Twenty-four

Niseishi translates to "twenty-four" in English. If you take a look at all of the steps in Chito-ryu Niseishi-dai, some of them can be a little hard to imagine that they are a single step, while other steps are simply just that; a step. I remembered reading an article a while back that said "Every move in Okinawan karate has purpose, no matter how small or trivial it appears". I'm paraphrasing, but you get the general idea.

So what are the steps? There are countless videos on YouTube to guide you through the steps, but a large majority of them are not for Chito-ryu. Even the ones for Chito-ryu are a little off. Granted, the performer is demonstrating the kata as a 4th kyu should practice it, and that is probably who the video is meant for. I'm a bit of a visual learner, but I still need the explanation to go along with it for better understanding. There is only so much you can learn from a video.

So, I present to you, in glorious Technicolor, my step-by-step guide to Niseishi-sho/dai. I'm assuming that you are starting the kata from the standard uchi-hachiji-dachi, with your right fist covered by your left hand at belt level.

1. Inhale through your nose, and then exhale through your mouth while performing kakewake-uke. Make sure to tighten your tanden muscles on the exhale. (Niseishi Bunkai, steps 1 through 6)
2. Move your right foot into migi-seisan-dachi (2nd kyu and above - sanchin-dachi).
3. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Inhale through your nose again, and at the same time, draw your fists back to your belt. Exhale through your mouth, and push your fists out into chudan level haiko-zuki. Your fists should be approximately one inch apart, which puts the contact points of your fists at about the same width as your eyes.
4. Move your left foot up into uchi-hachiji-dachi.
5. Inhale through your nose, and then exhale through your mouth while performing kakewake-uke.
6. Move your right foot into migi-seisan-dachi (2nd kyu and above - sanchin-dachi).
7. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Inhale through your nose, and at the same time, draw your fists back to your belt. Exhale through your mouth, and push your fists out into chudan level haiko-zuki.
8. Slowly draw your left fist back to your belt.
9. Oi-zuki (kiai).
10. Gyaku-zuki.
11. (Niseishi-dai) Turn your head 180 degrees to the right and look over your right shoulder, and shift back into shiko-dachi, uraken-uchi.
12. (Niseishi-dai) Turn your head 180 degrees to the left, move your right foot to the right into hidari-seisan-dachi, mae-te-zuki. When you perform the mae-te-zuki, shift backwards so that you thrust your ushiro-empi into the opponent behind you.
13. (Niseishi-dai) Gyaku-zuki.
14. Move your left foot over to the right so that your is almost directly in front of your right foot. This takes you off of the line of attack. At the same time, open your hands, draw your right hand back to prepare for a shuto-uchi, and bring your left hand to the center of your chest for a tekubi-kake-uke. Twist your whole body so that you end up in a kosa-dachi, shuto-uchi to the temple. The twisting action is what gives your shuto-uchi power. This all must be performed as a single action. (Niseishi Bunkai # 7)
15. Mae-keage with your right leg.
16. Step through the kick, and after landing, draw your left foot up into a kosa-dachi that is perpendicular to your line of attack (but keep your focus in front, on your embusen). Kosa-uke beside your right hip to grasp your opponents punch. (Niseishi Bunkai # 8 & 9)
17. Pick both hands up into an arc to draw your opponent off balance while moving your left foot back along your embusen into shiko-dachi. Once securely into shiko-dachi, and your hands are now on the left side of your body, heito-uchi with your right hand to your opponents ribs.
18. Turn your head 180 degrees to the left and move your right foot out so you can get into hidari-seisan-dachi (2nd kyu and above - pivot on the heel of your right foot into hidari-chokusen-seisan-dachi) and shuto-uchi to the temple.
19. Mae-keage with your right leg.
20. Step through the kick, and after landing, draw your left foot up into a kosa-dachi that is perpendicular to your line of attack (but keep your focus in front, on your embusen). Kosa-uke beside your right hip to grasp your opponents punch.
21. Pick both hands up into an arc to draw your opponent off balance while moving your left foot back along your embusen into shiko-dachi. Once securely into shiko-dachi, and your hands are now on the left side of your body, heito-uchi with your right hand to your opponents ribs.
22. Turn your head 180 degrees to the left and move your right foot out so you can get into hidari-seisan-dachi (2nd kyu and above - pivot on the heel of your right foot into hidari-chokusen-seisan-dachi) and shuto-uchi to the temple.
23. Bring your right foot up into musubi-dachi and slowly perform haishu-uke with your right hand. Your focus still remains straight ahead. The haishu-uke should finish slightly behind your head. The purpose is to move off the line of attack and slightly push your opponents punch behind your head. (Niseishi Bunkai # 10)
24. Cross both hands (still open) in front of your face. (Niseishi Bunkai # 11)

That's it. The twenty-four steps of Chito-ryu Niseishi-dai (or twenty-one steps to Niseishi-sho, whichever floats your boat).

Things to watch out for?

1. Know your embusen. If not, then there is a lot of places where a small error in your line of attack will result in stances being off more and more.
2. When you kick after the shuto-uchi (steps 14 & 18), make sure to bring your knee up on the inside of your elbow. I know it only makes sense, but you would be surprised how many people don't, and then all of a sudden, the elbow is an obstacle for the kick.
3. The kosa-uke, in my opinion, should be performed like you're grasping a punch, not like you're gently laying your hands in flowers, one after the other.

Niseishi is the first kata learned in Chito-ryu where the karateka demonstrates Zanshin. You could read the Wikipedia article on Zanshin here, but I prefer this write-up at FightingArts.com. You know that part in the kata where you block a punch without even looking? Yeah, that part. That's Zanshin, which, by the way, is step number twenty-three out of twenty-four.