Kanku Dai - 観空大
Having 65 movements, Kanku Dai is the longest of the Sentei kata, as well as one of the longest kata in the Shotokan syllabus. Kanku - 観空 - translates as “Looking at the Sky” or “Viewing the Sky,” referring to the kata’s opening sequence. The word Dai - 大 - (big) is used to describe the kata’s larger movements as compared to the kata’s smaller version, Kanku Sho - 観空小. Kanku is one of three Shotokan kata that have two versions, Dai (big) and Sho (small). Originally, the kata was called Kushanku, and it still is in other styles, particularly in Okinawa. Kushanku was the name of a Chinese diplomat and kung fu expert who travelled to Okinawa in the 18th century. It is uncertain if this diplomat actually created the kata (or if he even existed), but many credit the kata to one of his alleged students, Santunuku Sakugawa.
Kanku Dai is basically an amalgamation of the Heian and Tekki kata. When practicing this kata, one will find many pieces of H2-H5, and even some T1. This is because the Heian katas were created for pedagogical purposes by Itosu Anko from older katas such as Kanku Dai to facilitate the teaching the art to young students. It is a very energetic kata involving jumping, dropping, and spinning techniques. It is said that this was Funakoshi Gichin’s favorite kata. Although the kata tends to favor the use of shuto-uchi, Kanku Dai offers two unique combinations, ura-zuki & ude-tate-fuse and gedan-uke/furiage. The very difficult jumping nidan-geri is also first practiced in this kata. Kanku Dai has many high and low techniques, requiring a certain amount of flexibility. It is a highly dynamic kata that must be performed with grace in motion.
| Kyodo | Technique | Translation | Stance | Target | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ryote-hitae-mae-ue | both hands in front and above forehead | hachiji-dachi | jodan | slow speed |
| 2 | ryote-kafukubu-mae | both hands in front of abdomen | hachiji-dachi | – | slow speed |
| 3 | haiwan-uke | back of arm block | kokutsu-dachi | jodan | |
| 4 | haiwan-uke | back of arm block | kokutsu-dachi | jodan | |
| 5 | tate-shuto-uke | vertical knife-hand block | hachiji-dachi | chudan | slow speed |
| 6 | tsuki (choku-zuki) | punch (straight punch) | hachiji-dachi | chudan | |
| 7 | uchi-uke | inside block | hizakutsu | chudan | |
| 8 | tsuki (choku-zuki) | punch (straight punch) | hachiji-dachi | chudan | |
| 9 | uchi-uke | inside block | hizakutsu | chudan | |
| 10 | ryoken-koshi-kamae | both fists hip posture | ashi-dachi | – | |
| 11 | uraken-yoko-mawashi-uchi/ yoko-geri-keage |
sideways back-fist strike/ side snap kick |
ashi-dachi | jodan/ chudan |
|
| 12 | shuto-uke | knife-hand block | kokutsu-dachi | chudan | |
| 13 | shuto-uke | knife-hand block | kokutsu-dachi | chudan | |
| 14 | shuto-uke | knife-hand block | kokutsu-dachi | chudan | |
| 15* | osae-uke/ shihon-nukite (tate-nukite) |
pressing block/ four finger spear-hand (vertical spear-hand) |
zenkutsu-dachi | chudan/ chudan |
|
| 16 | shuto-gedan-barai & jodan-uke/ shuto-soto-mawashi-uchi |
low knife-hand sweep & face block/ outside sword-hand strike |
ashi-zenkutsu | gedan jodan/jodan |
gyaku-hanmi |
| 17 | mae-geri | front kick | ashi-dachi | jodan | |
| 18 | uchi-uke/ gedan-uke (manji-uke) |
inside block/ down block (swirling block) |
kokutsu-dachi | jodan/ gedan |
|
| 19 | nagashi-uke/ shuto-uchikomi |
flowing block/ knife-hand thrusting strike |
ashi-zenkutsu | jodan/ gedan |
|
| 20 | gedan-barai | down block | renoji-dachi | gedan | slow speed |
| 21 | shuto-gedan-barai& jodan-uke/ shuto-soto-mawashi-uchi |
low knife-hand sweep & face block/ outside sword-hand strike |
