Jiffa Kata

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The Jiffa are a hand held pair of weapons, about 1/2" x 4", sharpened to points on either end. There's a 1 1/2 inch sharpened point drilled in and glued at a 90 deg. angle about 1 3/4" down the shaft which projects between the index and middle fingers when the plam is closed. This "post" holds the top knot.

In Japanese, the "jiifa" is a long metal hairpin. In Guishi Sensei's Okinawan Hogan dialect, the "jiffa" is what the Japanese call a "Tecchu." Guishi pronounces it with a "w" sound on the 2nd syllable, "ji fuwa."

Guishi's Jiffa is on his video series, Tape IV. Tsunami Productions. Overstock.com is the cheapest source.

See ... [url]http://www.wonder-okinawa,.jp/023/eng/013/005/index.html[/url]


See also ...http://www.okiadventures.com/html/fist.html

The folks at okiadventures.com call a beefed up version of the jiffa a "san-saki-ken" 3-point fist.

When Guishi Sensei performs, he slides the pair out of his top-knot. They are varnished and quite slender. Each one fits in the palm of one's hand. The sharpened points extend just above and below the palm and a 3rd projectile of about an inch extends between the index and middle finger.

The first three turns are exactly as in Kanshuwa. Outside blocks instead of circle blocks are used. Placing the jiffa in each hand changes the entire nature of the movement since the blocking arm delivers a piercing strike to the incoming punching arm. It's a "block" and tear technique. You will literally shread the opponent into bleeding ribbons of flesh.

The video is a teching demonstration of the kata. The Notes below detail the movements but not the finesse nor the targets. What Gushi Sensei actually teaches is a much more sophisticated and stylish version. For instance, the "shuffle forwards" in Segment (5) paragraph ... one actually lifts the forward leg and thrusts forwards off the back leg in a dynamic leaping thrust. The "shuffle" is for teaching, the leaping thrust is for fighting.

In Guishi Sensei's Kobudo system, the Jiffa is a Nidan leval kata with quick hard strikes and slow wirery blocks. He emphasises getting out of the line of attack and strategies of concealment and deception. The " R.tettsui uke to L. hand" is actually a decoy "clack" of one jiffa againt the other to draw attention and then ducking low to wait for a reaction. The whole kata, like his Seijuno bo, takes place at night.

JI FUWA
KATA

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Pivot L 90, L soto uke
Pivot R 180, R soto uke
Pivot L 90, L soto uke

R step fwd, R chudan tsuki, shuffle back, R soto uke
L step fwd, L chudan tsuki, shuffle back, L soto uke
R step fwd, R chudan tsuki

Pivot L 180, R mawashi uke
R shomen geri - R step down, R gyaku tettsui kubi uchi (45)
L chudan tsuki, R chudan tsuki

Pivot L 180, L gedan barai uke, R chudan tsuki

Pivot L 90, L double soto uke, shuffle fwd, double zuki(L-hi/R-lo)
Pivot R 180, R double sotouke, shuffle fwd, double zuki(R-hi/L-lo)

Pivot L 90, L step fwd, R tettsui uchi (to L hand)
R jodan mawashi geri - Pivoting 360 - hop & finish in low push-up
position close to ground with L foot back

Look L, Look R
Come up & L step 45 fwd, Kamae (L hand palm down - R hand palm up)
Pivot R 90 & R step fwd, Kamae (R hand palm down - L hand palm up)

Bring L hand (hi circle) to R & bring L ft to R ft & crouch
L hiza yoko geri, shuffle L & L k uraken me uchi
Bring R hand (hi circle) to L & bring R ft to L ft & crouch
R jodan yoko geri, shuffle R & R uraken me uchi

Pivot L 90, L step fwd, L jodan uke, R shuto kubi uchi
L step back, Wauke, double tzuki (L-hi/R-lo)
R step back, double uke (seirui), Kamae (L-lo/R-hi)
L ft back to feet parallel

Close


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Notes from Justin
These are George Schrieffer's notes on the Jiffa kata taught to him by Shinyu Gushi c. 1992. I've retained George's exact form, including some inconsistencies, notably the spelling of jiffa, and the stray "k" before the first back-fist. Master Gushi has since recorded a video which should be considered authoritative.

Vocabulary Reminders
soto uke outside block
chudan tsuki mid-height punch
mawashi uke circle block
gedan barai down block
shomen geri front kick
gyaku tettsui kubi uchi back-hand hammer strike
tettsui hammer strike
jodan mawashi geri high round-house kick
Kamae pose
hiza yoko geri side-kick to the knee
uraken me uchi back-fist
jodan yoko geri high side-kick
shuto kubi uchi chop to throat

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[Bill Glasheen]

John

Dana demonstrated a Jiffa kata for the gang (Schrieffer, Gushi, and Lostrito as judges, with us watching). She approached the "kobudo judges" board completely empty handed. Then she literally pulled the things out of her hair before performing the kata. Considering the things were not made of metal, it's entirely possible that she could go anywhere she wants with those things and never be detected having them. And if so? Just hairpins, officer!

What I love about the essence of kobudo is the simultaneous study of concealed weaponry. There's a contemporary social/political message buried in the emersion into social antiquity. And the more you see the human performance parallels from empty hand to weapon to weapon, the more interesting the concept of "self defense" becomes.

Part of my love of Jackie Chan - other than entertainment value - is seeing how creative he is. It's just choreography but...

- Billl

[iwah]

Gushi Sensei learned jiffa kata from Uehara Sensei. This kata is identical to Kusanku sho kata from Kobayashi shorin-ryu whos founder Itosu Sensei (1813-1915) created Kusanku sho and Dai from the older kusanku kata. It is identical up to the turn to gedan barai with gyaku tsuki however, all the techniques of Kusanku sho are in the remainder of the kata, but the linear Shorin-ryu techniques have become more circular in the Uechi-ryu manner. Itosu's teacher, Bushi Matsumura (head guard to the last 3 Okinawan kings), often trained the original Kusanku kata with hairpins. At some point Uehara Sensei must have learned the kata from one of Itosu's students. I demonstrated this kata to Gushi Sensei 2 weeks ago, and he smiled, laughed, and said, "almost same." If anyone is interested i can email pictures of Chibana Sensei (head of Kobayashi after Itosu's death) doing Kusanku Sho in the 1950's step by step.