Shitō-Ryū Kata:  Kenshū (拳秀)

 

Kenshū (拳秀) is a Mabuni-kei kata, created around 1940 by Shitō-Ryū founder, Mabuni Kenwa in order to incorporate techniques and concepts he found missing in other kata.    Although it is a 20th century kata, it is generally considered to be a Shuri-te derivation, since its stances, turning methods, and techniques are characteristic of the 19th century Shuri-te style.  The video presented below features Gary McGuinness—hachidan and USA Technical Director for Seitō Shitō-Ryū—performing the kata.

Kenshū Description

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

Yōi (bring fists about four inches apart at groin level in musubi dachi) and kiyomeri kokyū (purification breaths)
.......... NOTE:  there is no kamaete in this kata

  1 Draw hands to right side, then step forward into hidari zenkutsu dachi with morote zuki (right hand uppermost)
  2 Draw left foot back into hidari neko-ashi dachi with hidari age uke
  3 Left foot choku geri chūdan, landing in hidari han-zenkutsu dachi with migi tsuki-uke
  4 Draw hands to left side, then step forward into migi zenkutsu dachi with morote zuki (left hand uppermost)
  5 Draw right foot back into migi neko-ashi dachi with migi age uke
  6 Right foot choku geri chūdan, landing in migi han-zenkutsu dachi with hidari tsuki-uke
  7 Draw hands to right side, then step forward into hidari zenkutsu dachi with morote zuki (right hand uppermost)
  8 Draw left foot back into hidari neko-ashi dachi with hidari age uke
  9 Left foot choku geri chūdan, landing in hidari han-zenkutsu dachi with migi tsuki-uke
  10 Slide right foot back into hidari kōkutsu dachi with manji uke
  11 Shift right foot forward into hidari han-zenkutsu dachi with gyaku zuki
  12 Slide left foot forward, turning 180 degrees into migi kokutsu dachi with manji uke
  13 Shift left foot forward into migi han-zenkutsu dachi with gyaku zuki
  14 Turn 180 degrees left into hidari neko-ashi dachi with hidari kakete uke
  15 Step forward into migi neko-ashi dachi with migi kakete uke
  16 Turn 90 degrees left into hidari zenkutsu dachi with hidari gedan barai
  17 Draw left foot back into hidari rei-no-ji dachi(*) with hidari yokomen kentsui uchi
18 Slide left foot forward into hidari han-zenkutsu dachi with migi shutō uchi to opponent's neck
  19 Turn 180 degrees right into migi zenkutsu dachi with migi gedan barai
  20 Draw right foot back into migi rei-no-ji dachi(*) with migi yokomen kentsui uchi
  21 Slide right foot forward into hidari han-zenkutsu dachi with hidari hutō uchi to opponent's neck
  22 Step 90 degrees right with right foot into shikō dachi (facing left) with hidari gedan barai (right fist at solar plexus)
  23 Turning 180 degrees left, step back with left foot into migi shikō dachi with migi gedan shutō-barai uke
  24 Step forward with left foot into hidari han-zenkutsu dachi with hidari sukashi uke, followed by gyaku zuki and jun zuki in quick succession
  25 Slide right foot back into hidari zenkutsu dachi while drawing left hand to right hip, then morote zuki with kiai

Zanshin yame by drawing left foot back into musubi dachi while drawing fists to sides, then returning to the front about four inches apart (as in yōi for this kata)
.......... NOTE:  naotte is not performed in Kenshū either
Rei (bow)

(*) IMPORTANT: in the video, McGuinness Sensei uses heikō dachi, but this strike should be performed in rei-no-ji dachi instead

Key Training Aspects of Kenshū

 
The Key

Kenshū is the first Mabuni-kei kata taught to students of Shimabukuro-Ha Shitō-Ryū karate-dō.   It presents the beginning student with increase complexity of movement similar to that found in Heian Shodan.  The name, Kenshū, means "fist excellence" or "fist superiority," so the obvious goal of training in this kata is to achieve a level of improved performance—to develop ability superior to that of potential opponents.  Like Heian Shodan, Kenshū also involves the use of both hands to simultaneously block and strike the opponent, as well as several forms of challenging footwork to adjust to the opponent's actions.

Movement by movement key points will be added here soon.

Additional information about Kenshū will be added here, as well. 

Additional Information

MakimonoAs always, 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 40 seconds to perform Heian Nidan.  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 Heian Nidan.   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.

Although the kihon katachi (Kihon Katachi Ichi and Kihon Katachi Ni) do contain some basic budō principles, they are primarily intended as training exercises in order to prepare students to learn actual kata.   Kata, therefore, incorporate the need for both bunkai (step-by-step analysis) and ōyō (practical application). 

The word bunkai (分解) literally means "disassemble and analyse."   It is the same term Japanese sports officials use for the slow motion frame-by-frame analysis of the video of a contested referee's call, and it has a similar purpose and application in budō.  It involves examining each technique in minute detail, as if frozen in time, to determine its potential uses and the factors that make it most effective.

Ōyō (応用) means "effective use" or "practical use," so ōyō is the application of the knowledge gained from bunkai.   Once you have analysed every movement of the kata and determined both its intended use and the principles that make it effective, you will be able to use each of the techniques in the kata against the types of attack for which it is best suited.  Although this takes years (at least three), it doesn't mean you have to study only one kata for three years.  Since many kata share some of the same movements, you can be performing bunkai and perfecting ōyō on several kata at once!

The ultimate purpose of analysing and perfecting kata is to develop a methodology and a habit of analysing and perfecting every important aspect of one's life:  knowledge, skills, capabilities, behaviour, attitudes, ethics, motivation, ambitions, desires, ideals, beliefs, values, relationships, and character.