About This Kata
| Name | Shisōchin [四向鎮] |
| Translation | Four Direction Battle / Suppress in Four Directions |
| Style | Gōjū-ryū |
| Level | Intermediate |
| History | Shisōchin is one of the classical Gōjū-ryū kata with roots in Chinese martial arts, particularly White Crane and Tiger styles from Fujian Province, transmitted to Okinawa through Higaonna Kanryō during his studies in China in the 1870s. It features techniques directed to four directions, reflecting multi-directional defence and combat strategy. Its techniques emphasise fighting against multiple opponents. |
| Lineage | Chinese martial arts → Higaonna Kanryō (Naha-te) → Chōjun Miyagi, Kyoda Juhatsu |
Step-by-step movements
| Step | Technique | Translation | Stance | Stance translation | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yoi | yoi | get ready | musubi-dachi | standing stance | Begin after the bow with the hands crossed in front of the abdomen. |
| 1 | morote chudan haiwan-uke / chudan nukite-zuki / hikite | double middle-level back-of-forearm block / middle-level spear-hand thrust / hand pullback | sanchin-dachi | hourglass stance (three battles stance) | Step the right foot forwards. Perform the open-hand Sanchin sequence: double middle-level haiwan-uke, a fast spear-hand thrust, then draw the striking hand quickly back. First repetition. |
| 2 | morote chudan haiwan-uke / chudan nukite-zuki / hikite | double middle-level back-of-forearm block / middle-level spear-hand thrust / hand pullback | sanchin-dachi | hourglass stance (three battles stance) | Advance and repeat the open-hand Sanchin sequence on the opposite side. |
| 3 | morote chudan haiwan-uke / chudan nukite-zuki / hikite | double middle-level back-of-forearm block / middle-level spear-hand thrust / hand pullback | sanchin-dachi | hourglass stance (three battles stance) | Advance and repeat the open-hand Sanchin sequence for the third time. |
| 4 | ryosho age / morote gedan-barai | raise both palms / double downward block | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Raise both palms in an arc before the chest. Step the right foot back into left front stance and perform the double lower sweeping block to the sides. |
| 5 | migi chudan ura-kake-uke / hidari gedan-barai | right middle-level back-hand hook block / left downward block | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Step the right foot diagonally forwards at 45 degrees. Cross the arms, then open them into the right back-hand hook block and left lower sweeping block. |
| 6 | hidari chudan kake-uke / migi ude-osae-uke | left middle-level hook block / right pressing block | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Pass the left hand beneath the right elbow and begin the left hook block while turning the body. Complete the turn into left front stance with the forearm-and-hand pressing action; draw the left hand to hikite. |
| 7 | hidari chudan ura-kake-uke / migi gedan-barai | left middle-level back-hand hook block / right downward block | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Step the left foot diagonally forwards at 45 degrees and perform the mirror image of step 5. |
| 8 | migi chudan kake-uke / hidari ude-osae-uke | right middle-level hook block / left pressing block | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Perform the mirror image of step 6, turning into right front stance. |
| 9 | migi age-empi-uchi / hidari ushiro-empi-uchi | right rising elbow strike / left backwards elbow strike | heisoku-dachi | closed leg stance | Bring the left foot to the right and turn to face the front. Perform both elbow strikes simultaneously. |
| 10 | hidari jodan teisho-zuki / migi gedan teisho-barai | left upper-level palm hand strike / right lower palm-heel sweep | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Turn 180 degrees left, carrying the right foot around. Finish with the back to the front of the kata and perform the high-and-low palm actions together. |
| 11 | migi jodan teisho-zuki / hidari gedan teisho-barai | right upper-level palm hand strike / left lower palm-heel sweep | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Turn 180 degrees right and repeat the palm combination on the opposite side, facing the front. |
| 12 | hidari jodan teisho-zuki / migi gedan teisho-barai | left upper-level palm hand strike / right lower palm-heel sweep | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Step the left foot onto the line at 90 degrees to the previous direction and repeat the left-high/right-low palm combination. |
| 13 | migi jodan teisho-zuki / hidari gedan teisho-barai | right upper-level palm hand strike / left lower palm-heel sweep | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Turn 180 degrees right and repeat the right-high/left-low palm combination. |
