHorsestance?Whatmanydonotrealize,orseldominvestigate,arethepossiblepressuresinthefeetandknees,whichyoucancontrolwhenperformingaHorsestance,thatwilleffectyourphysicalstrength.First,astanceisnotdefinedsolelybytheplacementofone’sfeet.Astance is a whole body configuration highlighted by differing foot placements. Forexample,inaHorsestanceyoucanexertpressuretomoveyourheelsout,yourheelsin,yourballout,yourball in,theheelsofonefootoutwiththeballoftheotherfoot in,etc.Andthatisjusttheflexionofthefeet.Considertheflexionoftheknees,hips,neckand various breathing actions. These tensions will affect strength in the body’s

musculature through a subtle signaling mechanism that some speculate takes placethrough the body’s cellular communications network, the fascia system, and isenhancedbygreaterhydration.

“TwopeoplecouldbestandinginanidenticalHorseposture

andhavemarkedlydifferentoutcomes.”TherearealotofunansweredquestionsfromthegetgobeforewecanstartdecodingNeihanchi’sbunkai.Wemustcoverthisgroundfirsttoanchorimportantfightconceptsandestablisha clear valuebetween stance,movementandpower. If youdon't knowwhatyourtoolsarehowcanyoupossiblyusethemcorrectly?

SalutationOrNoSalutation?A commentator on one of my training videos remarked that in the Koryu kata (oldworld) there isnobow.Sowhat? In Isshinryu there isabow.However,most Isshinyukaratesenseidonotunderstandthechi-kungvalueofaproperreitotheiropeningkatabunkai.Thereiformanyisdonesolelyasaperfunctorysalutepriortoinitiatingaform.InShoshinNagamine’sbook,TheEssenceofOkinawanKarateDothisinsightfulmasterpresentsuswithuniquesalutatorylimbset-upsfordifferentkata.Thoughthisnotableexpert does not mention anything about chi, chi-kung or Kiko, it is obvious that totriggermaximumpower for the opening kata bunkai it is essential one organizes theStrengthChannelsappropriatelyintheboththesalutationandyoiorreadyposition.WillwehaveamarkedlossinbunkaiifwedonotbowinNeihanchi?No.Butwewon’thaveanyextragaineither.

This takes us to the opening of Neihanchi. After Shimabuku bows he lowers his twoopenhandsleftoverrightinfrontofhisgroin.Heisnotprotectinghisgroin,unlesshewantstodoitattheexpenseofbreakinghisfingers.Sowhydoeshepointhisfingertipsdown?Why ishis lefthandplacedoverhis righthand?Whynotside-by-side,or rightoverleft?Doesitmakeadifference?

“Thesmallestmovescanmakeaprofounddifferenceinstrength”

Therehavebeenmanycreativebunkaiattributedtothiskata,manyattemptstocreateapplications for the entire sequence in the order of kata flow. But very few of theseapplications, inmyopinion,offer anoverarchingpurpose for the katabeingdesignedexactlyatiswas.I’vehearditsaidmanytimesthatNeihanchi’sleg-sweepingactionwillcheckkicksorunbalanceanopponent’slegs,butthatisjustafractionoftheform.Whatis the point of thewhole kata? Is there a common theme or technical thread beingexplored?Isitreallytheperfectformforfightinginanarrowalleyway,onabridge,orwithyourbackagainstawall?Oristheformageneraltemplatewhereyougettofillinthemissingbunkaiblankswithwhatevercleversolutionsyoucanconjure?If, as it has been suggested, the Neihanchi kata was a central pillar in the Shorin-Telineage,muchlikeSanchinwasafoundationalformfortheNaha-Te lineage,shouldn'tweseeacentralthemerunningthroughtheform’sbunkai?IbelieveabasicflawexistsintheWest’sunderstandingofmostOkinawankatabunkai.This flaw is a lack of tactical explanation for a kata, rather than the randomizedresponsesmostdemonstrate.ManyexpertSenseicanshowyouthemostingeniousofapplications,hiddenthisandthat–ofcourse,manyrequirethekatamovesbepartiallyorcompletelyaltered.Ican’ttellyouhowmanytimesIhavewitnessedakata’sbunkainot matching the actual solo kata performance? This begs a big question. Was katabunkai to be interpreted differently from its solo practice? Even if a kata was to beviewedasaresource,likeadictionary,whatisthereasonforitsprecisesequencing?Forexample, one effective bunkai for Neihanchi is to turn completely sideways to anattackerapproachingfromthefrontandstrikehisneckwithapressurepointblowwiththeflatbacksideofyouropenhand.Butwedon'tseeanyturnsinthesolokata.Ifthisbunkai issoimportantwhydon'tweturninthesoloform?I’d liketohearfromotherexpertswhattheythinkthevalueoftheprecisesolokatapracticeisiftheyinterpretitsapplicationsdifferently.

