Nijushiho

二十四歩

The name Nijushiho (or 二十四歩 in Japanese) means ‘Twenty-Four Steps’. The origin of this kata is unknown. It was taught by a teacher from Gichin Funakoshi (1868 – 1957), namely Seisho Aragaki (1840 – 1918). One of the characteristics of this kata is alternating fast and slow movements. This teaches the practitioner to develop his ability to shift from relaxation to tension, which requires great control of the body and its muscles. In the video embedded below (recorded on 11 September 2023), budoka Johan Oldenkamp, a former national runner-up from the Netherlands, performs this Twenty-Four Steps kata of Shotokan ( 松濤館 ) Karatedo ( 空手道 ).