Practical Kata Bunkai: 'Cup and Saucer' position from Bassai and Kushanku / Kanku-Dai

This video looks at the “Cup & Saucer” hand position found in Passai / Bassai-Dai & Kushanku / Kanku-Dai. The purpose of the moment is to locate the enemy’s head by following the arm back to the target. While the hand and arm are very mobile, the head is always right next to the shoulder. We can therefore locate the head, in the chaos of conflict, by following in the arm back to the head. For this method, the hand (fist or palm depending on style) is then placed on the head so a direct feel for the enemy’s head is established. The main strike is then delivered.

Kushanku – the martial artist the kata is named after (later renamed to Kanku-Dai in Shotokan karate) – is said to have come from China to Okinawa in the 1750s with other military personal at the request of Okinawa’s king. There is a document called ‘Oshima Hikki’ (Note of Oshima). This document details a ship running ashore in Oshima bay and includes interviews with the crew of that ship. In one of these interviews the captain of the ship tells of an impressive grappling demonstration he witnessed that was given by Kushanku. The interview tells us that Kushanku was not a physically strong man and yet he defeated much stronger opponents with ease. We are also told that his methods involved placing one hand on the opponent whilst striking with the other hand. We can obviously see this method here. It would seem that Tode Sakugawa – the creator of the kata and a student of Kushanku – recorded the method observed by the ship’s captain in kata.

This short clip was taken from a two-day event in Germany in May 2016. The clip therefore does not cover how this method fits into a wider approach. I nevertheless hope this short clip is of some interest.

All the best,

Iain

[cmn]

I love that the starting assumptions of all your oyo and bunkai include the facts that that it has to work, and the opponent gets a say too. Iain Sensei, you need to establish your ryu internationally. I'd join Abernathy-Kai-Kan in a heartbeat!

[phillipmoore]

There are links on Wikipedia under Gichin Funakoshi to view his books 1922 To-te Ryukyu Kenpo, 1925 Karate Jutsu, and 1935 Karate-Do Kyohan. I bring this up here because all three of them have early versions of Kusanku (later Kwanku in Shotokan). If one has a reprint of Tsutomu Ohshima's 1973 English translation of Karate-Do Kyohan, you could see the development of Shotokan over several decades. On Youtube one can also view versions of Kusanku from Wado-ryu, Shito-ryu, Shorin-ryu, and other descendant lines of Shuri-te.

[tangsoodomalta]

Great work, your a pioneer in the art.

[MartyNozz]

You mean you're not "hiding your hands from your opponent"?!

I'VE BEEN LIED TO!

Sadly, an instructor really did tell me that once. Completely straight-faced.

[bradlong]

Anyone who studies Aikido for a year or two will quickly identify this elbow lock. (Your) Elbow finds (opponents) elbow and the hands stack exactly as the karate kata shows. It also sets up, like Pinan Yondon, a movement to blow out the opponent's knee with a sweeping side kick.

[CorinShadowblayde]

Their head will always be at the end of the arm. Bingo!