Manyinstructorsalsofeelthiskindoflooseinterpretationisalibertyyou’reallowedtotake.Idisagreewiththislearningmethod—inpart.Isay‘inpart’becausemyownkataeducationhasledmetobothsidesofthekata/bunkaidebate.Onesideinsistskataisageneralblueprint,whichyou,as senseior student,have the freedomto interpretanywayyou like,as longasyoucanmakereasonablecombatsenseof it. In fact, insomeschools you‘re taught a kata then told to figure it out on your own! That’s the blindleadingtheblind,inmyopinion.Theotherargument,comingfromthebunkaiorthodoxy,suggeststhatyouorIcannotadd anything significant, that a technique or concept has been so thoroughly fleshedout, you just need to perform it with its pre-given function in mind. (Sadly, moststudents are never taught this high end, pre-given function). I initially embraced theformermethod.Itwastheonlyonepresentedtome.Butoverthedecadesmythinkingslowly shifted toward the laterwith great appreciation for Okinawan kata’s depth ofcomposition.Both points of view turn out to be valid. Both push you up the precipitous MountBunkai. Learninghasmany faces. The student’smission is tokeepbroadeninghis/herunderstandingbyanymeansavailable.Oneofthecharacteristicsoftrulyskilledkarateexperts is their ability toadapt toany circumstancewith their kata tools asaprimer.Thisissomethingthenovice,evenintermediatelevelstudentscannotdo.Adaptingtoachangingviolentterrainwithfree-flowingeffectiveresponsestakestheaveragepersonfiveyearsminimumtobeable to insertstrikesand lockseffortlessly inanopenstyle,anything-goesencounter.Kata has been greatly undervalued in Western society. This is due to a generalmisperceptionofhowtoapplyitcorrectly.First,onemustunderstandwhatakatais.Allgreat kata are multi-dimensional treatises on the nature of martial technique. Theyoutline theproperuseof thephysicalbodyasaseriesof fluid tools.Theyengagethemind/body complex to develop effective tactics. They organize and integrate thebiologicalandpsychologicalsystemsforoptimalfunctioning,andtheyrevealaninternalSubtleEnergytemplate,theformofnoform,toactivatethehighestknownprinciplesofenergytransfers.I believe that Neihanchi kata, at its best, presents us with a tactical principle that ifproperly understoodand consistently practiced,willnarrow anopponent’s optionsofresponse,makingiteasierforyoutosucceedinarealexchange,becauseyouwillhavelesschanceofa fumblewhendrawingfromasmall,precisepooloftechniquesrather

thanthementalburdenofchoosingfromanunlimitedtechnicalinventory.Also,bythiskata’spre-selectionofactions,youropponent’schoicesofreactionarealsonarrowed,giving you a greater chance of success. So, the historical rationale of this kata as asuperiormethodforfightingonabridge,inanarrowalleyway,orwithyourbackagainstthewallmaybeaWesternmisunderstandingof adeeper intent. I’d like to suggest areinterpretationofNeihanchi’spurposethatoffersusawayto‘narrow’ouropponent’soptions, putting his back against a wall, so to speak, as far as his responses areconcerned.