ashi-zenkutsu | gedan jodan/jodan |
gyaku-hanmi |
| 22 | mae-geri | front kick | ashi-dachi | jodan | |
| 23 | uchi-uke/ gedan-uke (manji-uke) |
inside block/ down block (swirling block) |
kokutsu-dachi | jodan/ gedan |
|
| 24 | nagashi-uke/ shuto-uchikomi |
flowing block/ knife-hand thrusting strike |
ashi-zenkutsu | jodan/ gedan |
|
| 25 | gedan-barai | down block | renoji-dachi | gedan | slow speed |
| 26 | ryoken-koshi-kamae | both fists hip posture | ashi-dachi | – | |
| 27 | uraken-yoko-mawashi-uchi/ yoko-geri-keage |
sideways back-fist strike/ side snap kick |
ashi-dachi | jodan/ chudan |
|
| 28 | mae-enpi-uchi | front elbow strike | zenkutsu-dachi | – | |
| 29 | ryoken-koshi-kamae | both fists hip posture | ashi-dachi | – | |
| 30 | uraken-yoko-mawashi-uchi/ yoko-geri-keage |
sideways back-fist strike/ side snap kick |
ashi-dachi | jodan/ chudan |
|
| 31 | mae-enpi-uchi | front elbow strike | zenkutsu-dachi | – | |
| 32 | shuto-uke | knife-hand block | kokutsu-dachi | chudan | |
| 33 | shuto-uke | knife-hand block | kokutsu-dachi | chudan | |
| 34 | shuto-uke | knife-hand block | kokutsu-dachi | chudan | |
| 35 | shuto-uke | knife-hand block | kokutsu-dachi | chudan | |
| 36 | shuto-gedan-barai & jodan-uke/ shuto-soto-mawashi-uchi |
low knife-hand sweep & face block/ outside sword-hand strike |
ashi-zenkutsu | gedan jodan/jodan |
gyaku-hanmi |
| 37 | mae-geri | front kick | ashi-dachi | jodan | |
| 38 | uraken-tate-mawashi-uchi | vertical back-fist strike | kosa-dachi | jodan | |
| 39 | uchi-uke | inside block | zenkutsu-dachi | chudan | |
| 40 | gyaku-zuki | reverse punch | zenkutsu-dachi | chudan | |
| 41 | tsuki | punch | zenkutsu-dachi | chudan | |
| 42 | soete-ura-zuki/ hiza-zuchi |
added hand inverted punch/ knee strike |
ashi-dachi | jodan/ – |
|
| 43 | ude-tate-fuse | arms vertically prone | ashi-zenkutsu | – | |
| 44 | shuto-uke | knife-hand block | kokutsu-dachi | gedan | |
| 45 | shuto-uke | knife-hand block | kokutsu-dachi | chudan | |
| 46 | uchi-uke | inside block | zenkutsu-dachi | chudan | |
| 47 | gyaku-zuki | reverse punch | zenkutsu-dachi | chudan | |
| 48 | uchi-uke | inside block | zenkutsu-dachi | chudan | |
| 49 | gyaku-zuki | reverse punch | zenkutsu-dachi | chudan | |
| 50 | tsuki | punch | zenkutsu-dachi | chudan | |
| 51 | ryoken-koshi-kamae | both fists hip posture | ashi-dachi | – | |
| 52 | uraken-yoko-mawashi-uchi/ yoko-geri-keage |
sideways back-fist strike/ side snap kick |
ashi-dachi | jodan/ chudan |
|
| 53 | shuto-uke | knife-hand block | kokutsu-dachi | chudan | |
| 54 | osae-uke/ shihon-nukite (tate-nukite) |
pressing block/ four finger spear-hand (vertical spear-hand) |
zenkutsu-dachi | chudan/ chudan |
|
| 55 | uraken-tate-mawashi-uchi | vertical back-fist strike | kiba-dachi | jodan | |
| 56 | kentsui-uchi-mawashi-uchi | inside hammer-fist strike | kiba-dachi | chudan | yori-ashi |
| 57 | sokumen-mae-enpi-uchi | front elbow strike to side | kiba-dachi | – | |
| 58 | ryoken-koshi-kamae | both fists hip posture | kiba-dachi | – | |
| 59 | gedan-barai | down block | kiba-dachi | gedan | |
| 60 | zenwan-gedan-uke/ furiage |
forearm down block/ rising swing |
kiba-dachi | gedan/ jodan |
fumikomi variation |
| 61 | otoshi-zuki | falling punch | kiba-dachi | gedan | |
| 62 | kaisho-kosa-uke (ryosho-juji-uke) |
both palms crossing block (X-block) |
hachiji-dachi | jodan | |
| 63 | ashi-jiku-mawari | foot pivot rotation | zenkutsu-dachi | – | natural speed |
| 64 | ryoken-mune-mae-kosa | both fists crossed in front of chest | zenkutsu-dachi | – | slow speed |
| 65* | nidan-geri & uraken-tate-mawashi-uchi |
two level kick & vertical back-fist strike |
– zenkutsu-dachi |
chudan/jodan jodan |