Kata: Hakuhachiho

[Andrew S]

I remember reading an interview with Ueki Sensei (JKA) where he said he hoped to learn a kata "Hakuhachiho/hyakuhachiho" from Sugiura Sensei.
Can someone tell me about this kata, and if it is known as something else in other systems? Thanks.

[Jussi Häkkinen]

It's Suparinpei done in Shotokan fashion.

[Andrew S]

Thanks, I was wondering if that was the case.
Any ideas why it's not in the mainstream Shotokan curriculum?

[Harry Cook]

I asked Kase sensei this question about twelve years ago...he said something like 'it is a very rare kata, only a few people know it'. When I told him I could do the Goju version he was very surprised. That is probably why it is not mainstream; as it essentially is a Naha-te kata it was not part of the original Itosu forms used by Funakoshi.
Now I know the claim is often made that Funakoshi combined both main streams of Okinawan karate, ie Naha and Shuri, but actually he did not, Kenwa Mabuni (Shito Ryu ) did, which is why Suparimpei can be found in Shito Ryu.
Suparimpei seems to have entered the early Shotokan world quite early, as some of the people around Funakoshi certainly knew it, for example Hironori Ohtsuka is listed as doing that kata in a demonstration iin ther late 1920s. I would guess that the source was Kenwa Mabuni.
Harry Cook

[dsomers]

Harry,

Have you seen Wado's Suparinpei before? I'm sure you have. They'e changed the embusen a bit on a few moves, changed those techniques, & some of the stances too. You can see it here:
Suparimpei http://users.pandora.be/samoerai.haacht/suparimpei.WMV (Wado-Ryu, Japan version)
Suparimpei http://www.uswadokai.com/videofiles/supahigh.wmv (Guseikai, Wado-kai) .

David

[Harry Cook]

I once saw a video Shingo Ohgami sensei had of one of the old Wado seniors performing Suaprimpei, but thre quality was poor (of the film I mean). Thank you very much for the links, very interesting.
As you say some changes from the usual Okinawan versions.
Harry Cook

[Sanseru]

Hello Russ & Harry:

The Wado-ryu kata videos that you posted are interesting. The performance looks like a hybrid of Tou'on-ryu's pechurin and Goju-ryu's suparempei. In fact it looks very similar to what Murakami Katsumi shows in his book, which he claims is Kyoda Juhatsu's pechurin. However, having learned the Tou'on-ryu version, I can honestly say that it is a hybrid of both.

FYI, a story by Kanzaki Shigekazu (the headmaster of Tou'on-ryu) states that, Kyoda Juhatsu mentioned that during the war he met Funakoshi in Oita prefecture while the former was being evacuated. He discussed various things and one of these was a kata exchange of Kusanku and Pechurin. Kyoda stated that there wasn't enough time for this to happen, but I wonder if there was enough time for a demonstration....

Regards,

[Sanseru]

Opps, should be "David & Harry". Sorry about that.

[Gibukai]

Hello,

according to R. Fujiwara, G. Funakoshi learnt Suparinpei from T. Kojo. In his 1922 publication G. Funakoshi lists the kata as Ippyakureihachi (aka Suparinpei) and at the 10th anniversery of the Keio Karate Club in 1934 it has been demonstrated by a member of this club.

Regards,

Henning Wittwer

[Sanseru]

Yes, I have read that quote from Fujiwara, but am not convinced of its veracity :-) as Kojo-ryu (at least in its current incarnation) practices the kata suparempei or pechurin. But then again it is almost impossible to know what was taught in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Perhaps Funakoshi did learn it......

Kindest regards,

[Harry Cook]

Or he knew the name at least. It is also possible that Hironori Ohtsuka originally picked up the kata from Kenwa Mabuni....
Harry Cook

[powerof0ne]

I also understood it that Funakoshi sent his "senior students"(i.e. Ohtsuka) to "mr. kata encylopedia", aka Kenwa Mabuni, to learn Kata that Funakoshi didn't know.
Mr. Cook here knows much more then I do so I'm inclined to usually not question much of what he says.

[Sanseru]

Hello Harry:

I am a little reluctant to concur that Mabuni was the source. Looking at the configuration of the Wado-ryu version it seems less inline with the (current) Shito-ryu version and more inline with what appears in Murakami's book (i.e. Tou'on-ryu). If only we had a time machine

Kindest regards.

[CEB]

Just curious. Is the kake uke at the end that follows the "dog posture" something that is To'on in nature?

[Sanseru]

Hi Ed:

What do you mean by "Dog" posture?

Regards,