Unsu (or Unshu in Okinawan) is one of three Shotokan kata that can be traced back to Seisho Aragaki. Indeed, Unsu possesses certain techniques characteristic of an "Aragaki kata" such as teisho-awase-zuki in sanchin-dachi, the tenchi (heaven and earth) position, and kensei (feinting). Translations of the term Unsu include "Cloud Hands," "Hands in the Clouds," and even "Parting the Clouds." The name of the kata implies that your hands are like clouds, ever changing and capable of discharging lethal force in the blink of an eye. Unsu is another kata thought to have been derived from an Okinawan folkdance, perhaps paying homage to the gods Fujin (god of the wind) and Raijen (god of thunder and lightning). It has been said that the kata embodies a storm, with the kata's techniques symbolizing wind, lightning, tornadoes, etc. Another school of thought suggests that Unsu originated from one of the Shaolin forms based on the techniques of the dragon (one of kung fu's five animals).
Whatever the origin or philosophy behind the kata, Unsu is truly a magnificent and extremely advanced form, requiring great speed and agility, but above all, explosive power. Just as clouds perpetually change, Unsu undergoes many transitions, making it one of the most dynamic forms of Shotokan. Changes in timing are plentiful in this kata, and attacks are thrown to all three levels of the body: jodan, chudan, and gedan. Stances also vary from internal stances like neko-ashi-dachi and sanchin-dachi, to outer tension stances such as fudo-dachi, zenkutsu-dachi, and kiba-dachi. Interestingly enough, it is one of two kata (not counting Tekki) that doesn't include kokutsu-dachi.
As one of Shotokan's most versatile kata, Unsu offers many unprecedented techniques and concepts. At 48 movements, Unsu contains a treasure trove of advanced hand techniques including ippon-nukite, seiryuto, keito, haito, kensei, uke-zuki, and teisho. Unsu's leg techniques, however, are far more interesting. Kicks found in this kata are executed in an unconventional manner, contrary to normal training practices. The two mawashi-geri are the only mawashi-geri found in any Shotokan kata, and they are made while lying down! Since the karateka must literally fall down to perform these roundhouse kicks, the student must also have a basic understanding of breakfalling. The third mae-geri is actually a mae-kekomi, a front kick with a thrust instead of a snap, whereby the heel is used rather than the ball of the foot. Mae-kekomi is rarely if ever practiced in Shotokan, except in this kata. The mika-zuki-geri, although seen in several other kata, cannot be used to its full potential since it is performed completely in mid-air, with the ushiro-geri never really coming to fruition. During this movement, the focus is more on the jump than on the kicks. This 360 jump is Unsu's hallmark and it is also probably the single most difficult technique in all of Shotokan kata. The jump in Kanku Sho should be practiced diligently before any attempt is made to learn the Unsu jump. When done properly, the spinning jump is simply breathtaking, making Unsu a very popular tournament kata.
Unsu
Cloud Hands
Unsu
Cloud Hands
Embusen of kata
the kata in practice
in practice
Greet in musubi-dachi position .
Announce the kata " Unsu ".
Bring the right foot against the left foot ( heisoku dachi ) by spreading the arms on either side of the body, 45 ° from the vertical, knuckles fists down. Preparation movement performed slowly.
1 - Kaiun no te:
( 1A ) Always in the heisoku-dachi position , and keeping your arms extended down, join the inside of your wrists in front of you, gradually opening your hands.
( 1B ) When hands are close to each other, rotate wrists outward so that the cutting edges of the hands are in contact.
( 1C ) Raise your hands in front of the chest by joining the forearms, so that the elbows come into contact when the hands reach the chin.
( 1DAs soon as your elbows touch each other, extend your arms to the sides, first bending your elbows apart and preparing your hands for vertical blows of the cutting edges of your hands.
( 1E ) Extend the arms fully on both sides of the body at shoulder height. You are in thekaiun position no te "The hands that separate the clouds".
2 - Chudan morote keito-uke:
( 2A ) Advance the right foot and adopt the posture of the cat neko-ashi-dachi, lowering the arms sharply to the side. ( 2B ) Reassemble the hands in front of the chest so as to prevent a double blocking of the "chicken-head" wrists ( morote keito-uke ), elbows returned to the body.
