Jitte

Jitte is the third 'temple' kata (along with Jion and Jiin). The original name was Jutte, meaning 'ten' (ju) 'hands' (te) but is most commonly referred to nowadays as Jitte though the meaning of 'Ten Hands' has remained. Funakoshi sensei tells us that the name implies that a person skilled in this form is as competent in fighting as ten men. The kata comes down to us through the Tomari te stream and is believed to have its origins in China, though clearly more Okinawan style movements have either been added or have replaced whatever was there originally. The pattern does however start with the distinctive left hand covering the clenched right fist.

The most common bunkai interpretation of the movements that are unique to this kata is that it is to be used against a bo (staff) wielding opponent but it has also been argued that in fact the kata was originally intended to practice bo techniques in an empty-handed fashion. In other words, certain of the movements are best understood if the practitioner actually himself held a bo. That at least some of the older kata of various styles were (arguably) intended to represent movements with actual weapons has been picked up on by Nathan J. Johnson in his book The Great Karate Myth. Of particular interest are the opening movements. According to Nathan Johnson, who examines Sanchin and Seisan (Hangetsu in Shotokan), the hand movements replicate how a pair of sai would have been held. This is more clearly seen in Seisan but, Johnson argues, these movements have been replicated and modified in Sanchin so that the lower hand is now palm down rather than palm up - as seen in movement #2 in the video below. Of further interest here is that the name of the kata is also the name of a weapon very similar to the sai except it has only one prong (for catching and controlling another weapon) whereas the sai has two prongs.

Master Kanazawa performing Jitte