This video gives a very brief overview of the history and bunkai of Gekisai Dai Ichi (also known as Fukyugata Ni) and Gekisai Dai Ni. As with all such clips, this is a very short summation and hence it is impossible to cover all details and the wider training methodology. I nevertheless hope what is shown is of interest and that it encourages you to seek out further instruction.

All the best,

Iain

History of the Kata:

Essentially, the two Fukyugata are “Pinan equivalents” in that they were designed to be summation of the karate that went before. They are very new kata (made in the 1940s) and were created by Shoshin Nagamine (Matsubayashi-ryu) and Chojun Miyagi (Goju-ryu) at the request of Gen Hayakawa (governor of the Okinawa Prefecture) via the Karate-Do Special Committee.

The idea was to create standardised kata that would cut across all the various streams of karate, that were suitable for novices, and would provide a common grounding in the basics of karate. The Pinans had been in existence for some time, but they were considered to be a summation of “Shuri-te” line alone (quite rightly) and hence were lacking the “Naha-te” side of things.

Shoshin Nagamine made the first kata (Fukyugata Ich) and Chojun Miyagi made the second kata (Fukyugata Ni). Matsubayashi-ryu still practise them both. Fukyugata Ni remains part of Goju-Ryu but under the revised name of Gekisai Dai Ichi (normally the first kata taught in Goju-Ryu). Chojun Miyagi later went on to teach a second version of the same kata, which is largely the same, but with the addition of the circular hand motions common to other Goju kata. This revised version of Fukyugata Ni / Gekisai Dai Ichi is called Gekisai Dai Ni (normally the second kata taught in Goju).

The name “Fukyu” (普及) translates as something like “universal”, “popular” or “widely spread”. So the name of the kata matches the intention behind their creation. The revised name of “Gekisai" (撃砕) translates as “Pulverise” or “Attack and Destroy” which would seem to be more reflective of the intent of the applications; as opposed to the former name which reflected the “political intent” of the kata.

Irrespective of core style, the two kata are useful to all karateka for the overview they were intended to capture. For “Shuri-Te” types like myself, Fukyugata Ni (Gekisai Dai Ichi) and it’s close variant Gekisai Dai Ni can be a great way to add a little “Naha-te” into the mix. Short, simple and easy to adopt into regular practise (just as they were created to be).