Osu! Koryu-gojushiho - Means literally 54 steps. The principle is that each step you take is link to the next step. Your past is linked with your present, your present to your future. In the same way, the modern is inextricably connected with the traditional. It is important to realize that whatever you achieve, it is always as a result of the steps you have taken to get there. You should never forget, therefore, or fail to appreciate, your parents, teachers, and the roots and tradition from which you come.
Tadashi Nakamura who awarded my first Sho-dan in 1973.
Mokuso: Mizu-no-Kokoro
Yoi: Execute opening with powerful ibuki breathing moving into Sanchin Stance, tear the paper with your feet.
Ichi: Turning left hand palm down, bring your left hand to your right armpit. After you bend your right elbow, swing that arm down as your take one-half step forward on your right foot. As your right foot returns to floor (you are somewhat snaking in for strike if you get my meaning right foot lifted off floor) execute a right inverted fist strike, left arm straight out acting hikite. You will be exploding into this move, in this instance you can use your left palm heel to parry your opponent's thrust from above, and as you step forward, strike his face with right inverted fist (uraken). You are now in moro ashi dachi.
Ni: Repeat Inchi
San: Remaining in right Moro ashi right uraken, left hand under right elbow palm down, move in left Sanchin dachi double block. You are blocking your opponents grab with both hands.
Shi: Moving into right Sanchin swing your right knife-hand (tensho) clockwise, this movement coming right to left smooth motion (think of Shotei/Tensho advanced forms) across the front of your body. You are essentially executing an upper right knife-hand roundhouse block. This movement permits you to hook your knife hand on the inside of your opponent's arm when he tries an upper thrust and then parry it successfully. Execute left/right middle thrust. Try to execute smoothly carrying circle point block, strike strike.
Go: Moving into left Sanchin repeat Bunkai "shi".
So up to now the first five moves are smooth, uncomplicated, this form builds in complexity and all "expertise" needs attention here as we continue Black Belts.
Roku: Now while remaining in left Sanchin stance with last left middle thrust holding positing, look to your right 45 degree angle, execute right yoko geri while left arm comes across front of body in unison, right hand pulls back while left hand becomes your hikite, execute yoko geri Rechamber and with arm and leg execute a right jun tsuki side punch into kiba.
Nana: While holding right kiba jun tsuki look left repeat Bunkai Roku executing left yoko geri with right arm coming across your chest as your hikite and coming down into left kiba dachi jun tsuki, hold. Note both these moves requires a good balance, extension, Rechamber, and coming into your jun tsuki kiba dachi smoothly. Note the yoko geri depicted in Advanced Karate is used as a block against an opponents jodan tsuki.
Hachi: Remaining in left kiba dachi jun tsuki hold 45 angle position. Pivot to left zen from left kiba, execute jodan rising elbow with right arm while pivoting into Zen at 45 degree angle.
Ku: While remaining in zen stance with right rising elbow at 45 degree angle, slide right foot to left foot slide right foot out into right kiba dachi execute left rising elbow, immediately followed with descending right elbow rising up and coming down dropping weight Kia strong.
Ju: rise up into a right moro ashi dachi bringing the back of the hands together in front of your face, lower your both palms (Shotei) heels straight in front of you in a block, against a possible front kick.
Ichi: Repeat Bunkai Ju
Ni: New moves coming up need to pay particular attention to detail here as we are use to shuto uke, mawashi uke blocking techniques. Holding last right moro ashi morote palm heel block. Turn, pivot to your left into a deep ko dachi (going back down line) as you would with basic 1-4 shuto mawashi uke block. Cover groin left hand not cupped inside other hand but bring together left on top of right hand opened. Execute mini-mawashi uke by circling then left hand comes out as though grabbing opponents wrist with left hand and striking with right hand at opponents elbow and coming to end point with right open hand wrist on top of left wrist simulating a elbow break. This needs Dojo study with your Sensei.
San: Repeat Bunkai Ni by moving right foot in right ko stance execute circle block.
Shi: Repeat Bunkai Ni by moving into left foot into left ko stance and execute circle block. So three ko's left, right, left.
