# Kata Unsu



## Grenadier (Jun 10, 2007)

I just started learning kata Unsu Thursday, and am about halfway through it.  

I've previewed the second half, and see that there's a 360 degree jump.  I know that the right crescent kick starts you off with your spinning momentum, but I've also noticed that some systems have you back kicking with the left leg, while others simply keep the leg extended.  

Is there a particular advantage to either method?


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## terryl965 (Jun 10, 2007)

I believe it is simply which way you are tought, I was tought to just let the leg be extended. It is the way I have always doneen it.


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## Makalakumu (Jun 11, 2007)

Grenadier said:


> I just started learning kata Unsu Thursday, and am about halfway through it.
> 
> I've previewed the second half, and see that there's a 360 degree jump. I know that the right crescent kick starts you off with your spinning momentum, but I've also noticed that some systems have you back kicking with the left leg, while others simply keep the leg extended.
> 
> Is there a particular advantage to either method?


 
Are you learning the bunkai for that move too?  That one is going to be awesome...


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## Shotochem (Jun 11, 2007)

Grenadier said:


> I just started learning kata Unsu Thursday, and am about halfway through it.
> 
> I've previewed the second half, and see that there's a 360 degree jump. I know that the right crescent kick starts you off with your spinning momentum, but I've also noticed that some systems have you back kicking with the left leg, while others simply keep the leg extended.
> 
> Is there a particular advantage to either method?


 
Good luck.  It's a very cool looking kata, which I freely admit is not even close to my best.  

That jumping 360 just kills me and IMO, the only reason it could possibly be in the katas is for excercise and entertainment purposes.  I can't possibly see myself applying any sort of effective bunkai to that movement.  (and I'm quite jealous of all of you who can :waah

My interpretation is grabbing the head and crescent kick to the face knocking attacker to the ground.  I'll have to owe you the extra 270 degrees.

Maybe 20yrs ago.........

-Marc-


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## Grenadier (Jun 14, 2007)

Hmm, as it turns out, we do the crescent kick (some systems don't even do that anymore), and the back kick is held off until the very last second.  

I've been enjoying every minute, learning this kata, and I intend to get it to a level where I can perform it well enough for competition purposes, since I'm not exactly a spring chicken anymore...

Needless to say, my leg muscles are screaming at me, and the hip muscles are also howling, but it's a good kind of hurt...


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## chinto (Aug 7, 2007)

Grenadier said:


> I just started learning kata Unsu Thursday, and am about halfway through it.
> 
> I've previewed the second half, and see that there's a 360 degree jump. I know that the right crescent kick starts you off with your spinning momentum, but I've also noticed that some systems have you back kicking with the left leg, while others simply keep the leg extended.
> 
> Is there a particular advantage to either method?


 

I have to ask... what system is this kata from? I have not heard of it.


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## twendkata71 (Aug 7, 2007)

That would be Shotokan Karate. Shito ryu also has the Unsu kata, which in fact is where it came from and was introduced to Shotokan by Nakayama after Funakoshi Hanshi's passing, if memory serves me correctly.
I would like to know where the kata originated on Okinawa. Was it from the Shuri te or Tomari te?


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## twendkata71 (Aug 7, 2007)

According to one article that I just read. Mabuni learned the Unsu kata from one of his teachers, Aragaki  who told Mabuni that he learned in in China.
And Nakayama or Funakoshi's son learned it from Mabuni and added it to the Shotokan curriculum.


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## chinto (Aug 8, 2007)

thanks for the info.. I had not heard of that kata at all, but then my style does not use it.  thanks again twendkata71


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## Grenadier (Aug 8, 2007)

chinto said:


> I have to ask... what system is this kata from? I have not heard of it.


 
Twend hit it right on the nose.  Both Shito Ryu and Shotokan practice this kata.  

Here's a pretty good Wiki article on which kata the various Japanese / Okinawan Karate systems teach:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karate_kata

The system in which I train, which is Wado-based, re-incorporated much of the Shotokan teachings a long time ago, and that's where Unsu was added to the cirriculum.  We also added the Gojushiho kata series (sho and dai) as well as Sochin, from the Shotokan system.


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## chinto (Aug 10, 2007)

Grenadier said:


> Twend hit it right on the nose. Both Shito Ryu and Shotokan practice this kata.
> 
> Here's a pretty good Wiki article on which kata the various Japanese / Okinawan Karate systems teach:
> 
> ...


 
hmm not heard of a sho and dai in gojushiho.. only know of one kata by that name.. will check out the link


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## chinto (Aug 10, 2007)

Grenadier said:


> Twend hit it right on the nose. Both Shito Ryu and Shotokan practice this kata.
> 
> Here's a pretty good Wiki article on which kata the various Japanese / Okinawan Karate systems teach:
> 
> ...


 

I would not put a lot of store in their list on that site grenadier. I saw several kata that shobayashi shorin ryu teaches and they said no... and a couple they said yes and we do not teach at all.  so I think as a maybe general kinda  that one might be in that system its maybe ok. but we have 22 kata in our system. so I guess like most generalitys it might not be bad for a very very very general over veiw maybe... but not much more.


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## Grenadier (Aug 10, 2007)

chinto said:


> hmm not heard of a sho and dai in gojushiho.. only know of one kata by that name.. will check out the link


 
Very similar kata, and if you practice both, it's easy to accidentally infuse parts of one into the other, if you're not careful.  

One interesting note, is that Kanazawa's group (SKIF) reverses the names of those two kata.


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## chinto (Aug 12, 2007)

Grenadier said:


> Very similar kata, and if you practice both, it's easy to accidentally infuse parts of one into the other, if you're not careful.
> 
> One interesting note, is that Kanazawa's group (SKIF) reverses the names of those two kata.


 
ok,thanks for that information.

 but I would still take the list of kata on the site you listed with a large grain of salt.


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