Empi/Wanshu Matsukaze/Wankan

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1 NAME: Bushido-kai Kata Comparison Series Analysis and Applications Empi/Wanshu Matsukaze/Wankan Seminar support materials from Shihan Tony Annesi, Takeshin Sogo Budo Teiji KAZE (France) performs Shotokan Empi. BUSHIDO-KAI SEMINARS c/o 300 Eliot St. #369 Ashland, Mass. [01721] usa (508)

2 E m p i / W a n s h u Additional Information compiled by Shihan Tony Annesi & Toby Reed History & Name Potentially one of the oldest kata in karate (however, estimated dates vary between 17th Century and very early 19th century). The common belief is that Wanshu kata developed in Tomari especially by Masters SENAEDA and MATSUMORA and, later, a Shuri-te version developed from Masters Sokon MATSUMURA and Ankoh ITOSU; but there is enough conflicting evidence to suggest that both Tomari and Shuri had a verison of the kata at the same time or that Shuri did not have it at all. Another lineage states that Chotoku KYAN learned Wanshu from MAEDA and passed it on to NAGAMINE. This also suggests a Tomari-te lineage. The ideographs for EMPI (also pronounced as Enpi) means a Flying Swallow to remind us of the common features of many bird kata: up and down, in and out motion. Its original name was WANSHU (some pronounce it Hanshu) but the ideographs for this pronunciation are completely undecided and therefore the word has no definite meaning beyond that of a name. Ryusho SAKAGAMI in his Karate-do Kata Taikan uses the ideographs which mean Arm Excellence but this is probably fitting a meaning to the sound rather than being historically accurate. Shoshin NAGAMINE uses a specific set of characters for WANSHU but those characters, which translate roughly into Oar in the Water, are not the characters used by the emissary WANSHU and thus are a modern inaccuracy. This is complicated by the fact that WANSHU (the name) is commonly considered the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese WANG Ji. But WANG Ji would be transliterated into Oushu, not Wanshu. But perhaps Wan is the Okinawan pronunciation of the Japanese Ou. If this is so, who then was Wang Ji? WANG Ji was a Supposhi (embassary) who arrived in Okinawa in 1683 (according to Ryusho SAKAGAMI) and stayed for only six months. Was this enough time to teach Okinawans and have a kata named after him? General EMPI shows up/down as well as in/out motions while WANSHU tends to show only the in/ out motions The embusens of EMPI and each WANSHU variation are different, but one can see a similarity in the general L-shape Isshin and some Shito schools refer to this kata as The Dumping Form perhaps because of the kata guruma (shoulder wheel) throw illustrated near the end of the kata. Wankan (Matsukaze), Wanshu (Empi) and Wandoh (Wanduan) may be related kata, all from Tomari-te. Other Versions Isshin-ryu (Kyan to Tatsuo Shimabuko); Matsubayashi-ryu (Maeda to Nagamine); Itosu-kai Shito-ryu (Mabuni? to Sakagami); Seibukan Shorin-ryu (Kyan to Zenryo Shimabuko); Okinawan Kenpo (Toma to Odo); Kyan to Okuhira Bunei; Shorei-ryu; Gohakukai Tomari-di (Seiyu to Iken: 2 versions Dai and Sho) NOTE: 2 versions may give a hint as to the variation in main versions above

3 References: Alexander, George W., Okinawa, Island of Karate, Yamazato Publications,1991 KANAZAWA, Hirokazu, Shotokan Karate International Kata (Vol. 1), 1981 Kim, Richard, KATA, Dojo Magazine, vol. 1, no. 1, Fall 1992 NAKAYAMA, Masatoshi, Best Karate (Vol. 7), Kodansha International, 1981 Morris, Vince & Aiden Trimble, Karate Kata and Applications, Vol 2, Stanley Paul Pub., 1990 Reed, Tobey, Wanshu no Kata (a report, 9/00) Reed, Tobey, Wansu (personal handout to students) SAKAGAMI, Ryusho, Karate-do Kata Taikan, Japan Publications, BUSHIDO-KAI SEMINARS, c/o 300 Eliot St., Ashland, Mass. [01721] The following illustrated outline of the kata comes from KARATE-DO NO SHOSAI (The Details of Karate-do) Volume 4: Nidan by Tony Annesi (Available through BUSHIDO-KAI BUDOYA, this manual includes 9 other forms, suggested bunkai, as well as Takeshin Nidan sparring and kicking requirements.)

