Old Okinawan Funakoshi Karate: Mutsu Mizuho's Karate Kenpo (1933) - Gojushiho / Useshi

The first three performances are based on the version of Funakoshi gojushiho presented in Karate Kenpo Zen by Mutsu Mizuho, published in 1933. Mr Mizuho learnt directly from Master Funakoshi as well as Master Otsuka who was one of Master Funakoshi's top students and assistants at the time. He also travelled to Okinawa to study, though this was brief. Master Otsuka additionally studied under Masters Mabuni and Motobu. Hence, some of what is seen in Karate Kenpo by Mr Mizuho is possibly, or even likely, not purely from Master Funakoshi. However, it can be seen that the 15 basic kata laid out by Master Gichin Funakoshi are the old versions of Funakoshi karate kata when compared with Master Gichin's first books, Ryukyu Kenpo: Karate, and Rentan Goshin Karate Jutsu. They only, at most, have a few minor differences, such as some positions in the pin'an kata. This means that the other five kata presented in the text could plausibly be the old Funakoshi karate versions of those kata, as taught by Master Funakoshi, because the first 15 do not show material differences that could be attributed to other teachers as is usually seen in schools influenced by more than one instructor. Therefore, Mr Mizuho's work is trustworthy and an excellent resource for our study of the Funakoshi lineage of karate. I look forward to reading the English translation due to be published soon by Mr Joe Swift. Hopefully, any doubts felt by anyone over the reliability of Mr Mizuho's publication as an excellent resource for old Funakoshi karate, will be settled by the translation. 

The third version, above, is the latest. It follows Mr Mizuho's illustrations most closely.

The fourth and fifth films, below, show gojushiho based on the various kinds of the kata found in Funakoshi karate, but specifically focuses on the demonstration by Sensei Nobuhiro and the illustrations in Mr Mizuho's book, with connection to versions such as Master Toyama's "koryu gojushiho" and the variety taught in Shidokan Shorin-ryu karate. 

The sixth and seventh clips, below, depict two more variations of the version of gojushiho presented in Karate Kenpo. The sixth (left or above) illustration includes the employment of a front stance that is simultaneously a back stance, ready to move forwards or backwards. You can see this in Okinawan karate, where a stance looks like it is a front stance, but if you look closely, sometimes it is actually practised with the heel of the front foot above the ground. The seventh edited film employs this method and Master Gichin Funakoshi's method of switching between a front- and back-stance (either way) simply by changing your weight-distribution.