Kishu Tatsu Geki

Kishu Tatsu Geki (“Sneak Attack;” literally: “The Direction-Suppressing Drama”) earns its name because it uses deceptive footwork to trick your opponents into thinking that counterattacks will come from other directions, setting up surprise attacks.

Kishu Tastu Geki has no lulls or pauses; it is to be performed as one continuous movement. This is a long and technically complex form that requires great endurance. As such, this form is reserved for advanced students, and it is often the last thing a student must learn before testing for their black belt.

Directions

[video of Kishu Tastu Geki, performed fast and slow, viewed from cameras at #1, 3, 7, 5. Be sure that you take up the whole frame. A lot of our old kata videos are from too far away, and it hides some detail. ]

1. Quickly look to #3. Step your right foot to #8 and turn into a right back stance facing #3, and rapidly execute a left cross-body block, left downward-fist block, and another left cross-body block.
2. Shift forward into a front stance with reverse and front-foot punches.
3. Quickly look to #1. Twist into a left walking crane stance facing #1 with a with right cross-body block. Execute a right front kick.
4. Upon re-chambering, slide your right foot out to #8, entering a right front stance facing #1 with a reverse punch.
5. Quickly look to #8. Twist into a left cat stance facing #8, with a right downward shutō block. Invert your cat stance, with a left pressing block.
6. Step your left foot to #1, entering a left front stance facing #8, with a right uraken uchi. Your left hand remains open in your right armpit to guard your ribs.
7. Pull back into a left walking crane stance facing #8 with a Chugoku-te guard. Execute a right side kick to #6.
8. Upon re-chambering, slide your right foot out to #6 and enter a left full-side-facing with a right makkikomi-shutō to #6.
9. Shift into a transitional front stance and pull your left foot up to your right foot, with a left ude uke.
10. Immediately step your left foot out to #7, entering a left front stance facing #6, with a right two-fingered spearhand strike to the opponent’s throat.
11. Right nami-ashi, and slide your right foot out to #3, into a horse stance facing #5 with a simultaneous left ridgehand block and a right downward shutō block.
12. Shift into a left front stance facing #6, with an uraken uchi to #5.
13. Shift to a right front stance facing #4, with a left gyaku-sakuite, shifting into left front stance facing #6, as your deliver the right shutō to the opponent’s bladder.
14. Step your right foot to #1, twisting into a left back stance facing #2, with a right downward-fist block.
15. Immediately shift into a right front stance facing #2 with a left rising block, followed by a right tate tsuki.
16. Quickly look to #8. Twist into a left cat stance facing #8, with a right spearhand guard.
17. Pull up into a right walking crane stance facing #8, switching to a left spearhand guard, with a left front kick.
18. Upon re-chambering, slide your left foot out to #1, entering a left front stance facing #8. Reach your left hand behind the opponent’s head, and smack your left palm with a downward haishu uchi, producing a satisfying clap. (This similar to the Goshin-Jutsu bow.)
19. Quickly look over your right shoulder to #4. Shift back into a right cat stance with a right rear elbow strike to #4.
20. Step your left foot to #4, twisting into an extended cat stance facing #4 with a double four-fingered spearhand strike -- the left hand is vertical, and strikes the opponent’s throat; the right hand is horizontal, and strikes their solar plexus.
21. Quickly look over your right shoulder to #8. Twist into a left one-line back stance to #8 with a right cross-body block.
22. Pull your left foot up to your right with a left ude uke.
23. Immediately step your left foot to #1, entering a left front stance facing #8 with a right uraken uchi, Your left hand remains open in your right armpit to guard your ribs.
24. Immediately right nami-ashi, sliding your right foot to #4, entering a right full-side-facing with a left makkikomi-shutō to #4.
25. Left nami-ashi, stepping your left foot to #3, entering a horse stance facing #1. Execute a left rising block with ibuki breathing.
26. Slither as in Futasu-mae, stepping your left foot to #4 and twisting into a left back stance facing #1 with a right downward-fist block.
27. Slither as in Futasu-mae, stepping your right foot to #6 and twisting into a right back stance facing #1 with a left downward-fist block.
28. Shift into a left walking crane stance facing #1 with a right cross-body block. Execute a right front kick.
29. Upon re-chambering, slide your right foot to #8, entering a right front stance facing #1. Reach behind the opponent’s head with your right hand and execute a left forward elbow strike.
30. Shift into a left back stance facing #1, with your left hand on your left hip, and your right hand on your left shoulder. Both hands are open with your palms facing away from you.
31. Shift into a right front stance facing #1, reaching out and grabbing the opponent by the belt and left lapel.
32. Shift back into a left cat stance facing #1, pulling your hands back; your left hand on is on your left hip, and your right hand on your left shoulder.
33. Step your right foot back to #5, and twist into right front stance facing #6, with a mountain punch to #6 (left arm high).
34. Pull your right foot back into a left cat stance facing #5 with a kakiwake uke (with shutō hands).
35. Right nami-ashi with a left downward pressing block. Slide your right foot to #4, entering a right front stance facing #5 with a right two-fingered spearhand strike (palm down). Hold your left hand open in your right armpit to guard your ribs.
36. Step right foot back into a left hook stance facing #5 with a Chugoku-te guard. Execute a right side kick to #5.
37. Upon re-chambering, slide your right foot out to #5, and slap the opponent’s arm down with your right hand. Grasp their sleeve or wrist with your left hand, and pull them into a right a uraken uchi as you pull your left leg up into a right hook stance, facing #7.
38. Slide back into a right cat stance, facing #7 with a left outside shutō block.
39. Invert your cat stance, and enter a left walking crane stance facing #7, with a right cross-body block. Execute a right front kick.
40. Upon re-chambering, slide your foot out to #7, briefly entering a left extended cat stance, slapping the opponent’s arm with your right hand. Grasp their sleeve or wrist with your left hand, and pull them into a right a uraken uchi as you pull your left leg up into a right hook stance, facing #7.
41. Step your left foot out to #3, entering a left front stance facing #2 with a mountain punch (left arm high).
42. Slide your right foot back into a left cat stance facing #8 with a kakiwake uke (with closed fists). Execute a right front kick to #8.
43. Upon re-chambering, step your right foot to #3, and immediately step your left foot to #4, kneeling on your right knee facing #3, with a left rising block.
44. Execute a right reverse punch to the opponent’s abdomen, then a left gyaku-sakuite.
45. Quickly look over your left shoulder to #7. Twist clockwise, into a kneeling position on your left knee facing #7, with a right rising block.
46. Stand up into a left cat stance with a right outside shutō block.
47. Invert your cat stance, and enter a right walking crane stance facing #7 with a left cross-body block. Execute a left front kick to #7.
48. Upon re-chambering, slide your left foot to #1, entering a horse stance facing #7 with a downward X-block. Grab the opponent’s sokutō, and pull your hands to your hips.
49. Execute a right nami-ashi, then slide your right foot to #7, and entering a left full-side-facing, to #1, with a simultaneous left rising shutō block and a right low-level pressing block to #7.
50. Shift into a right full-side-facing, facing #1, with a simultaneous right rising shutō block and a left low-level pressing block to #7.
51. Pull your left foot up into an attention stance. Goshin-Jutsu bow.

