# Nihanchi Shodan with a twist



## Sensei Payne (Feb 15, 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/user/sinisteritch?feature=mhum#p/u/3/HXhikUKrIeo

Sorry for the shaking cam.

Discuss.


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## Bill Mattocks (Feb 15, 2011)

Sensei Payne said:


> http://www.youtube.com/user/sinisteritch?feature=mhum#p/u/3/HXhikUKrIeo
> 
> Sorry for the shaking cam.
> 
> Discuss.



Ours (Isshin-ryu) looks quite a bit different.  I see some similar movements.  I'd like to see the bunkai for your version of the kata; it looks as though you turn into your opponent face-first on several moves.  You don't seem to know where the fight line is, and there is no lateral footwork; naihanchi is a lateral fight sequence.  Of course, this is just the opinion of a san-kyu, I am no expert.

This is our founder doing Naihanchi in slow motion.  Note the lateral movement and way Sensei looks to the fight line prior to turning his body; he also does not turn into a possible oncoming blow, but moves his body into position inside his own guard.  Not saying our way is better; but this is what we teach and I grasp the basic bunkai of it.


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## K-man (Feb 15, 2011)

Bill Mattocks said:


> Ours (Isshin-ryu) looks quite a bit different. I see some similar movements. I'd like to see the bunkai for your version of the kata; it looks as though you turn into your opponent face-first on several moves. You don't seem to know where the fight line is, and there is no lateral footwork; naihanchi is a lateral fight sequence. Of course, this is just the opinion of a san-kyu, I am no expert.
> 
> This is our founder doing Naihanchi in slow motion. Note the lateral movement and way Sensei looks to the fight line prior to turning his body; he also does not turn into a possible oncoming blow, but moves his body into position inside his own guard. Not saying our way is better; but this is what we teach and I grasp the basic bunkai of it.


I'm not sure the OP was looking at it that way Bill. On the same site there is the original version which is similar to yours (and pretty much the same as I teach), only reversed in Isshin Ryu. http://www.youtube.com/user/sinisteritch?feature=mhum#p/u/4/CeickfKVqyQ

I think the OP was asking for our opinion on his new 'twist' to the kata. As you said I would like to see the bunkai but at first glance I would say to me it seems to lack a bit of balance and without the footwork the techniques don't have the same application. Taking out the footwork makes it a totally different kata and loses the relative body positioning of the original and the subtle takedowns.  Although Naihanchi is not a Goju kata, we were still taught Nihanchi Shodan as it is a very practical kata with great applications. :asian:


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## Aiki Lee (Feb 15, 2011)

It's been a long time since I trained in karate, but I remember naihanchi. It was one of the few kata I was good at.

That being said: What are you aiming for by creating a variation of the kata?


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## Brandon Fisher (Mar 24, 2011)

It looks to me as though you are trying to discover the inside meaning of the kata. Don't change the kata to discover the bunkai otherwise you will never discover the inner meaning of the kata.


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## Sensei Payne (May 9, 2011)

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you guys.

My instructor asked me to practice it this way to see if it will help me starting thinking better with application and execution...So yes more of a variation for training purposes.

I still do Nihanchi Shodan the regular way more than the twist.


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## Jason Striker II (Feb 22, 2012)

Thanks for this link to Shimabuku Sensei, as the quality is better than the one I have.


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## Sensei Payne (Sep 6, 2012)

Pivoting is key in basic self Defense Techniques

With a Twist this Kata really helps the Practitioner to execute the basic upper body techniques while developing muscle memory to make pivoting second nature.


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## punisher73 (Sep 6, 2012)

Interesting drill.  Here are my concerns and questions

Is pivoting best explored in Naihanchi?  Why not just explore the stance transitions with your basic kihon or find a piece of kata that actually teaches that?

Why take out the Nami Gaeshi (returning wave kick) in the drill?  I think that there would be alot of applications and even power generation methods by using it.

Just as an observation.  When doing your actual Naihanchi, I noticed that your feet are turning outward more into a Seiuchin type stance.  One of the things that Naihanchi teaches is to close off that lower body and work within a certain framework for evasion and power generation.  By turning the feet out you are losing that aspect of it.  There is a little variation on the Naihanchi stance.  Isshin-Ryu, for example, has a pigeon toed (almost sanchin like) stance.  Others, used the inside edge of the foot parrallel in the stance.  Here is Choki Motobu (probably one of the top Naihanchi performers and Gichin Funakoshi).

 View attachment $gichin95.jpg

Isshinryu Naihanchi (sorry couldn't find a better picture)
View attachment $0.jpg


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