Shitō-Ryū Kata:  Jitte (十手)

 

Jitte (十手) is 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 [compassion] in Jiin, 時 [temple] in Jion, and 十 [ten] in Jitte), so many 21st century researchers now doubt this legend.  Little is known of its origins, other than it is either from 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 "Jitte" means "Ten Hands" and is thought by many to imply that after mastering of the kata, one has the fighting ability of a person with ten hands.  A more likely theory is that it contains ten methods of using the hands in self-defence.  The video presented below was filmed at the Jikishin-Kai hombu dōjō in San Diego, featuring David Bertrand Sensei.

Jitte Description

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

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 sanchin dachi with migi sode-garami uke ("sleeve-tangling block")
  2 Step forward into hidari sanchin dachi with migi osae uke and hidari age zuki
  3 Hidari osae uke, then step right with right foot into shiko dachi with yoko ura-shutō uchi and kiai
  4 Pivot 90 degrees to the left whilst stepping forward with the right foot into shiko dachi with migi sukui uke
  5 Step forward with the left foot, turning 180 degrees to the left into shiko dachi with hidari sukui uke
  6 Step forward with the right foot, turning 180 degrees to the right into shiko dachi with migi sukui uke
  7 Draw right foot leftward into migi kōsa dachi with morote yoko uke and morote gedan barai
  8 Step left with the left foot into shiko dachi with yama uke
  9 Turning 180 degrees left, step to the right into shiko dachi with yama uke
  10 Turning 180 degrees left, step to the right into shiko dachi with yama uke
  11 Turning 180 degrees left, step to the right into shiko dachi with yama uke
  12 Draw right foot inward into heiko dachi with morote gedan barai
  13 Pivot on left foot 90 degrees to the right into neko-ashi dachi with migi shuto uke (with closed-fist hikite)
  14 Slide right foot forward into migi han-zenkutsu dachi with hidari-te ue morote shōtei uchi
  15 Step forward into hidari han-zenkutsu dachi with migi-te ue morote shōtei uchi
16 Steo forward into migi han-zenkutsu dachi with hidari-te ue morote shōtei uchi
  17 Turn 270 degrees left into hidari kōkutsu dachi with manji uke
  18 Shift 180 degrees right into migi kōkutsu dachi with manji uke
  19 Step 90 degrees left into hidari zenkutsu dachi with hidari age uke
  20 Step forward into migi zenkutsu dachi with migi wantō uchi
  21 Turn 180 degrees left into hidari zenkutsu dachi with hidari age uke
  22 Step forward into migi zenkutsu dachi with migi wantō uchi

Zanshin yame by turning 180 degrees left whilst drawing left foot into heisoku dachi and performing kote mawashi at chest level
Naotte
Rei

Key Training Aspects of Jitte

 
The Key

Jitte is typically taught to students of Shimabukuro-Ha Shitō-Ryū karate-dō in prepartion for advancement to sankyū, since it is considered to be an intermediate-to-advanced kata.  Jitte presents students with an interesting conundrum:  the use of sanchin dachi in movements #1 and #2, which is usually found only in Naha-te kata; not Shuri-te or Tomari-te kata.  Containing only twenty-two movements, Jitte is brief for an intermediate-to-advanced kata, yet it contains techniques most students find mystifying as they attempt bunkai to discover their ōyō.

Examples of techniques students may at first find puzzling include the sode-garami uke in step #1, yoko ura-shuto uchi in movement #3, repeated yama uke in steps #8, #9, #10, and #11, and morote shotei uchi in movements #14, #15, and #16.  Hint:  they may not actually be the strange blocks and strikes they appear to be.

Important Note:  Kōsa dachi in movement #7 should be performed differently than it is depicted in this video.  The left knee should be pressed into the hollow of the right knee, so that the rear leg supports the front leg, and not with the knees spread apart as shown in the video.

 


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.  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 Jitte, 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.

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