Go: Now we switch gears dropping into 3 kiba moves executing throws and blocks. Remaining in deep left ko right hand wrist on top of left hand wrist. Slide left foot out into kiba dachi swing both knife hands above your right shoulder then sharply strike them downward on a slanting line to your left side blocking a front kick from your opponent.
Roku: Left leg steps behind right leg sliding into right kiba stance staying low execute another swing both knife hands up to right shoulder down to your left side again and execute another double block from opponents front kick to your right side. Immediately followed by another look over right shoulder (reaching) with right and left hands somewhat arching back with your body and throw your opponent over to the ground kia . Soshu Shigeru Oyama intimated this was a throw at a spear-man on a horse you grabbing spear trowing him off horse, I saw this one time during a Samurai movie and it caught my eye. So whether you visualize this or just a plain nage-waza judo throw, its OK. Your hand position should be right hand on top near your shoulder left hand around middle area, fists closed at a 45 degree angle, this move immediately followed by another swing your arms over your left shoulder and execute another double block to your right side. Remember the double blocks the upper palm faces down the lower palm faces up.
Nana: Your really are going to repeat Bunkai Roku but moving left. Stay deep in kiba holding right double block positing. Now look left, slide right foot behind left foot, slide into left kiba dachi executing another set of two blocks and a throw. Double block down to your right side, look over left shoulder reach arch pull throw opponent over shoulder Kia, fists close, immediately follow-up with double block to your left.
Hachi: Hold low right kiba with double block to left side top Palm facing down left palm facing up. Immediately step with right foot left (coming up out of kiba) arm acting as your hikite striking with right arm uraken to opponents face into moro ashi dachi. Make sure when executing any uraken to opponents face bring striking arm behind you head. We can call these last sets starting with ko stances to kiba to moro as going down the "I".
Ku: Hold right moro ashi dachi right arm uraken to opponents face left palm under elbow as support and block. Turning mawate left foot crosses behind right foot turning and execute inside outside block with left arm while right arm becomes your hikite into left Sanchin stance. Hold
Ju: Now prepare for three sets of hand techniques moving three steps Sanchin left/right/left Sanchin. Going back up the line. While remaining in left Sanchin dachi left chudan uchi uke block. Pull left arm back (hikite fashion) execute right elbow strike to opponents face immediately followed with a back fist strike to opponents face, immediately followed by right shuto hizo uke to middle area. Note these hand techniques are done quickly smoothly 1-2-3. In Advanced Karate the shuto hizo uchi is depicted as blocking a front snap kick Palm heel making contact with opponents outside ankle.
Ichi: Slide right foot forward into right Sanchin dachi immediately execute right elbow uraken strike followed with shuto hizo uke
Ni: Slide left foot forward into left Sanchin dachi immediately execute left elbow uraken strike followed by shuto hizo uke.
San: Holding last move, you have just executed three moves in Sanchin with elbow uraken strike ending with shuto hizo uke block. These moves are kewl execute them smoothly. While holding position with left foot forward in left Sanchin dachi, right hand still held in shuto hizo uke. Leaving your right hand in the same position, turn the palm of your right hand upward, slowly, bring it straight to the height of your mouth, in a move that enables you to parry your opponent's strike upward to your face. Leaving your right palm in the same position. pivoting (don't forget you are in Sanchin stance). Pivoting on your left foot, execute right mae geri to opponent. Step wide froward on your right foot---leaving your left foot in same positing---and assume the right forward leaning stance Zen as you execute a left gedan tsuki reinforced it by putting your right hand on top of your left elbow. Pivoting quickly on your left foot, turn 180 degree's counterclockwise, and execute gedan morote uke kamae into zen Kia strong.
Shi: Now remembering and watching video with Soshu Shigeru Oyama, hes talking to me. This next move a little complicated Soshu said. While maintaining forward leaning stance at 180 degree angle turn, both arms at gedan morote kamae, held at middle area. Now raise both arms simultaneously left arm coming outside and raising both arms over your head, big circle motion, at high point arms are level with shoulder's wide motion here, hold arms out overhead fists closed, left foot moves 45 degree's left into another zen stance complete circle block with right arm inside left arm simultaneously swinging both arms into another morote gedan.
