Shitō-Ryū Kata:  Pachū (転球)

 

Pachū (転球) is a sankō ("consultation") kata borrowed from the Ryūei-Ryū system, which is considered to be Naha-te.  It was incorporated into Hayashi-Ha Shitō-Ryū in the 1960s by the founder of that branch, Hayashi Teruō.  Ryūei-Ryū is a style developed by the Nakaima Norisato in the late 19th century and was taught exclusively to members of the Nakaima family for several generations until Nakaima Kenkō consented to teach it to Hayashi Hanshi.  Even after disassociating from Hayashi-Ha, Shimabukuro Hanshi kept several Ryūei-Ryū kata  as sankō kata in his teaching curriculum, because they offered techniques not found in the standard curriculum of Shitō-Ryū.  The name "Pachū" means "Rolling Ball," which probably refers to the circular nature of many of its movements.  The video presented below was filmed at the Jikishin-Kai hombu dōjō in San Diego, with Shimabukuro Masayuki Hanshi performing the kata.

Pachū Description

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

Yōi (cross open hands at groin level in musubi dachi) and kiyomeri kokyū (purification breaths)
Kamaete is performed by raising the hands from yōi to solar plexus level in the reverse of the "tekagami" motion whilst closing the feet into heisoku dachi and extending the hands palm up at shoulder level with their shutō edges touching and elbows nearly touching at solar plexus level,  then closing the hands into fists as they are drawn back to the chest and stepping to the right with the right foot into heiko dachi whilst lowering and separating the fists to knee width(1).   

  1 Step forward into modified migi jiyu kamae(2)
  2 Slide the right foot forward into naname (angled) shiko dachi with migi yoko gedan barai, then immediately slide the left foot forward into migi han-zenkutsu dachi with simultaneous migi jodan uke and gyakuzuki
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Zanshin yame is not performed in Pachū
Naotte
Rei

Key Training Aspects of Pachū

 
The Key

Pachū is typically taught to students of Shimabukuro-Ha Shitō-Ryū karate-dō in prepartion for advancement to yonkyū, since it is considered to be an intermediate-to-advanced kata.  Pachū is a brief kata that does not include any unfamiliar stances, footwork, or techniques other than in movement #11.  It does, however, present students with unfamiliar combinations of basic techniques and warrants significant practice and analysis.

Important Note:  Movements #10 and #11 should be of particular interest to students learning Pachū.  Movement #10 is a kensei waza (牽制技)—feined or diversionary tecnique—in which the sweeping strikes to the head force the opponent to lean back and shift weight onto their rear leg.  Movement #11 follows this by grasping the opponent's leading leg by the heel with the left hand and at the knee with the right hand, then pulling the heel upward whilst pushing the knee downward to topple the opponent to the ground. 

 


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 Jion, 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.