Introduction
Arguably, Yamanni-ryu might be the most widely practiced style around the world. There are many different versions of it, each with specific habits. For instance, today I took a version from a YouTube video by a Hawaiian group who train Shito-ryu and Yamanni-ryu. When analyzing the kata, it turned out that the preparation from the initial position to the position just before the first technique is a “kata” of 7 phases itself, including two Yōi positions (body at the position of attention). This very specific order and habit of operation points to the RBKD as the origin of this version of the kata, namely the Kishaba lineage Yamanni-ryu under senseis Ōshiro Toshihiro and Nishime Kiyoshi.
Obviously, this depends on how you count, but morphologically dissecting it, this is my result. I am not a practitioner of the school although I had basic initiations over the years, so don’t judge me. I also only have limited space in my tiny multifunctial dojo. For me, it is more the choreography or how kata are designed that is of interest.
With that approach, some tight analysis with a written description, and some hard work, you could learn most kata from video. It is just fun. In this case, analyzing each phase and writing it down in order including notes took longer than performing the kata at the end. The analysis took one hour. Running the kata took 5 minutes. It was exactly three tries. Watch the result here.
Description of the Kata
I. Stand in Musubi-dachi facing to the front. Hold the bō in your right hand, with your right arm hanging down naturally, and the bō tilted downward to the front at about 30°.
II. Bow to the front. While bowing, the bō remains exactly in the previous position and doesn’t move.
III. Announce the name of the kata: “Chōun no Kon Dai!”
IV. Bring your right hand over toward your left hip, and with the bō held horizontally, grip the bō from below with your left hand. Your right hand is on top, and your left hand is below, thus crossing both hands.
V. Once you have gripped with both hands as described in number 4, step forward with your right foot, and immediately follow up with your left foot, to stand in Musubi-dachi again. While doing so, continue to rotate the bō clockwise, take your left arm up with the upper arm vertically at the left side of the head, the left elbow at a right angle, the left forearm horizontally in front of your forehead, and the left hand holding the bō at the side of the left temple. The right hand holds the bō at the right side of the body, with your right arm hanging down naturally. Let go the left hand and support the bō in the previous position, with your right hand and leaned against your right shoulder/armpit. Move the left hand in a large counterclockwise circular motion from the right side of your head up and over to the left side and down to the outer side of your left thigh.
VI. Yōi 1. Raise the right hand with the bō vertically up to a position between your right pelvis and right lower rib. At the same time, synchronously, raise your left open hand up in a large clockwise circular motion from the outer side of your right thigh up and over to the left side of your head to again reach the position with the left forearm horizontally in front of your forehead, and grab the bō at the right side of your head.
VII. Yōi 2. Step back with your right foot, assuming a left forward-bent stance (Zenkutsu-dachi). Hold the left tip of the bō to the front, slightly ascending a few degrees, and the rear of the bō placed at your right upper arm close to the elbow.
Front Lane 1
1. Burst forward with the right foot, with a Shōmen-uchi, into a right Shiko-dachi, and immediately pull back the front tip to assume kamae.
2. Burst forward with the left foot while simultaneously shuffle back your right foot, into a left Shiko-dachi, with Gedan-uke, and immediately follow-through with a Gedan-nuki.
3. Same as 1.
4. Same as 2.
5. Take a full step forward (without shuffle), with a Shōmen-uchi, into a right Shiko-dachi,
Side Lane 1
6. Turn 90° to your left, and place your left foot backward in absolute direction right, in a right forward-bent stance (zenkutsu) toward absolute direction left. Perform the following combination: Right front strike twice in a row (shōmen-uchi 2x), upward swing (furi-age-uchi), downward swing (furi-sage-uchi), front strike (shōmen-uchi), pull back front leg and bō and burst forward again with a right thrust (tsuki), and finally assume kamae.
Side Lane 2
7. With your right foot as the pivot, rotate 180° counterclockwise, and place your left foot backward, in absolute direction left, in a right forward-bent stance (zenkutsu) toward absolute direction right. Perform the same combination as in number 6 (Right front strike twice in a row (shōmen-uchi 2x), upward swing (furi-age-uchi), downward swing (furi-sage-uchi), front strike (shōmen-uchi), pull back front leg and bō and burst forward again with a right thrust (tsuki), and finally assume kamae).
