Written and translated by Motobu Naoki
Recently, Satō Tetsuji, a shihan of Gōju-ryū Kenpō, published a book titled "Mītudī of Karate."
The term mītudī is an Okinawan dialect word for "meoto-de" (夫婦手), or husband and wife hand. Mītudī has been mentioned in books and articles by people like Konishi Yasuhiro and Yamada Tatsuo after World War II, but it has not been a familiar term to the general public. It was probably made better known by the 1994 reprint of Motobu Choki's book by the Sōke (Motobu Chōsei).
Therefore, in the past, most karate practitioners either did not know the term, or if they did, they would say, "You mean morote uke (both hands block), right? It is the same as the one in Pin'an Yondan."
However, the word "husband and wife" has the meaning of cooperation and complementarity, and if we simply say "both hands," such meaning will be lost. The word "hand" (dī) also refers to technique in general, and is not limited to "block."
The same is true if we call it "both hands pose" (諸手構え). Such modern terminology has led to the fragmentation and fixation of the concept, and misses the deeper meaning of mītudī.
In his book, Satō Sensei tries to capture this deeper meaning of mītudī.
The most important thing in understanding mītudī is how it can be linked to the skill of resourcefulness in response to various changes in circumstances on the fighting field. This is the key to mītudī, and mītudī is not restricted to a fixed form (p. 98).
He then introduces various examples of mītudī with photographic examples. Of particular interest is the unique mītudī of Gōju-ryū, in which the rear hand is held in the open hand position.
In Gōjū-ryū Kenpō, the next stage of training for those who have practiced and improved their level of skill is to move to basic training, where the pulling hand is placed in front of the chest as an open hand, and techniques are executed within a short distance. The use of the open hand leads to a variety of changes in technique (pp. 108, 109).
Just by placing the open hand in front of the chest, it is implied that it can be transformed into various techniques. Satō Sensei introduces these applications through kata such as Sūpārinpei and Gekisai.
Through this book, we can learn how mītudī can be transformed not only into punching and defense, but also into grabbing hands and tuitī. This will give you a deeper understanding of the meaning that the ancient karate masters put into their kata.