Naihanchi Added to our Syllabus

Sakamoto-Sensei has added Naihanchi to the Ryusei curriculum, in a departure from standard Chito-Ryu practice. It is considered a basic kata, so it is grouped with Seisan and Niseishi. Naihanchi is the prototypical Okinawan Shurite kata (as Sanchin is the prototypical Nahate kata). Sakamoto-Sensei feels it is valuable because of the vibrating hip action it teaches that he calls “shimegoshi.”

To learn Naihanchi, Sakamoto-Sensei travelled to Okinawa and studied under Shinzato Katsuhiko, who is the head of the Okinawa Karate-Dō Shōrin-ryū Kishaba Juku. Above you can see Shinzato-Sensei perform Naihanchi at increasing speeds, always emphasizing the proper hip action.

Another fine performance of the proper hip action can be seen in this video of Onaga Michiko. She is the most advanced student of father Onaga Yoshimitsu, founder of the Shinbukan school, which teaches a lineage of karate based on the ancient Okinawan martial art of “Ti.”