Kusanku Kata (Video)

Kusanku Kata

Kusanku Kata Series:

When practicing any strike or block, emotion must be removed from the equation, Anger or fear impedes your movement. These two emotions must be controlled in fighting. The mind cannot focus on two tings at once. If you’re angry or afraid, you’ve placed the brakes on your defense. Anger slows you down. When executing any block or strike, the body must be relaxed until the moment of contact. Hip rotation and every movement must be timed to stop at the same time for maximum transfer of power. This is true of the mind as well.  Your mind must remain in a relaxed state to minimize resistance to performing any strike or block. As the old adage goes, “Be like water” or flow and adapt to any situation.

This kata is broken into series to make it easier to teach and later to prefect. You can eat an elephant if it is done one bite at a time. It is easy for the student to be overwhelmed by the size and complexity of this form.

Series-1:

  • Bend at the waist and rotate arms in large symmetrical circles.

Series-2:

  • Turn forty-five degrees left and execute a high shuto and low palm heel block:
  • Turn forty-five degrees right and execute a high shuto and low palm heel block:

Series-3:                                                    

  • Left Middle Block and stomp with left foot:
  • Turn forty-five degrees to the left and vertical punch with the right hand.

Note: The stomp is a distraction used to draw out the adversary.    

Note: The solar-plexus should be the number one target when the karateka is in a confrontation. This is why the karateka spends hours punching to this location. The head is a secondary target. Unfortunately, most people consider the head the primary target, but if the adversary cannot breathe, they cannot fight. Striking the solar-plexus can end a fight with a single punch. It is difficult to build muscle to cover this area. A vertical snap punch delivered on an angel similar to the angle of the rib cage makes access to xiphoid process easier. Many Okinawan masters changed the fist to the horizontal position to protect their students against accidentally receiving this blow. Kyan was the last master to teach this punch until Tatsuo Shimabuku incorporated it into his system, yet Shimabuku sensei’s version was a little more vertical.

Series-4:                                                    

  • Right Middle Block and stomp with right foot:
  • Turn forty-five degrees right and vertical punch with the left hand.

Series-5:                                                    

  • Left Middle Block

Series-6:                                                     

  • Turn 180° degrees into a Cat Stance and Front Kick and Back-fist simultaneously.

Series-7:                                                    

  • Turn 180 degrees into a Left Forward Walking Stance, left double shuto guarding block (Feeling in the darkness)
  • Step forward in a right forward walking stance, right shuto guarding block (Feeling in the darkness)
  • Step forward in a left forward walking stance, left shuto-guarding block (Feeling in the darkness.)

Series-8:                                                    

  • Step forward into right forward walking stance, Palm-up strike, Pull back same hand & vertical punch.

Series-9:

  • Turn 180°CCW into Seisan dachi (LFF) Left-Foot-Forward, and deflect block then vertical snap punch with the left hand (LH).
  • Step forwards into a Seisan dachi (RFF) Right-Foot-Forward, and vertical snap punch with the right hand (RH).

Series-10:

  • Twist 180° CCW into a crane stance (LFF), and high shuto block with the left hand and high shuto strike with the right hand (RH).
  • Front snap kick with the right back leg.
  • Turn 180 ° CCW while dropping down onto the right knee (LFF) and executing a left middle block (LH).
  • Stand-up in Seisan dachi (LFF) and execute a right vertical reverse snap punch (RH).

Series-11:

  • Twist into a crane stance (LFF). High shuto strike (RH) and high shuto block (LH).
  • Front snap kick with your right leg (LFF).
  • Turn 180° CCW and drop down on your left knee (RFF), and execute a right middle block (RH).
  • Stan-up in Seisan dachi (RFF), and execute a left-hand reverse vertical snap punch (LH).

Series-12:

  • Twist 90°CCW and pull back into a cat stance (RFF).
  • Front lead leg snap kick with the right leg, and simultaneously execute a back knuckle with the right hand (RH).
  • Drop down onto the left knee (RFF), and execute a left elbow strike.

Series-13:

  • Twist 180°CCW and pull back into a cat stance (LFF).
  • Front lead leg snap kick with the left leg, and simultaneously execute a back knuckle with the right hand (LH).
  • Drop down onto the right knee (LFF) and execute a right elbow strike.

Series-14:

  • Turn 90°CCW into Seisan dachi (LFF) and execute a left-hand forwards shuto guarding position.
  • Step forwards into Seisan dachi (RFF) remaining on the same angle and execute a right-hand forwards shuto guarding position.

Series-15:

  • Turn 145°CW into Seisan dachi (RFF) and execute a right-hand forwards shuto guarding position.
  • Step forwards into Seisan dachi (LFF) remaining on the same angle and execute a left hand forwards shuto guarding position.

Series-16:

  • Turn 90° into a Horse-Riding Stance. (Kiba Dachi)
  • Execute an “X” block.

