Gojushiho Dai

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.

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.