8 posts / 0 new
Last post
Les Bubka
Les Bubka's picture
Yantsu Kata - Oyo Bunkai

Hi all

Yantsu - Kyokushin kata opening section. Personally I’m not fond of this one but I had to do it on my 2nd Dan examination. This kata was based ison Motobu Ha Shito Ryu style Ansan sorry for low quality of the footage.

Kind regards

Les

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Nice stuff as always.

I have some footage of my take on Yantsu (Ansan) that I’ll have to dig out and share. Irrespective of preferred pronunciation, the characters  used to write the name are 安三 (same “an” as in “Pin-an” / “Hei-an”) so it can be read as something like “safety three” or “safe in three ways”. Based on the bunkai, I have a tentative theory about why that may be the case. It’s not a widely practised kata, so I’d not thought to share that footage, but now that it’s been brought up … :-)

I’ll see if I can dig it out and I’ll add it here if I can find it.

All the best,

Iain

Les Bubka
Les Bubka's picture

Hi Iain

It would be great to see your take on it, this clip is from 2009, now I would do application bit different.

You are more of a researcher than me, do you have any historical info about this kata?

My wife really likes Yantsu, for me it is one of those off one's :) Kind regards Les

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Les Bubka wrote:
You are more of a researcher than me, do you have any historical info about this kata?

I don’t. I’ve not done much digging on it, but there does not seem to be much solid info around it.

I did find the video with my thoughts on it though! Hopefully, our combined clips will give those who practise the kata some food for thought.

All the best,

Iain

INFO: This video looks at bunkai for the kata Yantsu / Ansan. The kata is practised in Kyokushin under the name “Yantsu”, and in Shito-Ryu under the name “Ansan”. These names are alternate pronunciations of the same two characters: 安三. The first means “safe” and the second means “three”. The kata name can therefore be taken to mean “safe in three ways”. The Kyokushin version moves in three directions (forward, right and left) so that could be one explanation for the name. However, the Shito-Ryu version also moves to the back which would seem to undermine the theory (although it is possible the fourth direction was added later). When looking at the bunkai I see sequences for when you are gripped with both hands (1), gripped with one hand (2), and when both hands are free (3). It is possible that it is these three scenarios that the name refers too. While we don’t know for certain, it seems to me that the kata covers the basics of a civilian altercation.

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

For those who don’t know the kata:

Kyokushin’s Yantsu

 

Shito-Ryu’s Ansan

Les Bubka
Les Bubka's picture

Thnaks Iain, much appreciated

Kind rgards 

Les

Marc
Marc's picture

Great!

Not a kata I've ever seen before, but I'm very intrigued.

Iain, that is an amazing analysis (bunkai) of the movements.

Thanks to you both for sharing your ideas.

Cheers,

Marc  

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Marc wrote:
Not a kata I've ever seen before, but I'm very intrigued.

While both Kyokushin and Shito-Ryu have versions of it, I don’t know of many Shito-Ryu folks who practise it. The kata is much more widely practised in Kyokushin.

Marc wrote:
Iain, that is an amazing analysis (bunkai) of the movements.

Thank you! I do like solo form and there does appear to be a logic to the way the kata is constructed.

All the best,

Iain