Go: Holding zen stance and gedan morote no-kamae, slide right foot forward into ko stance, note the hands which were held in gedan morote kame, now bring back as though you were going to do the traditional shuto mawashi-uke block. These next four moves in ko require a knife hand hook block, Soshu Shigeru Oyama specifically said this is not shuto mawashi uke block/strike. As you move into right ko stance execute knife hand hook, circle feels like shuto mawashi uke but to me more concentric circle always ending up with bottom hand palm face up top hand palm facing down, deep ko's please
Roku: Slide left foot forward ko execute left hook block
Nana: Slide right foot forward execute right hook block
Note: The hooks blocks are done smoothly while in ko, they look kewl.
Shichi: While holding the ko and hook block kamae. Left foot turns 225 degrees counterclockwise assume another ko hook block stance, setting up for deep kibas Bunkai.
Hachi: While holding ko and hook block kamae, slide right foot in front of the left foot staying low, slide into left kiba stance bring arms to right shoulder execute sharply shuto morote gedan block, immediately followed with right arm fist brought to back of head, left arm/hand under arm pit as hikite. Remember to bring your left hand under your right arm. Execute a right uraken to opponents face immediately followed by left hand nukite and right nukite knife hands middle area, kia strong on right nukite, immediately bring both arms to left shoulder and execute shuto morote block to right side of kiba.
Ku: Now holding last position kiba shuto morote uke, cross left foot in front staying low and slide into right kiba stance execute shuto morote block, bring left arm.hand back to head, right arm/palm under armpit execute uraken to opponent's face immediately followed by right hand nukite to middle area and left hand nukite to middle area kia strong.
Ju: While holding right kiba gedan shuto block, slide right foot forward into deep ko, Soshu Shigeru Oyama says deep ko, push right shoulder deep seiken to opponents face, turn your shoulder Tsuki-komi punch.
Ichi: Slide left foot forward into left ko Tsuki-komi punch.
Ni: Slide right foot forward into right ko Tsuki-komi punch.
San: While holding last move in right ko Tsuki-komi turn left coming up into heiko dachi, just pivot right foot is all, small movement. I love this combination coming up, remembering Soshu Shigeru Oyama doing this so beauteous. Bring both hands/fists together as though you were doing basic uraken sayu-uchi warm-ups. Strike simultaneously to right and left sides, return immediately pull both hands back to armpits execute double punch to face, return immediately both hands to ready positing armpits, bring immediately back and out as double block rising left arm outside come up over head, immediately swing both arms down as double blocks, now for the tricky part, swing both arms/hands back up (as in move Bunkai shi) another big motion here fists actually looking as though you were lifting weights and swing both arms/hands down to side in a double block. Soshu Shigeru Oyama broke this down to ten moves there abouts. Speed, smoothness imperative.Complete movement by turning in left forward leaning stance and execute right reverse punch.
Note: In Advanced Karate the above moves mentioned that the right-left inverted fist strikes these movements are used in parrying an opponent's attempt to seize your arms. When right/left uraken re chambered to armpits the book depicts an opponent trying to grab you, break his hold, head butt, and double strike to face. Be that as it may visualize what you will, I have not seen the move changed in 40 years.
Shi: While holding forward leaning stance reverse punch pick-up right foot "bending" right knee step froward into right moro ashi (half-step) and turning them palms down,, lower your hands in a descending palm-heel block.
Go: Repeat Shi right foot forward
Roku: Repeat Go right foot forward.
Nana: Pivoting on your right foot, turn your body 180 degrees counterclockwise, assume a left ko stance, block with left palm execute a right spear hand as you bring your left hand under your right arm for added support.
Hachi: Holding last left ko, right spear hand slide right foot forward into right ko, block with left palm, execute a left spear hand as you bring your right hand under your left arm for support Kia strong.
Yoi right foot moves to left Musubi dachi, Norae Yasume right foot returns to heiko dachi.