Neihanchi’sTacticalAgendaIf you are applyingNeihanchi using randombunkai, youwillmost likely fail in a free-styleexchange,unlessyouareaprofessional,whocanmovefluidlywithawidevarietyof techniquesandprinciples.This immediately rulesout95%of theTraditionalkaratecommunity,asmostpractitionerswillhavelessthantwoyearsexperience.IsshinKempoNeihanchiwantsyoutoengageinoneoftwo,straightforwarddefensivestrategies. Attempt a cross arm grab of one of you opponent’s arms or let youropponentattemptacrossarmgrabofoneofyourarms.Thekata’sactionstheninitiate.Thiskatabunkaiaddressesandexploresthecompromiseofbeinggrabbedwithacross-handgrip,meaning,eitheryourrightisgrabbedbyhisright,oryourleftbyhisleft,orbotharegrippedandheldcrossedinfrontofyou.This iswhythekatabeginswithyouropenhands infrontofthetorsopointingdown.Theyhavebeenpulleddownandcrossed.Thekatabeginswithyoubeingplacedinthefully compromised position—the worst-case scenario. We present Neihanchi as aninternal grappling form that offers a simple solution to the problem by using one ofthreelocks,easilymanageable,easilyapplied.Thetacticalagendaofthisformistolureyouropponent intoanarrowfight-responsecorridor,offerhimabridge toonlya fewpossibilities.Ifhetakesthebait,asyouwillseehehasbygrippingyouinthismanner,you'vegothisbackupagainstawallforendingthefight.IamnotsuggestingthisistheultimateNeihanchiinterpretationbutthisbunkaiisnearidentical toTatsuoShimabuku’sactualperformanceandmakes theFormfareasier toremember.So,westartwithourhandscompromisedandcrossedinfrontofus.Whatnext?

Ihave tobringupsomethingofa technicalmystery inShimabuku’spresentation.Youwillmostlikelymissthisdimensionunlessyou’vebeendoingandquestioningyourkatafor a long time. Time alone however, will not guarantee this training dimension willloom up. Shimabuku’s kata actions reveal Kiko principles, a layer of technique notcommonly, or openly, discussed by contemporary Okinawan masters. To understandwhythesalutatory lefthandisplacedovertheright istounderstandwhytheoptimalstepping is on a perpendicular angle to the left, as the kata suggests, with the firstcrossoverstep.Ofcourse,youcandoanythingyouwantinagrosssense,butyouwillnot be doing what we think the kata is asking us to learn based upon its precisepatterning.SowhatisitaboutKikoprinciplesthathaveusadheretoastrictpatternofmovement?

ToKiOrNotToKi?Imustdigressagaintoexplainanotheraspectofkatatogiveyoua foundationtotheabovequestion.Inmyopinion,katahasbeenbroadlydisintegratingsincetheIndustrialRevolutioninthemodernworld.ItwasdegradinginOkinawainthelate1800’sanditsbeen degrading in Western cultures since its exportation outside of Asia. Thedowngradebeganwith thecommercialization of themartial arts. Thisdowngradehasoccurredontwolevels;Technicalnuanceshavebeengraduallydisappearingfromkatatosimplifykarateforthegeneralpublic(evenmoresotodayasthekarateart isover-populatedwithchildren).FunakoshifacedasimilarissuewhenintroducingkaratetotheJapanese public in the early 1900’s. Second, Kata’s inner nature, its Kiko component,wasnotpassedalong.Toputitanotherway,themanualthatfullyexplainedhowandwhy kata’s external movements and its Kiko (internal movements) workedsynergistically was not included. Some suggest that Kata’s internal nature waspurposefullyheldbackfromWesternersaspartofaclosed-doorpolicytokeeptheartculturallypure.Iwouldsaythisispartiallytrue.Theissueismorecomplicated.IbelievethatKikowasn'tevendisseminatedby,ormadeknownto,themajorityofAsianmartialteachers either. This leaves us with amostly external art and therefore players withmiddle-of-the-road kata interpretations. These karate-ka are not mediocre by theirdesire to learn or master technique or by their athleticism, commitment or bunkaiintensity,butratherunexceptionalbyvirtueoftheir lackofpossessionofthefullkataformula. I was one of these successful but mediocre kata professors for twenty-fiveyears. I was highly effective by civil-defense standards, even exceptional by the laypublic, but run-of-the-mill by kata’s potential standards. Two mainstream karate-kaengaged in bunkai explorationwill only see to the limit of their ownmindswhat the

moves of Neihanchi might fully represent. If you don’t understandmartial Kiko yourbunkaiwillbe limited. This ishowweget suchvariety inperformanceamongst stylesand erroneous statements that one should be able to perform a kata in the mirrorversionaswell.This ismoreoftenadirectviolationofKikoprinciples ifyou think themoves should be done exactly the same.We can prove inmany cases this ismostlyincorrect.

