Gojushiho Dai, or "Fifty-Four Steps Big," is the longer and more complex of the two Gojushiho kata. At 67 counts, it is the lengthiest of Shotokan kata, beating Gojushiho Sho (and Kanku Dai) by two moves. Its surplus of movements over its twin can basically be accounted for by the inclusion of two techniques in Gojushiho Dai that are not present in Gojushiho Sho: koko-sukui-uke/tsukidashi and washide. Washide, or "eagle-hand," is a precise attack using all five fingertips pressed together in the shape of a bird's beak to strike an opponent's pressure points. Outside of this kata, washide does not exist in Shotokan.
Gojushiho Dai has a smaller frame than its twin, mostly due to its "trademark set" of kitsutsuki-no-kamae, keito-nagashi-uke, and otoshi-ippon-nukite. Essentially, the larger frame of the ryuun (flowing cloud) set of Gojushiho Sho is replaced by the smaller kitsutsuki (woodpecker) set of Gojushiho Dai. The grand style of ryuun-no-uke is replaced by the smaller curving keito-uke; the long shihon-tate-nukite are exchanged for shorter otoshi-ippon-nukite; and the big zenkutsu-dachi and kokutsu-dachi are traded for the much smaller neko-ashi-dachi. Gojushiho Dai has more techniques executed in neko-ashi-dachi than any other Shotokan kata. Along with Unsu, it is one of only two Shotokan kata that have no kokutsu-dachi at all (excluding Tekki, of course). This can prove difficult for Shotokan karateka who generally practice kokutsu-dachi to a much greater extent, often neglecting the practice of neko-ashi-dachi. One of the more difficult aspects of the kata occurs when changing direction from one neko-ashi-dachi to another; many students tend to have difficulty maintaining balance throughout.
At one time, Gichin Funakoshi tried to change the name of the kata to Hotaku, meaning "woodpecker," due to the frequency of poking strikes found within the kata. Some consider the true woodpecker's strike to be ryo-kentsui-koho-hasami-uchi (#61), viewing it primarily as a head butt attack. Regardless, for reasons unknown, the name Hotaku was never really accepted. Striking with the fingers is the norm for Gojushiho Dai so one must have an understanding of an opponent's vital areas.
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