Shihō 四方

This is one of those Japanese terms where the literal meaning and the practical martial usage can differ slightly. ShihōShihō (四方) literally means “four directions,” usually the cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west, but in traditional Japanese language, shihō often means “all directions around you.” More (四方) literally means “four directions,” usually the cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west, but the meaning in martial arts can be broader. In traditional Japanese language, shihōShihō (四方) literally means “four directions,” usually the cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west, but in traditional Japanese language, shihō often means “all directions around you.” More often means “all directions around you.” Even though the kanji literally say “four directions,” the phrase commonly implies surrounding directions on all sides.

• 四方八方 (shihōShihō (四方) literally means “four directions,” usually the cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west, but in traditional Japanese language, shihō often means “all directions around you.” More happō) means “in every direction,” literally four directions, eight directions
• 四方に目を配る means “to watch all around you”

In budō, shihōShihō (四方) literally means “four directions,” usually the cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west, but in traditional Japanese language, shihō often means “all directions around you.” More usually means attacking or moving toward multiple directions around the practitioner. For example, the aikido throw, shihō-nage (四方投げ), is a four-direction throw. The throw can be applied toward any direction around the defender, not strictly four geometric directions. In sword arts, shihō-giri (四方斬り) can mean cutting in four directions, usually front, back, left, and right but some schools extend this to all surrounding threats.

Shihō-kuridashi (四方繰り出し) usually means “advancing or projecting in four directions.” Depending on the ryuha, this can mean attacking toward the four cardinal directions, or responding to attacks from all sides around you.