WhatAreKikoPrinciples?KikoliterallymeansSpiritBreath.ThetermisnotbeconfusedwiththeJapanesewordKeikowhichmeans,practice.TheKikoIamreferringtoisanoldworldOkinawanmartialterm for chi-kung, in our casemartial chi-kung. Kiko is the art ofmanipulating subtlehuman energies to effect noteworthy strength changes in both yourself and/or youropponent/partner. In other words, triggering Kiko principles in your kata bunkai canmake you markedly stronger and your partner significantly weaker. From my campalone,wehaveover twenty-fiveyearsof researchconducting thousandsof testswithstudents of all ages and from multiple styles demonstrating these principles withrepeatedsuccesses.Evenmoreso‘says,’i.e.suggests,theactualpatternsoftheprimarykataofOkinawa.Kiko is different from simply ‘being strong’ or gains from bio-mechanically-inducedstrength training. Strength isnota constantvariablebut canwildly fluctuatewith theflowofKi intothemuscles,whichyoucancontrol.Yourbicep isonlyasstrongas theenergyyoucanbringintoanddischargefromit.Ifthenervestothebicepareseveredthe muscle cannot contract. Likewise, without Kiko principles activated, I mightcompletely fail tobreakoutof a two-handedgrip.WithKikoproperlyapplied Imightescapeeffortlessly.Thisobservationalonehasmadethesubjectworthinvestigating.

LeverageIsNotTheOnlyKey.Sometimes‘Ki’IsKey!Therearemanybiomechanicalleveragingandtimingtricksthatcangiveakarate-kaanadvantageinapplyingorescapingfromgripsandlocks.Kikoisanenhancement,notareplacement, for thosetricksandbasicskills.Kikorepresentsa finer layerof technicalstudy.Sohereyouarewithyourhandscompromisedandthefirstmovementthekataoffersissteppingleftwithyourrightfootoveryourleftfoot.Youdonotstepintoareversecat

stance.Youdonotarcyourfootwideinfrontofyourleftfoottoavoidit,norliftithigh.YousteprightoverthearchofyourleftfootandthenmoveyourleftfootbyliftingandflippingituptoyourkneeheightpassingyourankleinfrontofyourrightlegandplacingitdownintoaNeihanchistance.IsNeihanchiatoed-in,high(narrow)hybridHorsestance?AfteraquickperusalontheInternet,it’scleartoseethedisagreementastowhatdefinesthisstancespecificallyasNeihanchi. The manner in which you go into a stance is as important as the staticposture itself.Howdoyou toe-in?Doyou turnyour toes inward,ormoveyourheelsoutward?ThesearetwoverydifferentKikoactionswithdistinctlydifferentoutcomes.Thecorrectmethodistoturnyourheelsoutward.Is Neihanchi a Horse stance as other styles demonstrate? If so, Neihanchi may be adistinctlydifferentkindofHorsestancefroma‘common’Horsestance.IdefineatypicalHorsestanceasone-and-a-halftimesshoulderwidthwithfeetstraight,kneesbentandpressingoutward.IdefineaNeihanchi-styleHorsestanceasone-and-a-quartershoulderwidthapartwiththefeetstraightbutwiththetoespullinginward.Sowhyarewemovingtotheleftversustheright?Whatpossiblesituationmightoccurinwhichwewouldhavetostepthisway?Whynotstepbackorforward?Doesitmatterwhichdirectionweinitiateourfootwork?

DirectionmattersMy observation is thatmostOkinawan katamove in the direction best supported byKiko principles, specificallywhen considering the offensive actions of an opponent inclose proximity. Think of it asmovingwith an invisible tide. In this case,wewant tomoveinsyncwithanintrinsic,electro-magneticfieldflowgeneratedby,andcomingoff,eachperson.InSeisankataofIsshinryuthatdirectioninitiateswithaleftfootforward;inSanchinkata,rightfootforward.InSeiuchinkata,itisrightfootforward‘if’youstepdiagonallyasdone inGojuryu.Acleverchallenge to this theorymightbe topointout

