Jion

From the Temple of Jion

Kata History / The Moves / Back to Kata Main Page

Kata History

The name Jion suggests that it was introduced by someone connected with the Jion-ji temple which was named after the Buddhist saint. This kata has since developed from Tomari and is practised in the Shotokan and Wado-Ryu styles.

The meaning of the kata "temple sound" suggests calm movement, good spirit and harmony.

The kata contains many basic moves and stances. Mastery of the Heian kata will improve it's performance. Jion is a truly representative kata of the Shotokan style.

The Moves

This kata has many basic moves and some interesting points. The second kiai in the kata is the only prolonged kiai in the Shotokan kata set, being performed during a slow move and lasting for some 2-3 seconds (for as long as there is arm movement during the final yumi zuki).

Moves are performed in the following stances: Musubi dachi (Rei), Zenkutsu dachi, Kokutsu dachi, Kiba dachi, Heisoku dachi, Kosa dachi.

The Kata contains 46 moves which take around 60 seconds to complete at high speed.