Potted Nerd: The Naihanchis

Naihanchi is the fundamental Kata family of my style, Shorin-Ryu.  Being one of the earlier Kata in the world of Karate, there are many different forms.  Where a style has only one Kata, this tends to be somewhat similar to my style's Naihanchi Shodan:

An example of this, but showing the degree of variation that can be found, is Tachimura no Naihanchi, as practiced in KishimotoDi (thank you to Noah Legel for introducing me to this style and Ulf Karlsson for making such a detailed video). Unlike most other versions of the Kata, this starts of to the left, rather to the right and, according to Motobu Naoki (translated by Adreas Quast http://ryukyu-bugei.com/?p=5358), this is may be a feature of the earlier form of the Kata, in the Koryū Shuri-te era (courtesy Andreas Quast article http://ryukyu-bugei.com/?p=4123#_ftnref10) when it was considered ti, predating the influence of Itosu Ankō.  The Chosin Chibana form of the Kata stems from lineage of Itosu Ankō.

The origins of Naihanchi are possibly Chinese, due to the long history of trade between Okinawa and China.  An article by Simon Keegan (https://toshujutsu.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/beyond-shorin-shorei-teaching-complete-karate/) Suggests that the source form may come from Taiwanese White Crane Boxing, known as Dan Qiu Ban Bai He Quan (Half Hillock, Half White Crane Boxing).  The form Neixi, contains the  same sweeping action found in the nami-gaeshi (returning wave) technique of Naihanchi and Neixi is pronounced Nohanchi in Fuzhou dialect.....

I tried to find a youtube video of Neixi but no luck.  I did however find a video of other forms of that style, the link to which is given below:

Fujian Half Hill Crane Boxing

Neixi isn't included[; but whilst my academic skills elude me here, in one one of the articles I read, there was the assertion that the Kata was based on a form no longer practiced by the originating style.

Naihanchi as a family, and Naihanchi Shodan of my style, clearly has a long tradition in martial arts, but apart from Shodan, the family also includes Nidan and Sandan, both practiced in Shorin-Ryu:

Chosin Chibana - Naihanchi Nidan

Chosin Chibana - Naihanchi Sandan

There are differing thoughts on the origins of these two Kata.  In the footnote of the article "

On the distinction between Shuri-te and Tomari-te" <http://ryukyu-bugei.com/?p=4123#_ftnref10>,translated by Andreas Quast, Gima Shinkin is cited as saying " in the Naihanchi kata he (Itosu Ankō) carried out a process of educational reorganization, which is why he divided it into three levels."  The Head of my own federation, Hanshi Koei Norhara, who studied in the lines of both Matsubayashi and Kobayashi Shorin Ryu, states in his book, "The Transformation of Tiy", that each was a Kata "invented by Itosu Ankō".

I don't think it likely that a definitive answer will be found, and all three are Kata are enjoyable to perform, but to me there seems to be more intent in Shodan than the other two.  Given that the Tachimura no Naihanchi Kata predates the work of Itosu Ankō, I think that the Nidan and Sandan Katas are his own work, but that is only my opinion. 😊