Kūsankū (kata)
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| Kusanku | |
| Other names | Kanku |
|---|---|
| Martial art | Karate |
| Place of origin |  Okinawa, Ryukyu Kingdom |
| Creator | Kusanku |
| Date of Creation | 1761 |
Kusanku, also called Kankudai (観空大) (translated as gazing heavenward, viewing the sky, or contemplating the sky), is an open hand karate kata that is studied by many practitioners of Okinawan and Japanese karate. In many karate styles, there are two versions of the kata - Kusanku sho and Kusanku dai. The name Kusanku/Kosokun, is used in Okinawan systems of karate, and refers to a person by the name of Kusanku, a Chinese diplomat from Fukien who is believed to have traveled to Okinawa to teach his system of fighting. In Japanese systems of karate, the kata is known as Kanku after it was renamed in the 1930s by Funakoshi Gichin.[1] Due to its difficulty, this kata is often reserved for advanced students. One of its distinguishing features is the jump, which incorporates two kicks.
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[edit] History
The kata Kusanku is said to have been developed in Okinawa in 1761 from the fighting techniques of a Chinese martial artist named Kusanku.[2]
[edit] Overview
Kusanku is a cornerstone of many styles of karate. It is personified predominantly in these styles by the use of very flowing techniques that have ties to White Crane Kung Fu as well as its wide variety of open handed techniques. In Matsubayashi-ryu karate, the kata is known for its flying kick and its "cheating" stance, which practitioners say robs the opponent of opportunities to attack by extending one leg along the ground and squatting as low as possible on the other (ura-gamae). The bunkai for this technique allows the practitioner to escape a bear-hug from behind by twisting and dropping out of their grasp. The hand techniques that accompany the stance block the head, while allowing for a strike to the groin, knee or foot. Because of the complexity of its techniques, Kusanku is the highest ranking and most complex kata in Matsubayashi-ryu and is said to take more than ten years to master.[2]
In Shotokan karate, Kanku Dai consists of 65 movements executed in about 90 seconds, and symbolizes attack and defense against eight adversaries. It is a major form of the kata; its equivalent minor form is called Kanku sho. Kanku Dai was one of Gichin Funakoshi's favorite kata and is a representative kata of the Shotokan system. The embusen (path of movement) of Kanku sho is similar to that of Kanku dai, but it begins differently. It is a compulsory Shotokan kata and of high technical merit. The Heian kata contain sequences taken from Kanku Dai, as a result of Anko Itosu's efforts.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Redmond, Rob, Kata: The Folk Dances of Shotokan, 2006
- ^ a b Nagamine, Shoshin, The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do (Paperback edition) (1998), ISBN 0-8048-2110-0
- ^ Gursharan Sahota, The Shotokan Karate Handbook - Beginner to Black Belt, ISBN 0-9524638-0-6