Notes

The triple block in Movement 1 still uses reciprocal action; it just does so implicitly. Rather than making the full motion, tense the right side of your body as each block completes. That well-timed tension will function as reciprocal action to work; pulling your hands back is just a mnemonic to help the beginners learn to tense as a technique completes to generate snap. By this point, you should be able to do this without any additional motions.

The spearhand guard from Movement 16 is just a regular fighting stance guard, but instead of clenched fists, your hands form four-fingered spearhands, with the thumbs facing up.

Movement 25 can be performed with or without ibuki breathing, based on your personal preference.

Bunkai

An attacker from #3 attacks with a flurry of blows from many different angles and levels, but you manage to evade and block these attacks (Movement 1) before counterattacking with punches to the floating ribs and/or solar plexus (Movement 2).

Another opponent attacks with a kick from #1, but you quickly evade, block and counter with a kick of your own (Movement 3) before knocking the wind out of them with a reverse punch to the solar plexus (Movement 4).

Another opponent enters from #8, and attack with a kick and follows up with a punch, both of which you quickly block (Movement 5), and counterattack with an uraken uchi to their philtrum (Movement 6), to stun them long enough to setup a standing arm bar. Another opponent at #6 tries to take advantage of the situation, but you immediately crumple them with a side kick to the abdomen, solar plexus, or groin (Movement 7) followed by a makkikomi-shutō to the side of their neck (Movement 8). The opponent retreats backward while throwing a left punch, to keep you from entering. However, you pursue the opponent, brushing their attack aside (Movement 9), before piercing their throat with a spearhand strike (Movement 10)

Another opponent enters from #5, who tries to off-balance you by sweeping your right leg and grabbing you with a standard jūdō grip (i.e., simultaneously grabbing the right lapel, and grasping the left sleeve just under the elbow). However, you block all of these (Movement 11) before countering with an uraken uchi to the philtrum (Movement 12), stunning the opponent long enough to incapacitate them with a gyaku-sukuite (Movement 13).