that inShotokan’sTekkiShodan,youmovetotheright first.Butthiscrossoverstep isdone in awider stance, an Iron Horse stance, not the narrowerNeihanchi dachi. Thenarrowertoed-inNeihanchiandIronHorsestancesaresynonymousonlybyadherenceto Kiko principles not by identical posturing. Frommy personal experience there is aproportionalwidththatdefinestheNeihanchi/IronHorse—astanceformulawherethelegwidthcanvarybuttheprinciplesremainsthesamewithnuancedtensionsapplied.Thisiswhyyoucanhaveanarrow,toed-instanceandanIronHorsesstance,ashoulderandaquarterwidthwithtoesin,andgetthesameresults.ConsistentwithboththeIsshinryu,Shotokan,andothervariants,thereisalsonosimilarfirststepacrosswhenrepeatingtheformontheoppositeside,i.e.startingthesecondhalfofthekata.TheShotokanTekkialsoavailsitselfofKikoprinciples,theprimaryonebeing that sidedness is energetically differentwhen executingmartial technique rightversusleft.Thisiswhydoinganexactmirrorimageofakatawilloftenbefundamentallywrong.And thiswouldnotbeapparentunless specific testsweregiven to showyourdeclineinstrengthwhenyouviolateKikoprinciples.Butagain,wereachanothertrickyoverpass. Playing my own devil’s advocate, I could point out that there are manyinstanceswhereakata’smovementpatternsarerepeatedontheoppositesideorintheoppositedirection.Sowhatgives?

OurBunkaiWatersAreGettingMurkierIbelievemoststudentsandtheirteacherswillneverfindthedefinitiveanswerfortheleft-movingdirectionoftheIsshinryuNeihanchiunlesstheyunderstandKikoprinciples.Bodyenergy flowsdifferently throughour leftand right sides. Themeridiansmaybebilaterally locatedbuttheir individualconductivityvariesgreatly.Energyflowsbroadlyouttherightsideofthehumanbodyandinthroughtheleftside.Byinitiatingourstepto the leftwe pull energy from the opponent’s right side into us. Think of amagnet(you) drawing iron filings (opponent), only the whole process is happening on anunconsciousand invisibleplane. Inaddition, thispullwillonly takeplaceeffectively ifyoumovehorizontallyandstayrelaxed.Ifyousteptotheleftforwarddiagonalyouwillmarkedlyincreaseanopponent’sgripstrengthandmaynotbeabletobreaktheholdatall.Andifyousteptoofartothelefthorizontally,thedrawmayalsonotwork.

IfyouthinkKikoisoverkillondetail,considerhowlongittakestheaveragepersonjusttomasterasingleroundhousekick.

The element of surprise will always work in favor of the applicator with or withoutawarenessofKikoprinciplesandshouldnotbeusedasevidenceofthelackofnecessityforthishigh-endpractice.Also,working inour favor is the leveragingaidofputting theopponent’sarmsoutofalignment by making him cross his own centerline when we step to the left whiletwistinghisrightwrist.Thisreducesanyfurtherthreatfromhisrightarm.Wewanttheopponenttoholdlongenoughforustoreversethegrip(s)onhim.

I’dliketomakeacasethatthisbunkaiinNeihanchiteachestheproperuseofanoverhandgriptotieupourpartner.Youmustrotateyourpalmupfirstbeforeyougrab.Ourgoalthenistoreversethesituationofourcompromisedhands,andinsteadlockupbothouropponent’sarms,narrowinghisresponses,renderinghimincapableofstrikingback.Therearesomanyfacetsthatneedtobefleshedouttofullyunderstandtheworkingsof internal energies in kata that it often takes one being an intelligent and advancedkaratepractitionertoabsorbthem.NowIwouldliketodiscussanoddphenomenonthatexistsinmanyschools.ItisoneofthereasonswhyyoumightneverseeKikoprinciplesatplay.Let’scallitthe‘dojodrift’.Ratherthandojoparticipantsgettingaclearerviewoftheirkaratetechnique,askewedrealityformsasaresultofagroup-consciouscollaborationtomakethetechniqueworkinalessthanrealway.Itcangolikethis;Iknowmypartnerisgoingtoputmeinanarmbar.Heappearstobedoingtoitcorrectly,soIamgoingtosubtlycomplywithhismove,since it hurts anyway. An entire school can be lulled into this group technical self-hypnosis.Oneextremeexamplewasofa Japanesemasterwhoclaimed tobeable totossmostofhisclassaboutwithouttouchingthem.Studentsapproachinghimwouldallgoflyingwilly-nillythroughtheairasifhittingasupermagneticfield.Buthecouldn'tdoittoanyoneoutsideofhisdojo!Thisissimilartothewayamentalistworks.Theypickthemostsuggestiblesubjectswithahighlikelihoodofsuccess.Thesamephenomenoncan easily happen in a karate dojo. Eventually, the senior line consists of the mostsusceptiblefollowers.

