Ji'in, Jion, and Jitte form a group of
kata
''Kata'' is a Japanese word ( 型 or 形) meaning "form". It refers to a detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements. It can also be reviewed within groups and in unison when training. It is practiced in Japanese martial arts ...
used in
Shotokan
is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin Funakoshi was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing "karate do" thro ...
and other
karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...
styles, beginning with the same characteristic
kamae is a Japanese term used in martial arts and traditional theater. It translates approximately to "posture". The Kanji of this word means "base". The implied meaning is 'readiness' or 'be ready'.
Kamae is to be differentiated from the word , used ...
of the left hand covering the right, which apparently has roots in ancient Chinese boxing. Their origin is thought to be from the
Tomari-te school, however
Hirokazu Kanazawa speculates that the Jion kata were devised in the Jionji 慈恩寺, the Jion temple, where martial arts were famously practiced. From there, Kanazawa believes the Jion kata were spread into the Tomari region.
Ji'in
Ji'in 慈陰 ("Temple Ground") is important for the execution of many simultaneous techniques and the often-repeated stances, enabling swift changes of direction while maintaining balance, power and steps of equal length. It has, however, been removed from the Japan Karate Association teaching and grading syllabus.
Jion
Jion 慈恩 ("Temple Sound" ) is a representative kata in the Shotokan system because of the importance of the perfection of the basic stances it contains, notably
zenkutsu dachi
Front stance, sometimes also called forward leaning stance or forward stance, is a basic stance used in various Asian martial arts. Although the specifics of the stance vary by style, overall it is visually similar to a moderate lunge, with the ...
(front stance) and
kiba dachi (horse stance).
Also practiced in some
Shitō-ryū organizations, emphasis is also placed on Kokutsu dachi, or back stance.
Jitte
The name Jitte 十手 ("Ten Hands") expresses that mastery of this kata which enables one to fight like ten men. Jitte teaches techniques usable against armed attacks, especially the
bo.
It consists of 24 movements and should be performed in about 60 seconds.
Also known in some styles as Sip Soo.
[Lee, Kang. "Tang Soo Do" A&C Black, 1998, p. 187]
Both "Jitte" and "Jutte" are correct pronunciations and romanized spellings of the kanji 十手.
External links
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See also
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Wado Ryu
References
{{Karate
Shotokan
Shitō-ryū
Wadō-ryū
Karate kata