| 14 | hidari chudan kake-uke | left middle-level hook block | sanchin-dachi | hourglass stance (three battles stance) | Step the left foot forwards into Sanchin stance. Perform the left hook block and draw the right hand to the side. |
| 15 | migi mae-geri / migi tate-hiji-ate | right front kick / right upward elbow strike | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Kick forwards without changing the hand position. Set the right foot forwards into front stance and strike vertically with the open right elbow; bring the left hand to the solar plexus. |
| 16 | mawaru / hidari chudan kake-uke / migi chudan kake-uke | turn / left middle-level hook block / right middle-level hook block | sanchin-dachi | hourglass stance (three battles stance) | Cross the right foot in front of the left and turn left. Perform the left hook block in the opposite direction, then step the right foot forwards and perform the right hook block. |
| 17 | hidari mae-geri / hidari tate-hiji-ate | left front kick / left upward elbow strike | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Repeat the kick-and-elbow combination on the opposite side. |
| 18 | migi tate-hiji-ate | right upward elbow strike | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Step the left foot back and then continue backwards along the central axis. Finish in right front stance facing the front and perform the open-hand right vertical elbow strike. |
| 19 | mawaru / ryowan-uchi-uke | turn / double inside block | neko-ashi-dachi | cat stance | Turn left on the right foot. Finish on the central axis with the back to the front of the kata and perform the double middle-level inward block with open hands. |
| 20 | ryoken-hikite / morote tate-hiji-ate | double pullback / double upward elbow strike | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Draw both fists to hikite, step forwards and perform the double vertical elbow strike with closed fists. |
| 21 | hidari chudan ura-kake-uke / migi gedan-barai / migi chudan kake-uke / hidari ude-osae-uke | left middle-level back-hand hook block / right downward block / right middle-level hook block / left pressing block | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Step the left foot diagonally forwards and repeat the earlier right-turning hook-and-pressing combination. |
| 22 | hidari age-empi-uchi / migi ushiro-empi-uchi | left rising elbow strike / right backwards elbow strike | heisoku-dachi | closed leg stance | Bring the feet together and complete the repeated combination with the elbow strikes on the opposite sides. |
| 23 | migi chudan ura-kake-uke / hidari gedan-barai / hidari chudan kake-uke / migi ude-osae-uke | right middle-level back-hand hook block / left downward block / left middle-level hook block / right pressing block | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Step back, then move diagonally forwards and repeat the original hook-and-pressing combination. |
| 24 | migi age-empi-uchi / hidari ushiro-empi-uchi | right rising elbow strike / left backwards elbow strike | heisoku-dachi | closed leg stance | Bring the right foot to the left with the back to the front of the kata and repeat the elbow combination from step 9. |
| 25 | mawaru / migi chudan ura-kake-uke / hidari gedan-barai | turn / right middle-level back-hand hook block / left downward block | neko-ashi-dachi | cat stance | Step the right foot forwards and turn left, carrying the left foot around onto the central axis. Finish facing the front in cat stance with the right back-hand hook block and left lower block. |
| Yame | kaisho-kosa / naore / rei | cross the open hands / return / bow | musubi-dachi | standing stance | Cross the hands with the left beneath the right. Bring the left foot to the right, rotate and lower the hands before the abdomen, and bow. |
Variation note
Shisochin is practised with recognised differences between Gōjū-ryū lineages and organisations. This table records one coherent version for use on Kata Step By Step.
Other versions may differ in the terminology used for the opening open-hand Sanchin-style sequence, the hook and pressing actions, and the elbow-strike sections. Notable variations include describing the opening as morote chūdan haiwan-uke, nukite work, open-hand thrusting or pulling hands; naming the hook actions as ura-kake-uke, hiki-uke, kake-uke, ura-kaishu-uke or application-based controls; and describing the elbow strikes as age-empi-uchi, age-hiji-ate, tate-hiji-ate or morote-hiji-ate.
These differences should generally be understood as lineage and terminology variations rather than errors.
Kata steps and diagrams to come. If you would like to help completing this page, please contact me (mark.loftusuk@gmail.com).