SpinningTheRingsTheopeningfootwork inNeihanchirevealsaKikoprinciplewecallSpinningtheRings.Electro-magnetism possesses two general qualities; electronsmove linearlywhile the

magneticfieldrotates.Weeffecttherotationofthemagneticfieldsofthebodywhenwecrossany limbs. Imagine thatyour left leghasan invisible, suspendedringaroundyourankle,whichwe‘friction-kick’whenwestepwithourrightfootacrossit.Whenarightfootstepsfrontallyacrossaleftfootitcausestheleftleg’sring(magneticfield)torotatecounter-clockwise.Acounter-clockwiseactiontriggersenergytoriseupordilatetheYinmeridiansoftheleg,which,inturn,chargesspecificmusclegroups.Conversely,the ring on the right leg, by stepping behind the left, is spun clockwise, a yang,downwardenergyaction. Ifwetakeamental stepback,wecanseethatthe legringshavebeen spun todrawenergy in the left leg andout the right. In this case,we areenhancingtheflowby increasing itwiththecrossoverstep.ThisexplainswhystartingtheNeihanchi kata to the right cannot be done in an IsshinryuNeihanchi stance, butmust be executed in a Iron Horse (a slightly narrower full Horse) with toes pullinginward,otherwisetheoppositeresultwouldoccurwiththecrossoverstepleadingtoaweakertechnique.Toremedythisissuerequiresonestepwiderand,inaddition,createanenergybackdraftbyliftinguptherightkneebeforeplacingitdown.

Why Is The First Hand Motion Of Neihanchi An Open PalmMovingToTheLeft?While some dojos execute the first arm motion with a left open hand palm facingupward,othersuseapalmsidewaysaction.Someshuto/chopandfinishbyturningthepalmup.InaccordancewithKikoprinciples,aleftopenhand,palmup,createsastrongenergydrawifusedtobreakagripordeflectastrike. Inourbunkaiwewanttocircleourlefthandoverthetopofanopponent’slefthandgriptomaximizeourenergydrawtocontroland lockhisarm.Thehook/block inSeisankataworks ina similarmanner.This circle-the-grip counter-action is a good example of a nuanced movement. WecannotdeducethatShimabuku,inhisvideotapedsoloperformances,circleshisleftarmover an imaginary left armof an opponent. Butwe believe this to be a viable action(moveslikethisareoftenimpliedinkata,particularlywhenyouseetheretractionofanarm into the side chamber at the waist). This is followed by clamping down on theopponent’sleftarm,thentwistingitcounter-clockwiseintoapalms-upchamberatourleftside.Achamberinghandorhiki-teoftenshowshowatrappedarmistobeheld.Ouractionaccomplishesthreelevelsofcontrol.One,wetakeenergyawayfromourpartner.Two,werenderhisleftarmlesseffectivefordrawingbacktohisside,andthree,wepositionhisleftarmforanarmbarwithourrightforearm.“Wait aminute! You say. “If our left arm is anenergydraw, isn’t his adrawaswell?Won’thebedrawingfromus,cancelingoutourbenefits?”Theansweristhatassoonas

wecrosshisleftarmoverhiscenterlinetohisright,hisdrawingarmbecomesasendingarmandhisstrengthdecreasesconsiderably.The internal art of Kiko is every bit as rich and complex as the external art of overt,biomechanicalkaratewaza. Justasthereareprinciplesofbiomechanical leveragingtomaximizestrength,thereareprinciplesofbioenergeticleveragingawaitingthecurious.

Can’thearit,can’tseeit,can’ttalkaboutit

IDon'tBelieveIt!