3 - Migi chippan ippon-nukite / Morote keito-uke:
( 3A ) Still in neko-ashi-dachi, with a whipped movement mobilizing the elbow joint, lower the right hand and hit a finger pike ( ippon -nukite ).
( 3B ) Bring your right hand back to its original position to find yourself again in a position of double locking the wrists "in the head of chicken" ( morote keito-uke ), elbows returned to the body.
4 - Ura ushi-gake:
( 4A ) Pivot on tiptoe, so as to turn right foot outward, at an angle of 45 ° to the right, and rest the heel on the ground.
( 4B ) Transfer the weight of the body to the right leg, raise the left heel and slide the toes forward, in front of the right foot, keeping in touch with the ground.
( 4C ) Continue the movement of the left foot and move the toes to the left, following a circular path.
( 4D ) Bring the toes toward you on an identical circular path, in order to perform a hooking of the back of the leg ( ura ashi-gake) while you are settling into the neko-ashi-dachi cat posture .
5 - Hidari ippon-nukite chudan / Morote keito-uke:
( 5A ) Still in neko-ashi-dachi, with a quick whipped motion, lower your left hand and hit a finger pike ( ippon-nukite ).
( 5B ) Bring your left hand back to its original position to find yourself again in a position of double locking the wrists " morote keito-uke" , elbows returned to the body.
6 - Ura ushi-gake:
( 6A ) Pivot on tiptoe, so as to turn left foot outward and rest the heel on the ground.
( 6B ) Transfer the weight of the body to the left leg, raise the right heel and slide the toes forward, in front of the left foot, keeping in touch with the ground.
( 6C ) Continue moving the right foot and move the toes to the right, following a circular path.
( 6D ) Bring the toes toward you on a similar circular path, in order to perform a hooking of the back of the leg ( ura ashi-gake ) while you settle in the posture of the cat neko-ashi-dachi.
7 - Migi chudan ippon-nukite / Morote keito-uke:
( 7A ) Still in neko-ashi-dachi, with a quick whipped motion, lower your right hand and hit a finger pike ( ippon-nukite ).
( 7B ) Bring the right hand back to its original position to find yourself again in the double-locked position of the "chicken-head" wrists ( morote keito-uke ), elbows returned to the body.
8 - Hidari chudan shuto-uke / Migi chudan gyaku-zuki:
( 8A ) Swivel the head to the left, shift the left foot to the left to move to zenkutsu-dachi left front slit posture , and send the left arm in front of you for exercise a vertical blocking of the cutting edge of the left hand medium level ( shuto-uke ).
( 8B ) Immediately carry a right-hand inverted right hand punch ( gyaku-zuki ).
9 - Migi chudan shuto-uke / Hidari chudan gyaku-zuki:
( 9A ) Swivel your head to the right to look in the opposite direction, slide your right foot to the opposite side in your back to rotate 180 degrees. Sit in zenkutsu-dachi's front right lunge posture, and send the right arm in front of you for a vertical slash of the mid-level right hand ( shuto-uke ).
( 9B ) Immediately carry a left inverted left hand punch ( gyaku-zuki ).
10 - Hidari chudan shuto-uke / Migi chudan gyaku-zuki:
( 10A ) Swivel the head to the left, shift the left foot to the left to move to zenkutsu-dachi left front slit posture , and send the left arm in front of you for exercise a vertical blocking of the cutting edge of the left hand medium level ( shuto-uke ).
( 10B ) Immediately carry a right-hand inverted right punch ( gyaku-zuki ).
11 - Migi chudan shuto-uke / Hidari chudan gyaku-zuki:
( 11A ) Swivel your head to the right to look behind you, shift the right foot in your back to rotate 180 degrees. Sit in zenkutsu-dachi's front right lunge posture, and send the right arm in front of you for a vertical slash of the mid-level right hand ( shuto-uke ).
( 11B ) Immediately carry a left inverted left hand punch ( gyaku-zuki ).
