Gojūshihō

Gojūshihō (“54 Steps”) is a popular kata, which is included in the curricula of many karate styles. Gojūshihō typically reserved for high-level black belts, since it is long and technically complex.

No one is sure who created this form, though its name suggests a Buddhist origin. Buddhists place an intense numerological significance on the number 108 and its factors; 108 ÷ 2 = 54. Gojūshihō may have been imported from China, as many of its movements appear in the Bubishi (Wubei Zhi), a popular military textbook from 1620’s China. The Bubishi also refers to a fighting system called “The 54 Steps of the Black Tiger;” this may be Gojūshihō, or one of its evolutionary ancestors.

Directions

[video of Gojūshihō, performed fast and slow, viewed from cameras at #1, 3, 7, 5. Be sure that you take up the whole frame. A lot of our old kata videos are from too far away, and it hides some detail. ]

1. Stand in an attention stance with open hands at groin level (left hand over right hand, palms facing inward). With strong nogare breathing, raise and rotate your hands into a palms-up position at solar plexus level, clenching the right hand in a fist.
2. Step your right foot to #8, kneeling on your left knee, facing #1, with a downward X-block.
3. Raise up, twisting into a right cat stance facing #3 with a left supportive block.
4. Immediately execute a double-outside ridge-hand block, and a double punch.
5. Step your left foot to #3, transitioning into a left sanchin dachi, before entering a left cat stance facing #7 with a right supportive block.
6. Immediately execute a double-outside ridge-hand block, and a double punch.
7. Invert your cat stance, stepping your left foot to #3, entering a left front stance facing #2 with a left outside ridge-hand block, which immediately turns over into a left grasping block.
8. Execute a reverse punch, front-foot punch, right front snap-kick, and a reverse punch.
9. Shift into a right front stance facing #8, with a right outside ridge-hand block, which immediately turns over into a grasping block.
10. Execute a reverse punch, front-foot punch, right front snap-kick, and a reverse punch.
11. Twist counter-clockwise into an attention stance facing #5 with a left outside shutō block, and then a right punch to the opponent’s solar plexus.
12. Slide your right leg back to #2, entering a left front stance facing #5 with a right downward shutō block.
13. Step your right foot to #4, entering a right front stance facing #5, with a right outside ridge-hand block. Execute a left yokon-nukite to the opponent’s throat.
14. Step your left foot to #6, entering a left front stance facing #5, with a left outside ridge-hand block. Execute a right yokon-nukite to the opponent’s throat.
15. Step your right foot to #4, entering a right front stance facing #5, with a right outside ridge-hand block. Execute a left yokon-nukite to the opponent’s throat.
16. Step your right foot to #7, twisting and sinking into a right cat stance facing #3 with a left shutō guard.
17. Execute a left front snap kick to #3. Upon re-chambering, slide your left foot to #4, entering a left front stance facing #3 with a left shutō guard.
18. Immediately step your right foot to #3, with your toes pointing to #1, entering an extended right hook stance facing #3 with a left shutō guard.
19. Twist into a right sleeping crane stance facing #1, Shoot your arms 45° upward to #7, with open hands. Look in that direction.
20. Drive your left foot down to #3, entering a kiba dachi facing #1 with a double punch to groin level. Look in that direction.
21. Twist into a left cat stance facing #7 with a right shutō guard.
22. Execute a right front snap kick to #7. Upon re-chambering, slide your right foot to #6, entering a right front stance facing #7 with a right shutō guard.
23. Step your left foot to #7, with your toes pointing to #1, entering an extended left hook stance facing #7 with a right shutō guard.
24. Twist into a left sleeping crane stance facing #1, Shoot your arms 45° upward to #3, with open hands. Look in that direction.
25. Drive your left foot down to #7, entering a kiba dachi facing #1 with double punch to groin level. Look in that direction.
26. Slide your right foot to #1, entering a left full-side-facing to #3, with a downward hammer-fist strike to the opponent’s groin at #1. Your open left hand covers the right side of your face.
27. Twist into a left cat stance facing #1 with a right downward backfist. Your open left hand is inside your right armpit, covering your exposed ribs.
28. Step your right foot to #2, twisting into a right cat stance facing #5 with a left shutō block.
29. Execute a left grasping block. Step your right foot to #5, entering a left full-side-facing to #7, with a downward hammer-fist strike to the opponent’s groin at #5.
30. Reset into a kiba dachi facing #7, with a left side shutō guard to #1.
31. Slap opponent’s hand down with left palm. Reach across chest and grab opponent’s hand with right hand.
32. Step right foot to #2, entering a left hook stance facing #1 with a left uraken uchi, pulling right hand to left armpit.
33. Step your right foot back to #6, entering a left front stance facing #1 with a left downward-fist block.
34. Immediately execute a double outside ridge-hand block.
35. Reach forward and grab the opponent by both lapels, pulling them down into a left knee snap kick.
36. Step your right foot to #2, entering a right hook stance facing #1. Execute a left side snap kick to #3.
37. Upon re-chambering, step your right foot to #8, entering a left hook stance facing #1 with a right supportive block.
38. Step your right foot to #8, entering a right front stance facing #1 with a left downward-fist block.
39. Step your left foot to #8, entering a right hook stance facing #1 with a left uraken-uchi, left hand under right armpit.
40. Step your right foot to #3, twisting and sinking into a right cat stance facing #7 with a left shutō guard.
41. Invert your cat stance, stepping your right foot to #7, entering a right hook stance facing #6 with a right shutō block.
42. Step your left foot to #7, entering a left front stance facing #6 with a left cross-body block. Execute a reverse punch.
43. Twist and sink into a left cat stance facing #3 with a right shutō guard.
44. Invert your cat stance, and step your left foot to #3, into a right hook stance facing #4 with a left shutō block.
45. Step your right foot to #3, entering a right front stance facing #4 with a right cross-body block. Execute a reverse punch.
46. Pull your left foot in, then immediately step your left foot out to #7, kneeling on your right knee, facing #6 with a downward X-block.
47. Execute a right nami-ashi, stepping your right foot to #1, entering a kiba dachi facing #3.
48. Execute a double reverse elbow strike.
49. Execute a double hook punch.
50. Step your right foot out to #6, entering a left hook stance facing #5 with a double hook punch.
51. Step your right foot to #4, entering a right front stance facing #5 with a double chūdan-uke.
52. Execute a right downward-fist block, and reverse punch.
53. Look over your left shoulder. Pull your right foot in before stepping out to #5, entering a full-side-facing to #7, with a downward hammer-fist to #1.
54. Pull your right foot up to an attention stance facing #1. Goshin-Jutsu bow.

Bunkai

Movement 1 mudra