Enpi Commentary

[sensei8]

Hopefully, you will enjoy Enpi as performed here by Sensei Paul Walker...

As slow as this kata is being performed: what Bunkai did you see?

[sensei8]

Now that I've thought about it...this thread's pretty bad. Sorry!!

[Kruczek]

I learned this as Wansu (dialect change from Okinawa to Japan), and it is a bit different. This looks a bit more linear, but impressive none the less.

[bushido_man96]

I can see at the beginning, when the rising punch comes under the chin, then grabbing hair, pulling in to strike, then how the stepping back to the low block position would be used as essentially throwing the opponent over your leg and down, basically discarding him and moving onto the next.

I don't know if I like the idea of going to a knee against a kick at the beginning. I'd rather keep my feet.

[sojobo]

I don't know if I like the idea of going to a knee against a kick at the beginning. I'd rather keep my feet.

It's interesting as the Wado version (Wanshu) does not drop to the knee.

The knee bends but it is to facilitate the movement into gyaku neko ashi - dachi (reverse cat stance) which is needed to avoid the kick.

This type of movement features a fair amount in our senior paired kata - where we move off the attacker’s line but also rotate our body to avoid the strike. This is followed by irimi (entering technique) where we move into our opponent to neutralise them. This is why perhaps that we do not bottom out the knee as it inhibits your ability to move efficiently on the counter movement.

Sounds like you think like a Wadoka Bushido man.

Sojobo

[bushido_man96]

I do think Wado would be interesting to try. From my Aikido experience, I've learned to use entering techniques a bit. I'd like to see how it fits into Wado.