Someone once askedme if Iwas looking too deeply into the kata.Absolutely! That’swhatstudyinganartisallabout.I’vegotthetimeandtheenergy,andtheoutcomeofour on-going research has been too remarkable to deny. I’m not forcing anyone tobelieveme.Youcanstickwithwhatyouknow.We’ve tried to disprove Ki from every possible angle andwe’ve failed too date. Ourobservationisthatthereisabiologicalphenomenontakingplaceinphysicalmovementpatternsandactionsamongsttwopeoplethatrevealdemonstrable,sometimesradical,affectsuponphysicalstrengththatcannotbeadequatelyexplainedbyWestern-knownphysiologicalprocesses.Thisessayisaboutsharingwhatourschoolhasobserved,andfor those interested, testingour hypothesis on your own. Wealso invite anymartialartiststowitnesstheseprinciplesforthemselvesanddescribeintheirowntermswhatishappening.My second assertion about Kiko was formed around the uncanny coincidence ofOkinawan kata’s technical nuances perfectlymatching itsmovement patterns to Kikoprinciples. I did not invent Kiko, Ki flow, Internal martial arts or the phenomenonassociated with the extraordinary strength elicited when either making theseadjustmentsinthekataorperforminganunadulteratedkata.IdidnotinventOkinawankarate or its kata. Okinawan karate strongly affirms kinesthetic artifacts of valuable,

applicable, esoteric information encoded in their patterns. This is why the mostessentialkataweretaughtwithutmostattentiontodetail.Devilishpowerliesinthesedetails.Our testing group has consisted of highly intelligent and educated individuals fromacademics,engineering,acupuncture,athletics,lawenforcement,biophysics,science,aswellashighdan-rankedmembersofOkinawankarate,TaiChi,Aikido,Isshinryu,andtheBuddhistWuShinTaocommunity.They’veallwitnessed for themselves theaffectsofKIKOprinciples.Recently, I spoke with aman who has spent sixty-five of his eighty years studying abroadspanofmartialdisciplinesfromIsshinryutoGojuryu,toTaiChiandtheLiuHeBaFa(WaterBoxing).Hisobservationwasblunt.‘Noonewantstothinkdeeplyaboutthekarateartsanymore.Thisiswhytheseartsarereceding.Karateisanartforintelligentpeople.’ Perhaps this is a goodplace to start adialog.Arewebecominga superficial,over-reactionary,skim-the-surfaceculture?Didwegetthekataright?Why is theresomuchresistancetorethinkingthekarateartsandtheirbelovedkata?Tocontinuewiththebunkai,thenextsequenceofNeihanchirevealswhyvariationsmayexistinotherstylesinthegrapplingcontrolswewanttoplaceonanopponent.Inthenextmoveweliftour left leg,flippingit infrontofour leftknee—theinfamousNeihanchi leg lift. Inmyearlyexplorationandbreakdownof thiskata’sbunkai I couldnot justifythe left legflipping in frontof thesupporting leg.Wesawinsteadevidencethat lifting the leg inside the supporting leg was better aligned with KIKO principles,makingforastrongerhook,blockandarmgrip.Whethera left leg lifts insideor in frontof thesupporting legbothwillyielddifferentaffectsdependingupontheheightofthelift.Theknee-heightlift inShimabuku’sformtriggersspecificstrengthchannelsinthearms.OurinitialfocusontheinsideliftversusShimabuku’soutsideliftwasn’ttodiscreditortodisprove Shimabuku’s way of performing the kata. We were simply entering into acomplex fieldwithoutclearsenseof themechanicsofenergybunkaiat that timeandneeded to reverse engineer our applications by understanding where inordinatestrengthsinthemovementswereevident.

TheNeihanchilegsweep,nameashi(returningwave),createsanelectro-magneticdisruptiontotheothersenergyfieldresultingintheirlossof

physicalstrength.

Letmebacktrack. In the IsshinKempo systemwehaveexcellent,multi-tiered, topicalbunkaiforallthemovesofNeihanchi,butasmyKikoknowledgebroadeneditbecameobviousthatoursurfacebunkaiwasnotalwaysinsyncwithKikoprinciples.Thiscausedustolookdeeperatwhatthepotentialbunkai inalignmentwithKikoprinciplesmightbe.Oneinterestingexamplewasdiscoveredwhileresearchingtheleglift.Thesweepinglegaction is calledNamiAshior returningwave.This curious interpretationgaveusacritical hint. Could it be possible that the leg lift was returning an energy wave bybrushingtheother’senergyfieldacertainway?Thisturnedouttobetrueandisbothafascinatingphenomenonandimpressiveinternaltechniquewhendonecorrectly.Kiko’s influence in the kata was a slowly unfolding revelation and has proven to behighlyvaluablemetricforunderstandingthepreciseconfigurationofanymaster’skata.Remember, Ihavepreviouslystated thatmuchof thebunkai taught todayoftendoesnotpreciselyfollowakata’scomposition,nordoesithaveanoverarchingorconnectedpurposetotheoverallform,andevenifitdoesfollowthepatternclosely,theindividualbunkaioftenreflectsaseriesofunrelated,randomtechnique.Thenextsetofmovesexecutesarightlegliftandwhatlookslikearightbackfist-stylelowblocktotherightsideofyourbodyfollowedbyapalms-upspearacrossthetorso.

