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Channan no kata - My theory

10/23/2018

5 Comments

 
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As we know, the Pinan kata were developed by Itosu Sensei between 1902 and 1907 and introduced into the Okinawan school system. Like no other, he influenced the development of modern karate.
Besides the Pinan kata, Itosu Sensei developed among others the three Naifanchin kata, the Passai Sho and Kushanku Sho. In my opinion, a significant part the worldwide spread of karate is due to him and thereby the possibility for us to practice this wonderful art.
So, on which basis did Itosu Sensei develop the Pinan kata (and Kushanku Sho)?
It is supposed that Itosu Sensei developed the Pinan kata basing in particular on the Kushanku kata. Because of the length and technical complexity of the Kushanku and other old kata, these forms were unsuitable for pupils and beginners. So, Itosu Sensei allegedly removed many dangerous techniques from the kata, like fingertip strokes in the eyes, in order to make karate suitable to be taught in school lessons. He also reduced the length of the long old kata or split them.
So far, so good! Now I present my assumption regarding Channan:
  • The Channan no kata is the archetype, so to say the DNA of Shuri-te. Kushanku Sensei brought it to Okinawa in the second half of the 18th century.
  • The Channan no kata is a very complex kata that consists of 90% open-hand techniques and since it even back then was too long and technically too complex, Kushanku Sensei split it into parts. He then taught his student these parts of the Channan no kata.
  • There are several of these split kata around today. However, all bear the name Kushanku (e.g. Sakugawa no Kushanku, Yara no Kushanku, Kushanku Dai, etc.).
  • Some students got taught the Channan no kata in their entirety.
  • The Channan no kata has been handed down to only a handful of students because of its complexity.
  • Itosu Sensei knew the entire Channan no kata.
  • It is understandable that techniques have been extenuated before introducing them to elementary school to make the training safer for children. Considering the Kushanku kata, there are no dangerous techniques; the use of the fingertips or the open hands is not more distinct in the Kushanku variants than in the five Pinan kata.
  • In my opinion, Itosu Sensei did not create the Pinan kata based on Matsumura's Kushanku or any other kata. Rather the base of the Pinan is the Channan no kata.
  • Also, I belief that Itosu Sensei developed the Kushanku Sho based on the Channan no kata.
I plan to publish a book in 2020, treating the Channan no kata. I will describe the Pinan kata and the Kushanku variants of Shudokan and further I will give a more detailed justification regarding the Channan no kata theory. Please be patient while waiting!
5 Comments
Matthew Gouig link
10/23/2018 10:29:24 pm

Dear Christian Sensei: It seems after so many years of reading and study on this...I feel I have to agree with you. The study of the Channan Kata seems like like something one has to do...like researching the REAL King Arthur or the search for the Holy Grail. We need more than one lifetime to study our art.

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CHRISTIAN
10/24/2018 06:13:57 am

I fully agree with you. The comparison to the Holy Grail is fitting. I have so much information and I am looking forward to sharing my insights.

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Andrzej Pyrzewicz link
11/4/2018 09:11:34 am

I agree that Kensei Itosu developed among others the katas listed here. Undoubtedly also Itosu like no other, he influenced the development of modern karate. But in my opinion, he did more wrong than good. Aiming to disseminate karate he simplified it and turn into the role of a toy which currently mostly serves only to earn money. Therefore according to me, we do not owe him anything.

And now about Channan.

● Most of all, I'm afraid that, unfortunately, but with the help of the characters used here this name can not be read as Chan-nan, only as Chan-an.

● Unfortunately, but I do not agree neither with this that Channan is the archetype and the DNA of Shurite nor with this that Kushanku Sensei brought it to Okinawa in the second half of the 18th century. Firstly, therefore that before Channan in Shuri there were already practiced many other katas. Secondly, therefore that before 1870 there is nowhere even the slightest mention about Channan kata.

● Therefore Kushanku - who last time was in Okinawa in 1762 - could not know Channan kata. Also from this reason he could not neither split it into parts nor all the more he then taught his student these parts of the Channan no kata. Moreover, therefore neither Kushanku nor his students could know Channan kata because they all died at least 50 years earlier than this kata appeared on Okinawa.

● Therefore also the suggestion that Channan kata was divided into parts which are called Kushanku is equally unreasonable. Confirming this is also at least three other facts listed below:

1/ Kushanku kata was known in Okinawa at least 100 years before Channan kata appeared on this island,

2/ none of the authors of later versions of Kushanku kata such as (alphabet.) Chibana, Itosu, Kishimoto, Kitayara, Kuniyoshi, Kyudokan, Matsubayashi, Shuri or Tomari, because of time in which they were living, they could have nothing to do with neither the very person of Kushanku nor his students,

3/ with the exception of Itosu, none of the above mentioned with sure knew the Channan kata.

● Thus, taking into account all this what is above, any considerations going in direction identifying Kushanku kata with Chinnan kata simply do not have any sense.

● I agree with the fact that not many people got to know the Channan, including of course Kensei Itosu. But it was not at all about the complexity of Channan kata.

● With the current number of existing versions of Kushanku kata it is hard to say that there is no dangerous techniques in any of them.

● With the whole certainty during the creation of Pinan katas Itosu used techniques and sequences not only from the changed Channan but also from Chibana-Kushanku and Chinto. However it can not be ruled out that he also used its own version of Kushanku.

● It is hard to say if Itosu developed the Kushanku Sho based on the Channan. It is possible. However Sho contains many elements which are also in Kushanku.

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    In this blog I would like to answer some of your questions about the book. In addition, there are a variety of photos and interesting stories that have not found entry into the book.  Furthermore, the blog should serve to give you new historical insights immediately, so you do not have to wait for the second edition of my book.

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