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Doug Daulton
31st December 2000, 17:47
This thread is dedicated to the research and study of the theoretical and practical applications of the kata Kusanku in its various derivations throughout the Okinawan karate ryuha.

Discussion of Japanese and Western interpretations of this kata are welcome as are discussions of the influence of Chinese martial arts on the origin/development of this kata. Practitioners of all levels and backgrounds are welcome to post. Though the free sharing of ideas, perhaps we can all learn a bit more about the kata.

Please avoid statements like "My teacher, XYZ Sensei, knew the one, true Kata X ... all else is bunk." or the Saturday cinema classic "My kungfu is better than yours". Even if you are right .. it is rude and most likely something your teacher would rather you did not say anyway. All E-budo rules apply.

Enjoy! :D

kusanku
1st January 2001, 02:21
Kusanku.The full Circle of Shorin ryu.Ninety percent of Shorin is contained therein, the other ten is in Passai, Chinto and Gojushiho.

What can I say about this kata?It is all encompassing Shorin. Strategy and tactics are alike contained herein.

Who masters Naihanchi masters karate.
Who masters Kusanku masters Shorin ryu karate.

All techniques are fully unfolded especially in Yara Kusanku, said to be the original form of Kusanku. Its eighty moves are quite intricate and powerful and this kata can be done with sai or two samurai hairpins.

Kusanku is expansion and contraction,yin and yang in one. It is the Tai Chi, or grand Ultimate, form of Shorin ryu karate.

Kusanku

Hank Irwin
1st January 2001, 03:23
John, ever heard of KusanKu Dai Meoho?

kusanku
1st January 2001, 04:43
Hank- No, that's a new one on me, but you learn more all the time. What is it?

John

kusanku
1st January 2001, 20:13
Shiho Kusanku still exists, it is a Shito ryu kata devised by Kenwa Mabuni.

Kusanku is a splendid kata indeed.


Kusanku

JosephBlow
2nd January 2001, 02:44
Dear Mr. Vengel,

I enjoyed your post a lot. Any additional light you can give on the following would be really helpful (I don't know much about shorinryu beyond my style):

1. Which lineage(s) teach Yara Kusanku?

2. Which lineage(s) teach the use of sai in Kusanku? The hairpins?

3. I am very, very interested in the idea of the taichi/inyo in Kusanku. Can we talk a bit more about this? Is the taichi/inyo idea apart from the strategy/tactics you referred to (what are these)? Does it have to do with body mechanics too?

5. What pieces are missing from Kusanku and found in Passai/Chinto/Gojushiho?

Best regards,

Rich Boyden

kusanku
2nd January 2001, 05:04
Rich Boyden asks some meaty questions about Kusanku.

Well no point beating around the bush so here goes:

'Which lineages teach Yara Kusanku?'

To my personal knowlwedge and to the best of my understanding :

Isshin Ryu
Matsumura Seito Karate Do
Matsubayashi Ryu
Maybe some others.

'Which lineages teach the use of sai in Kusanku.

For sure, the Isshinryu, teaches Kusanku sai.

Matsumura may, and Soken Hohan had said he used to do it with the hairpins. Yara Kusanku has obvious movements where the hairpin is drawn, from the back of the hair.These movements are changed in all other Kusanku, but exist in Yara Kusanku.


'Is the taichi/inyo idea separeate from the strategy/tactics you referred to(what are these?)'


Well, the inyo idea of kusanku is in its completeness.The kata contains the basic and advanced techniques of offense and defense in Shorin ryu, the offense is the yo or yang, the defense is the in or yin.


For instance, the x block trap is a yin waza, the spin into a lock is yin into yang, and the nidan geri is a yang waza, then the follow ups are yang to yin, and back to yang and back to taichi, to wuchi, if you will.

Depending on which Kusanku we are talking about of course.

Strategy.Kusanku teaches a strategy of response to attacks, beginning with a knife hand eceivng technique, going to crane separates wings, locking, then to a release ad countergrab strategy, using approriate tactics or techniques, and gradually escalating the seriousness of the responses until you finally use extreme responses.

Not meant as sequential techniques, but as an encyclopedia of Shorin ryu.

Tactics. Empty hand , sai or hairpin.
Use of overwhelming technical superiority.Many and divers techniques
but the most important repeaed over and over again.

It would be no exaggeration to describe Yara Kusanku as the kata of the Hammerfist, as this technique appears over and over in many guises.After this one sees the knife hand used to maximum efficiency in many ways, the front kick (side kick too in some styles but not in the originals),with hammerfist, the double punch, and many another waza, but always the hammerfist is ready to descend.That or the knifehand.

Imagine holding a sai or hairpin during the hammerfists and it becomes another type of technique.

Kusanku is said to take ten years to master, meaning I believe, all the ways of applying it principles.

'What pieces are missing from Kusanku...'

Well nothing is really missing from Kusanku, the others just contain other approaches to combat than it does.


'and found in passai, chinto, gojushiho?'

Well Passai contains many uses of sagurite, some locks , holds and throws not contained in Kusanku, and the makite no uke shuto, also found in wankan, rohai and wanshu, not specifically demo'ed in Kusanku, and coming from the tomari traditions.

Kusanku is the ulimate kata of master Matsumura.

Chinto contains a number of unique techniques described in the Bubish but found nowhere else in the Shorin arsenal, but interestingly, the other waza of chinto are done in Kusanku.The nidan gerin figues in both, for instance.Some hand positions are dentcal in both, as well as manyspinning motions.

Chinto however contains the sun and moon knife hand strikes, the back or four six stance, some interesting aki type action, and anumber of other unique techniques of evasion not found as such in Kusanku.

Gojushiho as before mentioned contains an entire palace hand Okinawan Torite(ChinNa0 system in it with many unique postures however some are relaed to kusanku movements. It is their particular usage in Gojushiho that renders them unique, and in addition there are some techniques only found there such as the ccrane beak with palm strike wrap and lock, and so forth.

To really see what I mean, one must experience the kata as in Matsubayash ryu, where they tend to be rich and complex, as in some other shorin systems.


The chinto kata is second most complex after Kusanku in that system.

Gojushiho third and Passai fourth, these four are the master kata of the style.

By the time one learns Yara Kusanku, if one has diligently practiced the other seventeen kata first, one will have no trouble learning to perform the Kusanu kata. Unfolding the meanings, howeer, is another matter.

Trust I have been able to answer satisfactorily your points.

Kusanku