Nijushiho - 二十四歩
Nijushiho, or “24 Steps,” is named after the number of foot movements, or “steps,” present in the kata (this is not the same as the count of the moves). Originally called Niseishi (二十四 - twenty-four) in Okinawan, it is one of three Shotokan kata that descended from Aragaki Seisho, the others being Sochin and Unsu. The Aragaki kata are arguably the most popular of the advanced Shotokan kata, possessing unusual and mystical techniques, allowing a natural flow from one move to another. This is especially true with Nijushiho, where at certain points in the kata, the timing becomes very rapid, almost seeming a little rushed, yet always followed by a slow move to temper the kata’s pace and maintain the kata’s fluidity. It is an excellent kata for developing timing and rhythm. The sanchin-dachi (hour-glass stance, not very popular in Shotokan), the traditional haito (palm down), and the makiotoshi/teishi-awase-zuki combination (one of the “coolest” moves in kata) are all exclusive to Nijushiho and Unsu, both of which are Aragaki kata. The hiji-ate at the beginning of the kata, the several awase-zuki, and the haishu techniques are all solely found in Nijushiho, bringing to light a variety of new applications involving arm-locks, chokes, etc. The embusen is fairly compact, not allowing for too many steps in any one direction, and changes in direction are made with very little motion, giving this kata a fairly small frame. The kata abounds with double-hand attacks and elbow strikes which are often used for close range fighting. All of this lends to the idea that the karateka must defend within a small space, quickly changing opponents. The only long-range techniques found in Nijushiho are the two yokogeri-kekomi, the only chudan-kekomi found in any kata (unlike the gedan-kekomi from Bassai Dai). However, these kicks are considered a recent innovation, previously being only knee lifts, and were most likely not present in the kata’s original form. Nijushiho presently has a count of 34, with the two kiai points at #18 and #33 (Best Karate #10, 33 counts, kiai #18 & #32).
| Kyodo | Technique | Translation | Stance | Target | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (nagashi) osae-uke | (flowing) pressing block | kokutsu-dachi | chudan | slow speed yori-ashi |
| 2 | gyaku-zuki | reverse punch | kokutsu-dachi | chudan | yori-ashi |
| 3 | zenwan-suhei-mune-kamae (mae-hiji-ate) |
forearm horizontal posture (front elbow strike) |
ashi-zenkutsu (hidari-shizen-tai) |
chudan | slow speed yori-ashi |
| 4 | ryoken-ryokoshi-kamae | both fists on both hips posture | sanchin-dachi | – | |
| 5 | awase-zuki | combined punch (U-punch) |
sanchin-dachi | jodan/gedan | |
| 6 | ryo-zenwan-hasami-uke | both forearms scissors block | ashi-dachi | jodan | |
| 7 | ryoken-kakiwake-uke | both fists wedge block | zenkutsu-dachi | chudan | slow speed |
| 8 | age-uke | rising block | zenkutsu-dachi | jodan | |
| 9 | tate-empi-uchi | vertical elbow strike | zenkutsu-dachi | jodan | |
| 10 | shuto-kake-uke | knife-hand hooking block | kiba-dachi | chudan | slow speed tate variation |
| 11 | yoko-kekomi | side thrust kick | ashi-dachi | chudan | |
| 12 | tsuki (sokumen-zuki) | punch (punch to side) | kiba-dachi | chudan | |
| 13 | shuto-kake-uke | knife-hand hooking block | kiba-dachi | chudan | slow speed tate variation |
| 14 | yoko-kekomi | side thrust kick | ashi-dachi | chudan | |
| 15 | tsuki (sokumen-zuki) | punch (punch to side) | kiba-dachi | chudan | |
| 16 | tekubi-makiotoshi-uke & (irimi) teisho-awase-zuki |
wrist curling-falling block & (body entering) palm-heel combined punch |
ashi-zenkutsu zenkutsu-dachi |
chudan jodan/gedan |
teisho slow speed yama variation fudo variation |
| 17 | haito-soto-mawashi-uchi / koho-haito | outside ridgehand strike / rear ridgehand | zenkutsu-dachi | jodan/gedan | gedan-teisho variation |
| 18* | teko-uchi (haishu-age-uchi) |
backhand strike (backhand rising strike) |
heisoku-dachi | jodan | |
| 19 | koko-sukui-uke / koko-osae (tsukidashi) |
tiger-mouth scooping block / tiger-mouth pressing (thrust) |
zenkutsu-dachi | gedan gedan |
|
| 20 | awase-zuki | combined punch (U-punch) | zenkutsu-dachi | gedan | |
| 21 | haishu-uke | backhand block | kokutsu-dachi | chudan | slow speed |
| 22 | tate-empi-uchi | vertical elbow strike | kiba-dachi | jodan | |
| 23 | tsuki (sokumen-zuki) / soto-nagashi-uke |
punch (punch to side) / outside flowing block |
kiba-dachi | chudan/ jodan |
yori-ashi |
| 24 | gedan-barai | down block | kiba-dachi | gedan | yori-ashi |
| 25 | haishu-uke | backhand block | kokutsu-dachi | chudan | slow speed |
| 26 | mae-empi-uchi | front elbow strike | kiba-dachi | chudan | |
| 27 | gedan-uke / zenwan-mune-kamae | down block / forearm in front of chest posture | kiba-dachi | gedan | |
| 28 | haishu-uke | backhand block | kokutsu-dachi | chudan | slow speed |
| 29 | tate-empi-uchi | vertical elbow strike | kiba-dachi | jodan | |
| 30 | tsuki (yoko-zuki) / soto-nagashi-uke |
punch (punch to side) / outside flowing block |
kiba-dachi | chudan/ jodan |
yori-ashi |
| 31 | gedan-barai | down block | kiba-dachi | gedan | yori-ashi |
| 32 | ryoken-ryokoshi-kamae | both both on both hips posture | sanchin-dachi | – | yori-ashi |
| 33* | awase-zuki | combined punch (U-punch) |
sanchin-dachi | jodan/ gedan |
|
| 34 | tekubi-makiotoshi-uke & teisho-awase-zuki |
wrist curling-falling block & palm-heel combined punch |
sanchin-dachi | chudan jodan/gedan |
teisho slow speed |