Front Lane 2
8. With your right foot as the pivot, rotate 90° counterclockwise, and place your left foot backward, in absolute direction rear, in a right forward-bent stance (zenkutsu). Perform the same combination as in number 6 and 7 (Right front strike twice in a row (shōmen-uchi 2x), upward swing (furi-age-uchi), downward swing (furi-sage-uchi), front strike (shōmen-uchi), pull back front leg and bō and burst forward again with a right thrust (tsuki), and finally assume kamae).
Rear Lane 1
9. With your right foot as the pivot, rotate 180° counterclockwise, and place your left foot backward, in absolute direction front, in a right forward-bent stance (zenkutsu). Perform the same combination as in number 6, 7, and 8 (Right front strike twice in a row (shōmen-uchi 2x), upward swing (furi-age-uchi), downward swing (furi-sage-uchi), front strike (shōmen-uchi), pull back front leg and bō and burst forward again with a right thrust (tsuki), and finally assume kamae).
10. Burst forward with the left foot while simultaneously shuffle back your right foot, into a left Shiko-dachi, with Gedan-uke.
11. Take a full right step forward (without shuffle), with a Shōmen-uchi, into a right forward-bent stance (zenkutsu).
12. Take a full left step forward (without shuffle), with a Shōmen-uchi, into a left forward-bent stance (zenkutsu).
13. Take a full right step forward (without shuffle), with a right yoko-uchi or age-uchi, in a right forward-bent stance (zenkutsu), follow through with a right Shōmen-uchi, and immediately assume kamae in Shiko-dachi.
Front Lane 3
14. With your right foot as the pivot, rotate 180° counterclockwise, and place your left foot backward, in absolute direction rear, in a right forward natural stance (hanmi shizen-dachi). Perform a right front strike twice in a row (shōmen-uchi 2x), pull back front leg and bō and burst forward again with a right thrust (tsuki), and finally assume kamae.
Finish
I. Take your left hand to your left ear and your right hand in front of your right chest, so that the bō is positioned about 45° toward absolute direction left.
II. Draw back your right foot to your left foot, into Musubi-dachi, and assume the initial position of the bō: Take your left arm up with the upper arm vertically at the left side of the head, the left elbow at a right angle, the left forearm horizontally in front of your forehead, and the left hand holding the bō at the side of the left temple. The right hand holds the bō at the right side of the body, the right hand with the bō held vertically at a position between your right pelvis and right lower rib.
III. Step back with your right foot, and immediately draw back your left foot and attach it to your right foot to stand in Musubi-dachi facing to the front. Simultaneously, rotate the bō counterclockwise until your left hand is under your right armpit, and your right hand down and forward at about 30°. Place your left open hand on your left thigh, and hold the bō in your right hand, with your right arm hanging down naturally, and the bō tilted down and forward at about 30°.
IV. Bow to the front. While bowing, the bō remains exactly in the previous position and doesn’t move.
Afternote
In above description I used standard terminology. The channel I took the video from to learn it however offers some technical terms, saying that Chōun no Kon Dai uses “Saburi-zuki (furi-zuki)” [do they mean suburi-zuki?] or “swinging thrusts,” strikes to the leg immediately followed by “traditional kesa-uchi” (diagonal strike). They also add that the kata has been “modified for performance.”
Terms like “traditional kesa-uchi” are of interest, since kesa-uchi is a term from obviously adopted from other Japanese martial arts, and is not an “old Okinawan name” or anything.
Likewise, as regards the name “Choun no Kon,” the channel states “The versions of Choun no Kon belonging to the Taira and Matayoshi schools of Okinawan kobudo are unrelated.” Well, that’s right. For instance, “Choun no Kon” was performed by Yabiku Moden in 1923 already, and later became “Taira lineage.”
Choun no Kon of Yamanni-ryu on the other hand is a modern creation, probably to train basic concepts of the school. I felt I need to add this to prevent misunderstandings. Choun no Kon of Taira lineage is really a kata of the kingdom era, while Choun no Kon of Yamanni-ryu is of the 1980s or so. Ok, that was all.
© 2024, Andreas Quast. All rights reserved.