Therightlegsweep(thereturningwave)createsagreatermuscularcontractioninyourright arm for pulling your opponent’s arm down to your right side. This motion isfollowedbyaspear.Areyoureallygoingtospearsomeoneacrossyourbody,andwithoutmovingyourhipsas Shimabuku’s kata suggests? I doubt it. There’s toomuchpotentialdamage toyourhand even if it were targeted at a throat. In my opinion, the likelihood that thistechnique isaviable fingertipspearhoverssomewherenearzero.Ontheotherhand,thelikelihoodthata‘spear-like’armactionispartofagrapplinglocksequenceisveryhigh.Remember,wearelookingtoexplainwhyakataisdoneexactlyasitisconfigured.Ifweaddahipmotiontomakethespearstrongerwearealteringthekata.Ifthatwasthe intended move in the creation of the form we would see the hip torque fullyemphasized?Isoughttoanswerwhethertherewassomethingelseintended.ThereisavariationofShimabuku’sformfoundinChokiMotobu’sShuri-Tethatusesasolar plexus height fist strike (palm down) across the chest instead of the palms upspear.Thisactionfitswithourtheorythatthekataisofferingagrapplingnuancewhenapplyinganarmbar.Anarmbar initiatedatdifferentpointsofpositioning (heightofopponent’s elbow relative to your torso) requires that you implement specific armpositionstomaximizethehyperextensionoftheother’selbow.

TheThreeApplicationsIf yougrabyouropponent’swristand twist it, andhebendsnearly inhalf,or ifhe isshorter than you where his elbow hovers at the height of your abdomen, thenShimabuku’s, tanden-height, palms-up spearing action fits neatly across his elbow toapply the arm bar. If however, the opponent’s elbow is higher than your waistlinebecauseheistaller,orcan’tbeeasilybent,adownwardfacingfistacrosshiselbowwillbettersecurethelock. Iftheopponent’selbowishigheryet,perhaps,asareactiontoavoidyourlock,orhepullsitbackinanticipationofyourlock,itwillbenecessarytoslipyour free hand under his elbow and roll it forward, moving instead directly into ashoulder lock. Inthefirsttwoapplications,wesecureanarmbarasasetupforarollintoashoulderlock.These ‘hidden’ arm bar controls are rarely discussed technical levels. With Kikoprinciplesweconsiderzonesofcontrol,proximitieswherethearmbarmanipulationisenhanced. For example, the direction your palm faces with your free hand whilegrippingtheother’swrist iscritical inmanipulatingtheother’sarmenergy.Whenyou

grab someone’s wrist you could hold it still, pull it toward you, back toward theirshoulder,orpush itaway fromyou.All thesegrossandsubtleactions revealdynamicshiftsinstrengthwhenapplyinganarmbar.

ThisisalsopartofthekatawhereImustraisethestrongpossibilityoflostnuance.ForIcanpullanarmbaroffinseveralwaysandeachmethodhasbeendemonstratedbyatleastoneofNeihanchi’sexistingvariants.Shimabuku’spalmsupspearworkswellifthelock is applied to an opponent’s arm held around waist height. Motobu’s, Shuri-Te,chest-heightfistworkswellifthelockisappliedtotheopponent’sarmwhentheelbowrestsatsolarplexusheight.Theshoulderlockispreferredwhentheopponent’selbowistoohightobar.

KeepOnTekking!TheoldOkinawankarateproverb, ‘Diga small hole,Digdeep!’ hints at the treasuresawaiting anyone’s effort to plow deep into their kata—moremystery as well. In thisessay, Iwanted tosharewithyousomeof thedirtanddiamonds I’vediscovered inalifetime of martial study. Perhaps it will pry your mind open just a bit more aboutNeihanchi’sexcitingpotential.HappyDigging!