JITTE – TEN HANDS.
Translated, Jitte means "ten hands." This name suggests a fight that takes place against a large number of opponents.
Jitte is a short kata that deserves its status as a master kata due to its sometimes unusual techniques, which teach exceptional applications in specific combat situations.
Jitte includes many defenses against stick attacks, making it the Shōtōkan kata that covers most combat situations against armed attackers.
The use of hips combined with body rotations is very pronounced. This requires good coordination of the core muscles as well as the arms and legs. The sometimes large movements are a good exercise for staying compact: the techniques only gain the necessary kime through the use of the hara.
The yōi in Jitte is similar to that in Jion and Ji'in. The first defensive technique (tekubi kake uke) represents a possible defense against a stick thrust. You grasp the stick with both hands and use a lever to unbalance the attacker. Rhythm is crucial for the last four techniques. The first three age uke are executed according to the sanbon principle. After a short pause, the final technique follows, which can be interpreted either as an attack (oi komi) or as a lever (e.g., against oi zuki).
Duration: about 50 seconds