Another opponent -- possibly one from earlier who has since recovered -- attacks low, and then high, from #2. You block both of these attacks, before knocking the wind out of the opponent with a tate tsuki to their solar plexus (Movements 14-15).

You notice that the attacker at #8 has recovered from his previous injuries, and you assume a right spearhand guard in anticipation (Movement 16). You then switch to a left spearhand guard, using your hand movement to distract the opponent from noticing that you transitioned into a crane stance, so your kick to their groin takes them by surprise (Movement 17). This will stun the opponent and cause them to lean forward, enabling you to reach your left hand behind their head to pull them into a backhanded smack to the bridge of their nose (Movement 18).

Another opponent tries to sneak up behind you from #4, but you hear them coming, and catch them off-guard with a rear elbow strike (Movement 19). This stuns them long enough for you to incapacitate the opponent with simultaneous four-fingered spearhand strikes to their throat and solar plexus (Movement 20).

The opponent at #8 recovers, because while your counterattack was humiliating, it was not brutal enough to stop them. You quickly block their initial (Movement 21) and follow-up attacks (Movement 22) before countering with an uraken uchi to the philtrum (Movement 23), stunning the opponent long enough to follow-up with a makkikomi-shutō to the side of their neck (Movement 24).

The opponent at #1 is able to breathe again, and is enraged by the scenes unfolding around them. They try to off balance you with a right leg sweep, and a right lapel grab, but you evade and break free of their grasp (Movement 25). The opponent immediately follows up with left and right pursuit punches to your abdomen, which you evade and block (Movements 26-27). The opponent follows-up with a left haymaker, which you blocks and immediately counter with a kick to the groin (Movement 28). This will stun the opponent and cause them to lean forward, enabling you to reach your right hand behind their head to pull and turn it into a left forward elbow strike to their temple or the side of their jaw (Movement 29). Reach out to keep the opponent from collapsing on top of you (Movement 30). Grab the opponent’s belt and lapel, (Movements 31) and pull them into you (Movements 32), so you can dump them with a hip throw (Movement 33).

The opponent at #5 has recovered somewhat, and lunges at you with a front choke or double lapel grab, but you quickly break free (Movement 34). The opponent immediately follows-up with a straight punch, but you deflect this and counter with a two-fingered spearhand strike to the throat (Movement 35). Undaunted, the opponent continues, and attacks with a pursuit punch, but you evade their strike and use the opportunity to place them in a standing arm bar. The only way for the opponent to escape the pain is to rise up on their tip-toes, compromising their balance. This adds a dramatic flair to your follow-up counterattack; when you side kick the off-balanced opponent in the groin or abdomen, it will knock them back, and have a chilling effect on the other opponents (Movement 36). In a last-ditch effort, the opponent swings at you with a left haymaker, which you deflect. You immediately grab their hand as you close in, and you mercifully knock them out with an uraken uchi to the temple or the side of their jaw (Movement 37).

A fresh reinforcement arrives from #7, and attacks with a right punch, which you immediately block (Movement 38). The opponent immediately follows-up with a left punch, which you block and immediately counter with a front kick to the groin (Movement 39). This will stun the opponent and cause them to lean forward, enabling you to use your right hand deflect the opponent’s left arm downward, to give you an opening. You immediately grab their hand as you close in, and you incapacitate them with a “Stooge-style” two-fingered spearhand strike to their eyes (Movement 40).

By this time, the original opponent at #3, and the opponent at #8 have both recovered, and take advantage of their positions to launch a two-pronged attack. The opponent at #3 attacks with a right haymaker, which you block-counter with a mountain punch (Movement 41). The opponent at #8 tries to grab you from behind, but you turn and break free, and immediately follow-up with a front kick to their groin (Movement 42), stunning the opponent and buying you time to deal with the opponent at #3. As you close in on the opponent at #3, they attack with another right punch, which you duck and block (Movement 43), before stunning the opponent with a reverse punch to the abdomen and finishing them off with a gyaku-sukuite (Movement 44). The other opponent recovers and tries to front kick your head from #7, which you deflect upward (Movement 45). The opponent throws a left jab as you try to stand up, which you block (Movement 46) and immediately follow-up with a straight right punch, which you block and immediately counter with a front kick to the groin (Movement 47). However, the opponent blocks your kick, and counterattacks with a front kick, which you tap with a downward X-block, before twisting their and breaking their ankle (Movement 48).

Having defeated all who have threatened you, you take the liberty of indulging yourself in some animé-esque posing to detract any would-be opponents from wanting to rush in (Movements 49-50), before the kata ends (Movement 51).

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