Kusanku Kata

Nick: What style is Chatan Yara from? Or closest to? I assumed Isshinryu because of what you posted on the note, but that version is insanely close to Shorinkan. I don't think Yara and Sakugawa could have individually made such a similar kata. Unless they worked together?

Andrew: Good question. I'm pretty sure it's not any of the Okinawa "te" arts. Chatan Yara was most likely a Chinese stylist and most likely Chuan Fa. Definitely NOT Isshin-Ryu since Chatan Yara himself taught Sakugawa, who taught Matsumura who taught Kyan who taught Shimabukuro (founder of Isshin-Ryu).

Nick: According to Wikipedia, his style is Te. It also says "Noteable students: Peichin Takahara"

Andrew:  I don't trust Wikipedia. LOL.
But Yara did teach both Sakugawa and Takahara (although with Takahara, I believe it was only for a short period of time). Sakugawa had the nickname "Te" or "Toudi" to represent his art. Yara was probably a master of "Te" although it probably wasn't even named that at the time.

Nick: I asked Bill Hayes and he basically told me Sakugawa passed it down through his lineage and Yara passed it down through his lineage. Didn't say much about the origins.

Andrew: That makes sense.

Nick: Did Takahara actually study with Kusanku?

"Showing astonishing mercy and wisdom, Kong Su Kung invited the shamed Sakugawa to become his student and study white crane chuan fa with him. With the enthusiastic support of Takahara, Sakugawa accepted. The white crane style was a new and exciting development at that time, and Takahara probably expected to learn about it through his student."

Andrew: (No response.)

Nick: While reading about Shuri Castle battle strategy, I came upon this:

"No Night Fighting- Chuan fa contains specific techniques for fighting in the dark when you cannot see your enemy. These techniques were very practical for pedestrians walking on the dark forest roads of Shuri, but they had no application in the well-lighted reception hall. There is no point in including these skills in the training regimen of the Shuri bodyguards."

Where does that leave Kusanku kata? Let's nit forget that Sakugawa was not only a Shuri bodygyard and not only created Kusanku kata, but was also a chuan fa stylist. Kusanku was passed down through the bodyguards right down to Itosu. Chibana taught Itosu's style without alteration. What was it for in later years?

Andrew: "Chibana taught Itosu's style without alteration. What was it for in later years?"

I don't quite understand what you mean. Can you elaborate?

Nick: The book I'm reading says night fighting was pretty useless for fighting in Shuri Castle, since it was apparently well lit. But Kusanku kata was made for night fighting (so I've read). If it was so useless why was it not discarded when Matsumura was refining the most useful techniques?

Andrew: This article has a good explanation
http://ezinearticles.com/?Kusanku-Kata---Is-It-Really-for-Fighting-at-Night%3F&id=81024

The whole night fighting thing sounds to be more mythical than fact. Matsumura probably didn't throw this kata away because the techniques contained within are very comprehensive to his Shuri-Te, so comprehensive that his student Itosu had to break it down into simpler sections to form the five Pinan.

Nick: Very good article, but it doesn't help the Shuri bodyguards in the castle where 1. there's light, and 2. you can't see the sky. This means it either wasn't actually for night fighting or it had many other good techniques.

Very good article, but it doesn't help the Shuri bodyguards in the castle where 1. there's light, and 2. you can't see the sky. This means it either wasn't actually for night fighting or it had many other good techniques.

Andrew: Well, the whole thing about Kusanku being a night kata is a mystery, to say the least and it's weird that this aspect of the kata revolves around Matsumura when Sakugawa is the one credited for passing it down. What was Sakugawa's reason for creating it? Or Chatanyara?

Nick: According to one source, "It may be more correct to say that it USED TO BE a night-fighting kata." It goes on to say that it had three purposes- 1) to avoid being caught by the enemy, 2) to locate and attack an enemy in the dark, and 3) to remain in control of the enemy until he has been defeated. 1 seems probable, since the same source says it was more likely to be taken prisoner than killed, and 3 seems logical, given Matsumura's tactics.

Apparently Itosu's linear interpretation was designed against many simultaneous enemies. "In fact, there are applacations in kanku dai where a single technique injures multiple attackers."

Seems logical if someone's storming the castle.

Nick: "'Bushi' Matsumura Chikudun Pechin Sokon taught only one Kusanky kata, Yara Kusanku."

This is after saying that there's a theory that Sakugawa didn't study with Kusanku, but with Chatan Yara. That would mean Sakugawa didn't create the kata, which would also mean that Itosu kept few techniques when creating Sho and Dai.

Or...

Sakugawa and Yara used the same kata, regardless of who created it, and the styles that use "Chatan Yara Kusanku" use the original version.

What do you think?

Andrew: I think the second one. I'll ask Hokama Sensei when I go to Okinawa.

Nick: Also, I just realized that names like Oyadomari Passai and Matsumora Chinto may not necessarily be named by who created them, but who passed it down to a particular style. Took me a while to figure that one out.

To be continued...