Shards of Earth

The Shards of Earth is a Crab Clan kata practiced entirely using a tetsubo or being unarmed. The Hida family teach their samurai to focus their chi like the earth, to become impregnable and strong. This kata however takes a different approach, teaching them to focus their chi on a small stone or object at the beginning of the kata. When the bushi reaches the end of the ritual he strikes at the stone with his tetsubo or fist, stopping merely a haribreadth from the stone. Within seconds the stone should crumble into dust. (Samurai p. 21)