Tekki Kata, also known as Haihanchi, is one of the best forms in all the martial arts. Many people refer to it as The Iron Horse. As this name indicates, it is a horse stance form, and the karateka moves from side to side while performing it.
The power generated by this ancient Karate form is positively awesome. The horse stance develops the legs, and the tan tien starts to pump up, and one feels the chi power course through the body almost from the get go. It is usually taught around black belt level in such Karate systems as Shotokan.
When I first learned Naihanchi I most enjoyed facing a partner and having 'kata races.' We would mirror motion, and go back and forth, building our speed and fine tuning our moves. Eventually, we would find a harmony of motion that is not available in many martial art patterns.
When I asked my sensei about the origins of the form, he claimed it was made for fighting in rice fields. The footwork enabled one to grip the earth no matter how muddy it got. The sideways movement of the form aligned with the earthwork in the rice paddies.
As my studies progressed I came across the theory that it was designed for riding a horse. A samurai might lose his weapons while riding a horse, but he could keep fighting while gripping the horse with the leg strength built up by the form. I found this a fascinating concept, but it didn't seem to ring quite true.
Eventually, I came across the book 'Shotokan's Secrets,' by Dr. Bruce Clayton. The good doctor claimed that the kata were actually made for combat in the Imperial throne room of old Okinawa. This theory actually made a tremendous amount of sense.
Imagine that room: foreign soldiers move forward to capture the king of Okinawa, and the front row bodyguards use the movements from the Pinan forms (Heian katas) to sow confusion. Meanwhile, the advanced bodyguards shift sideways along the rear of the room, and the king is moved through a rear door and to safety. This theory not only made sense when analyzing the movements of the training pattern, but in defining the purposes of all the kata.
What the truth is will be debated as long as Karate is taught. Of course, it doesn't matter as long as that fabulous form generates good, old fashioned 'chi power' by the bushel. Call it Naihanchi, Tekki, or just the Iron Horse, this is one
Karate Kata that is good for the ages.
