Shitō-Ryū Kata:  Jiin (慈院)

 

Jiin (慈院 or alternatively 寺院, "temple grounds") is considered to be an Itosu-kei kata, meaning that it was either created or primarily passed down by Itosu Ankō.  It has been long believed—or at least presumed—that the kata Jiin, Jion, and Jitte were a set or series, since they share a few common movements and their names all begin with the sound "ji."  However, the kanji making the "ji" sound in each of these names are different (慈 [mercy] in Jiin, 時 [temple] in Jion, and 十 [ten] in Jitte), so many 21st century researchers now doubt this theory.  Little is known of its origins, other than it is from either the Shuri-te or Tomari-te lineage and is presumed to be quite ancient, although no documentation has been found to indicate that it predates Matsumura Sōkon, and some researchers believe it was created by Itosu Ankō.  The name, Jiin, means "Institution of Mercy" or, more poetically, "House of Mercy".  Many have tried to associate some precept of Buddhist thought, or the name of a specific temple with Jiin, but without success.  Our view is that every dōjō should be a house or institution where mercy is practiced, and perhaps—just perhaps—the kata was so named for this reason.  The video presented below was filmed at the Jikishin-Kai hombu dōjō in San Diego, featuring Kako Lee Sensei.

Jiin Description

After bowing and announcing the name of the kata ("Jiin") ...

Yōi (cross open hands at groin level in musubi dachi) and kiyomeri kokyū (purification breaths)
Draw feet into heisoku dachi while hands perform kote mawashi at chest level   

  1 Step back with left foot into migi zenkutsu dachi with hasami uke (left hand jōdan)
  2 Shift right foot outward while turning 90 degrees left into hidari kōkutsu dachi with manji uke
  3 Pivot 180 degrees right into migi kōkutsu dachi with manji uke
  4 Turn 180 degrees left into hidari zenkutsu dachi with hidari age uke
  5 Step forward into migi zenkutsu dachi with chūdan oizuki
  6 Turn 180 degrees right into migi zenkutsu dachi with migi age uke
  7 Step forward into hidari zenkutsu dachi with chūdan oizuki
  8 Turn 90 degrees left into hidari shikō dachi with hidari gedan barai
  9 Step forward into migi shikō dachi with migi yoko sukui uke
  10 Step forward into hidari shikō dachi with hidari yoko sukui uke
  11 Step forward into migi shikō dachi with migi yoko sukui uke
  12 Pivoting on right foot, turn 225 degrees left into hidari neko-ashi dachi with kakiwake uke
  13 Migi chūdan chokugeri, landing forward in migi han-zenkutsu dachi with oizuki-gyakuzuki, then hasami uke (right hand jōdan)
  14 Pivoting on left foot, turn 90 degrees right into migi neko-ashi dachi with kakiwake uke
  15 Hidari chūdan chokugeri, landing forward in hidari han-zenkutsu dachi with oizuki-gyakuzuki, then hasami uke (left hand jōdan)
  16 Pivoting on left foot, turn 315 degrees right into migi shikō dachi with migi yoko kentsui uchi
  17 Pivoting on right foot, turn 180 degrees left into hidari shikō dachi with hidari yoko kentsui uchi
  18 Pivoting on right foot, turn 180 degrees left into hidari shikō dachi with hidari yoko kentsui uchi, followed by migi kagizuki-hidari yokozuki
  19 Pivoting on right foot, turn 180 degrees left into shiko dachi with hasami uke (left hand jōdan)-migi gedan barai-morote yoko uke then migi seiken tsuki-hidari seiken tsuki and kiai
  20 Turn 90 degrees left into hidari zenkutsu dachi with hidari age uke
  21 Step forward into migi zenkutsu dachi with chūdan oizuki
  22 Turn 180 degrees right into migi zenkutsu dachi with migi age uke
  23 Step forward into hidari zenkutsu dachi with chūdan oizuki and kiai

Zanshin yame by turning 90 degrees left while drawing left foot into heisoku dachi and performing kote mawashi at chest level
Naotte
Rei

Key Training Aspects of Jiin

 
The Key

Jiin is typically taught to students of Shimabukuro-Ha Shitō-Ryū karate-dō in prepartion for advancement to gokyū, since it is considered to be an intermediate-to-advanced kata.  Jiin presents students with some unfamiliar footwork they may find challenging, particularly the four backward-spinning movements in shikō dachi.  It also introduces kakiwake uke, which students will use in many kata hereafter.

A key item to remember is that the hasami uke performed in Step #1 has the hands in the reversed position from the way hasami uke is performed in Steps #13 and #15.  In Step #1 the hand opposite the leading foot is jōdan, whereas in Steps #13 and #15, the hand on the same side as the leading foot is jōdan.  This is an element test examiners watch closely.


Additional Information

MakimonoAs with each new kata, it is important to remind oneself of the adage: "Manabu no tame ni hyakkkai, jukuren no tame ni senkai, satori no tame ni manga okonau" (学ぶのために百回、熟練のために千回、悟りのために万回行う.).  A hundred times to learn, a thousand times for proficiency, ten thousand repetitions for complete understanding.   A related Okinawan saying is "ichi kata san nen" (一型三年):  one kata three years.  Think of it this way:  it takes about 60 seconds to perform Matsukaze.  So in just ten minutes per day for only ten days (or twenty minutes a day for just five days), you can learn the correct sequences of movements in this kata.   But to become truly proficient-to be able to perform it correctly, and with the speed, power, timing, and bushi damashii (samurai spirit) necessary to make its techniques effective in a real self-defence situation will take a thousand repetitions, which equates to 100 days at ten repetitions a day.   And to fully understand and apply all of its principles, nuances, and variations will take 1,000 days (three years) at ten repetitions per day.

When performing bunkai (分解) and considering the ōyō (応用) of Jiin, it will be necessary to apply one's accumulated knowledge and vivid imagination to visualise the potential uses for the techniques in the kata.  Consideration must be given to the possibility that some movements represent applications other than obvious blocks or strikes (gōhō), but may instead—or in addition—have jūhō applications.