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5 Because the WANSHU varaitions taught at this seminar are not on the rank requirement list in Takeshin Karate-do, we have not provided illustrations for thaose forms. Refer to the seminar videotape for the sequences of those forms.

6 Matsukaze l Wankan (Pine Wind) (King s Crown) Additional Information compiled by Shihan Tony Annesi There are two distinct kata bearing the name Wankan ( King s Crown ): the first is the Shitoryu form also known as Matsukaze (literally Pine Wind or figuratively Wind through the Pines ); the second is the Shotokan form Wankan ( King s Crown ) which, at first glance, bears no resemblance to the Matsukaze form History & Name Matsukaze is said to descend from tomari village through Matsumora and is preserved in Shito-ryu, Matsubayashi Shorin and other styles Shotokan s Wankan, although seemingly different, is said to descend from Tomari-te and thus is probably a variation or a derivation of Matsukaze SAKAGAMI uses ideographs for Wankan which translate into Arm Piercing or Piercing Arm but this is probably a fanciful name based on the sound of the word Funakoshi changed the name of Wankan to both Shiofu ( Tide or Appearance ) and Hito ( Man, Mankind, or Messenger ) but the old name prevailed Although Pine Wind and Tide suggest the back and forth wave of the signature movement in Matsukaze, I have been unable to discern why the term King s Crown is relevant to either kata General Wankan (Matsukaze), Wanshu (Empi) and Wandoh (Wanduan) may be related kata, all from Tomari-te Both Matsukaze and Wankan are based on the L- or modified T-shape but the direction of the L or T differs from one kata to the other Shito s Matsukaze is considered a basic or intermediate kata while Shotokan s Wankan is usually listed as an advanced kata despite the fact that it is the shortest form in the Shotokan syllabus References: Alexander, George W., Okinawa, Island of Karate, Yamazato Publications, 1991 KANAZAWA, Hirokazu, Shotokan Karate International Kata (Vol. 2), 1981 Kim, Richard, KATA, Dojo Magazine, vol. 1, no. 1, Fall 1992 NAGAMINE, Shoshin, The Essence of Okinawan Karate-do, Tuttle, 1976 NAKAYAMA, Masatoshi, Best Karate (Vol. 7), Kodansha International, 1981 Morris, Vince & Aiden Trimble, Karate Kata and Applications, Vol. 4, Stanley Paul Pub., 1990 SAKAGAMI, Ryusho, Karate-do Kata Taikan, Japan Publications, BUSHIDO-KAI SEMINARS, c/o 300 Eliot St., Ashland, Mass. [01721] The following illustrated outline of the kata comes from KARATE-DO NO SHOSAI (The Details of Karate-do) Volume 4: Nidan by Tony Annesi (Available through BUSHIDO-KAI BUDOYA, this manual includes 9 other forms, suggested bunkai, as well as Takeshin Nidan sparring and kicking requirements.)

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10 BUSHIDO-KAI SEMINARS, c/o 300 Eliot St., Ashland, Mass. [01721] The preceding illustrated outline of the kata comes from KARATE-DO NO SHOSAI (The Details of Karate-do) Volume 4: Nidan by Tony Annesi (Available through BUSHIDO-KAI BUDOYA, this manual includes 9 other forms, suggested bunkai, as well as Takeshin Nidan sparring and kicking requirements.) NOTE: The presentation of this seminar on videocassette, professionally edited in vinyl library case is available from BUSHIDO-KAI BUDOYA at the above phone number. Ryusho SAKAGAMI performs Itosu-kai Wanshu.