This Saturday sees the last of the Shotokan sentei katas as the focus of our kata series, with kata Enpi rounding off the quartet with Bassai Dai, Kanku Dai and Jion. These are the basic, representative forms for black belts and are often used in competitions, as well as Shodan gradings.
Kata Enpi is translated from Japanese to mean “flying swallow” , a reference no doubt to its, agile and energetic movements, with quick changes in direction, as well as many sinking and rising motions, much like those of swallow birds that are extremely agile in flight and spend most of their time in the air.
Enpi is considered to be one of the oldest katas, believed to have first made an appearance in the 17th century under the name Wanshu. It was renamed to Enpi by master Gichin Funakoshi when he moved to the Japanese mainland in the 1920s. in an effort to make the Okinawan art more acceptable to the then nationalistic Japanese.
With 39 movements, kata Enpi calls upon the karateka to properly understand technique, posture, and the underlying principles of the kata. This includes maintaining a straight back, a strong core, and using the body to generate power efficiently. The kata also has some unique movements seldom found in other katas, example dropping to one knee, the reverse lean, and kirikae-ashi which calls for quick footwork from the karateka to switch feet to counter-attack. The spinning jump towards the end of the kata also makes it popular among the younger and sportier karateka, keen to using it to impress at competitions.
We eagerly look forward to Aneel Sensei taking us through this energetic and most interesting kata this Saturday .