Series-17:

  • Twist CCW into a crane stance (LFF), and high shuto bock with left hand and shuto strike with the left.
  • Front snap kick with the rear right leg.
  • Step down with the right foot and step behind with the left foot into a crane stance.
  • Hammer fist left.
  • Hammer first right over left.

Note: Looks like an “X” block when complete.

Series-18:

  • Step out with the left leg into (RFF) Seisan dachi [Forward Walking Stance] and execute a right side middle block (Chudan-Uki).
  • Execute a left reverse-hand vertical snap punch.
  • Execute a right lead-hand vertical snap punch.

Series-19:

  • Step across with the right leg and turn CCW while pulling back into a cat Stance (LFF) (Nikoashi dachi). Fists are pulled and stacked on your right hip left on top of right.
  • Step forwards into a horse-riding stance (LFF), and execute a back-knuckle strike (LH).
  • Leave the left fist extended and slowly open your hand,
  • Crescent-kick striking your left palm with your right leg.

Series-20:

  • After the crescent-kick turn 180° and turn CCW drop to the floor on your right knee with your left leg back.
  • Turn the head slowly left to right.
  • Spin 180° CCW while on the floor landing on your left knee with the right leg extended.

Note: The head move is not in the films left to us by Tatsuo Shimabuku, but this is the way it was handed down to me.                  

Series-21:

  • Stand up and step forward in a (RFF) Seisan dachi or forward walking stance and execute a right middle outside block. (Chudan-Uki)
  • Execute a left reverse-hand vertical snap punch.
  • Execute a right lead-hand vertical snap punch.

Series-22:

  • Turn 135° into a Kokutsu-dachi (Back-Stance) (LFF), and Back-hand block downwards.
  • Step on an angle into Seisan-dachi (Forward Walking Stance) (RFF), and right-hand spear-finger strike palm-up. The left hand goes under the elbow palm-down.
  • Spin 180° into Seisan dachi (LFF), and Low Block (Gedan-uki).                  
  • Pull back into a Cat-stance (Nekoashi-dachi) (LFF), and stack hands on your right hip.
  • Remain in Cat-stance and lead leg kick and simultaneously back knuckle strike
  • Step down into Seisan-dachi (LFF) and drive your right elbow horizontally into your left palm.

  Note: When a strike is delivered, palm-up it normally indicates a blow to the adversary’s throat. It the spear-finger strike is delivered palm-down the fingers can be dislocated when the opponent drops their chin.

Note: When a block is delivered in a 180°, circle it sometimes indicates a throw. It is possible, in this instance, after the spear-finger is driven to the throat, that the right-hand grasps the lapels while the opponent’s arm or clothing is grasp by your left hand. The left-hand grasp is to prevent their escape and to later facilitate a throw.

Series-23:

  • Turn 45° CW into a horse–stance (Kiba-dachi) and execute a twin palm heel strike.
  • Remain in the kiba-dachi and twin high block and low block simultaneously (Heaven and Earth Block).
  • Turn your head before moving to the next position.

Series-24:

  • Turn CW 90° into horse-stance (Kiba-dachi) and execute a Hammer fist with the left-hand.
  • Remain in Kiba-dachi and execute a hammer-fist with the right-hand.
  • Remain in Kiba-dachi and execute a shuto-hand strike with the left-hand.
  • Remain in Kiba-dachi and execute a shuto-hand strike with the right-hand over the left.

Note: Hammer-fists are both kidney level and shutos are to the collarbone area.

Note: What looks like an open hand “X” block is a scarf choke and pull-down throw.

Series-25:

  • Turn backwards CCW 45° pulling back into a cat-stance (Nikoashi-dachi), and maintain the open hand “X” block.

Note: This is breaking the opponent’s balance.

  • Step backwards into a (LFF) cat-stance and close your fists.

Note: This is the choke-out of the opponent. Pressure is applied to the carotid arteries stopping blood flow to the brain until the opponent is unconscious.

  • Execute a jumping double front kick.

Note: One explanation for this technique, beyond the simple effectiveness of the double jump kick, is once the original opponent is down you turn your attention to an adversary coming to aid the attacker that is unconscious. The jump kick clears the one opponent and simultaneously begins the attack on the new threat.

  • Land in Seisan-dachi (LFF) and execute a low “X” block.

Note: Some instructors break this series into two parts. The first being the choke and the second being the double jump kick. Breaking the double jump kick into one series makes it easier to teach.

Series-26:

  • Step forward into a Seisan-dachi (RFF), and execute a right middle block (Chudan-uki).
  • Shuffle forwards and middle vertical snap-punch with the left hand.
  • Shuffle forwards and middle vertical snap-punch with the right hand.

Series-27:

  • Turn 180° into a (LFF) Seisan-dachi and move hands into a left hand forward shuto guarding block.
  • Step forward into a (RFF) Seisan-dachi and move hands into a right hand forward shuto guarding block.

Series-28:

  • Bow-out
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