Let's talk Kanku Dai

[cathal]

I've decided to work on this kata for a while and wanted to see what others had to say about it. I have learned it as Kanku Dai "To View the Sky" and I'm aware there are other names like Kusanku.

Some different versions:

First version I learned:

Kanku Dai by Osaka https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB6j-Q5bUI8

Kusanku by Gillespie

Kusanku by Calendra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvofsG7uIEM

Kanku Dai Lehner

What do you like, love, or hate about this kata? What insights do you have for those performing it? Does your dojo make changes to it?

[Kanku65]

Excellent kata! One of my favourites, however, I would personally never choose it for a grading or even a tournament due to the fact that it has 65 bloody movements, and a lot can go wrong in that kind of time frame.

It's quite clear that Kusanku kata most likely had great influence upon the development of the Pinan set of katas, making it very important to shotokan and many other styles.

[mazzybear]

https://youtu.be/5yJKvNp-4Ck

Here is the wado version of Kushanku. I think it's Toru Arakawa performing. I done it for 3rd Kyu and will be doing it again for 1st Kyu in July. I think it's one of those marmite things, you either love it or hate it. Me personally, I like it, but judging by the groans when asked to perform it, many in the club don't. I like it because it incorporates all the Pinan katas into it, so if you can do Kushanku well, it follows that you'll do the Pinans well also. It's also good for building stamina, we are sometimes asked to perform it 2 or 3 times in a row to see how we perform under stress, also being the longest Kata in the Wado syllabus it's a good Kata to perform at an all styles competition.

Mo.

[Wastelander]

For Shorin-Ryu, we have a "holy trinity" of kata, so to speak--Naihanchi, Passai, and Kusanku. The Naihanchi kata provide the foundation of our style, Passai builds upon that, and Kusanku builds upon that.

Here is the founder of our style performing Kusanku Dai, as it was passed down to him from Chibana Chosin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2InmORSoo0

Personally, I don't enjoy performing Kusanku (Sho or Dai). It doesn't feel right for me, the way Naihanchi and Passai do. Even so, it's an important part of the system I practice. From an application perspective, I like to keep in mind that the Kusanku kata is a codified system of fighting that represents the methods of Kusanku, the man. According to the Oshima Note, he specialized in grappling techniques.

[bushido_man96]

I liked the 2nd version better, but Kanawaza's was a very nice presentation, too. The third version you have looked like a totally different form. It was very slow and deliberate compared to the first two, and I noticed that the kicks were front snap kicks as opposed to side snap kicks, and the jumping technique towards the end wasn't there, that I remember. Version 4 was quite a flurry, and I saw similarities to version 3, but some differences, too. Version 5 seemed different, as well, but the slower cadence helped me to see what some of the moves where doing.

This was an interesting comparison. Thank you for sharing it!

[Lupin1]

Here's one of our (now) instructors performing our version of Kusanku when he was a Shodan

We teach it at 2nd kyu. It's one of my favorite kata, although now that I'm learning Sunsu I can't seem to keep all the moves straight.

My instructors teach it as a night fighting kata due to all the drops to the ground, the "feeling" movements, and inside, kinda sneaky moves.

[Wastelander]

My instructors teach it as a night fighting kata due to all the drops to the ground, the "feeling" movements, and inside, kinda sneaky moves.

That's an interesting point that many people have brought up about Kusanku over time, and they think it means it is meant to teach fighting at night. If I remember correctly, Shimabukuro Eizo Sensei (the brother of the founder of Isshin-ryu) used to say that, too, but there was a bit of miscommunication that he had to clear up. I think it was Bill Hayes Sensei who said that Shimabukuro had to clarify it to him by saying, "No, no! Not FOR fighting at night. LIKE fighting at night!"

[cathal]

I liked the 2nd version better, but Kanawaza's was a very nice presentation, too. The third version you have looked like a totally different form. It was very slow and deliberate compared to the first two, and I noticed that the kicks were front snap kicks as opposed to side snap kicks, and the jumping technique towards the end wasn't there, that I remember. Version 4 was quite a flurry, and I saw similarities to version 3, but some differences, too. Version 5 seemed different, as well, but the slower cadence helped me to see what some of the moves where doing.

This was an interesting comparison. Thank you for sharing it!

I like it slowed down so you can get the nuances. When we practice this in our dojo we do so slowly. Kind of like how nascar pit crews train very slowly. Then when its time to perform you speed it up, make it light and snappy and the speed & power present themselves.

Here's one of our (now) instructors performing our version of Kusanku when he was a Shodan

What is the bunkai for those stamps near the beginning?

[Lupin1]

What is the bunkai for those stamps near the beginning?

Haven't specifically studied it yet. We don't really get into bunkai until black belt and I'm still an Ikkyu. Until Shodan it's just an application here and there-- no systematic study.

If I were to hazard a guess, I would say uke comes in with a punch/grab/whatever, you lean away and side block, then stomp on their foot as you twist your hips and punch them in the stomach. Could also be trapping their leg or something... Idk... I'm just starting to think like that with my kata.

[cathal]

I'm just starting to think like that with my kata.

You're in for a lot of creative and fun application then! There's so many things you realize you can wind up doing when experimenting with bunkai.