12 - Hidari kasei mawashi-geri:
( 12A ) While pulling back the right foot, drop to the ground, bust to the right. Keep your head up and make contact with the floor with your palms and right forearm. As soon as you are on the ground, raise your left knee.
( 12B ) Wear a circular left ascending kick ( kasei mawashi-geri ).
( 12C ) Bring back the left hook leg immediately.
13 - Migi kasei mawashi-geri:
( 13A ) "Wrap" the torso to the left with the knees under the body, to stay on the same floor.
( 13B ) Rest the left flank on the ground and immediately raise the right knee to find the ground posture resting on the palms of the hands and the left forearm.
( 13C ) Carry a right ascending circular kick ( kasei mawashi-geri ).
( 13D ) Bring the right leg straight back.
14 - Kaiun no te:
( 14A ) Using your left arm, straighten yourself by applying your right foot against your left foot and clasp your hands in front of your chest, palms up.
( 14B ) Turn your head to the right and slide your right foot to the right to find yourself in the position of the kiba-dachi rider , while extending your arms on either side of your body at shoulder height. You are in the kaiun position no te "The hands that separate the clouds".
15 - Hidari keito-uke / Migi ushiro teisho-barai:
( 15A ) Bring the right foot against the left foot by turning the pelvis to the right, so as to direct it towards the right arm lying in front of you, while arming the left arm under the right arm.
( 15B ) Advance the left foot to adopt a zenkutsu-dachi left - front slit posture , while standing in front of you with a "chicken head" ( keito-uke ) wrist block , with the left arm.Simultaneously, perform a sweep of the heel of your right hand behind you ( ushiro teisho-barai ).
16 - Migi keito-uke / Hidari ushiro teisho-barai:
( 16A ) Move the left foot against the right foot by turning the pelvis to the left, so that it is perpendicular to the front / rear axle . Arm the right arm open hand under the left arm.
( 16B ) Advance the right foot to adopt a zenkutsu-dachi right front lunge posture , while standing in front of you with a "chicken head" ( keito-uke ) wrist block , with the right arm.Simultaneously, perform a sweep of the heel of your left hand behind you ( ushiro teisho-barai ).
17 - Hidari jodan haito-uchi:
Always in zenkutsu-dachi right front slit posture , throw the left arm in front of you following a circular trajectory to carry a shot of the inner edge of the left hand high level in front of you ( haito-uchi ) and arm your right fist over your right hip.
18 - Hidari jodan mae-geri / Migi chudan soto-uke / Hidari chudan gyaku-zuki:
( 18A ) Without altering the position of the left arm, wear a forefoot kick left high level (mae-geri ).
( 18B ) Rotate on the support leg and turn the pelvis sharply to the right, bringing back the left foot. Simultaneously, pull the left elbow back and send the right elbow to the right.
( 18C ) Complete your 180 ° rotation to the right. Bring the right forearm inward to perform a right outer-inner right block ( soto-uke ), At the same time, bring the left knee, still high, inwards.
With a strong torsion of the pelvis, the blockage and the left knee converge towards the center of the body in opposite directions.
( 18D ) Move the left foot back into zenkutsu-dachi right front slit , while sending a left inverted middle level punch ( gyaku-zuki ).
19 - Migi jodan haito-uchi:
Turn your head to the left to look behind you, shift the left foot to the right in your back and swivel the pelvis to the left to sit in zenkutsu-dachi left front slit posture , launch the Right arm in front of you following a circular path to take a shot of the inner edge of the right hand high level ( haito-uchi ) and arm the left fist above the left hip.
20 - Migi jodan mae-geri / Hidari chudan soto-uke / Migi chudan gyaku-zuki:
( 20A ) Wear a right whipped frontal kick right level ( mae-geri ).
( 20B ) Bring back the right foot, pivot on the support leg and powerfully turn the pelvis to the left by pulling the right elbow back and spreading the left elbow to the left side.
( 20C ) Complete your rotation 180 ° to the left. At the same time, perform a medium-level outside-inside block ( soto-uke ), while you bring the right knee in front of you.
( 20D ) Move your right foot back into zenkutsu-dachi left front slit, while sending a right-hand inverted right punch ( gyaku-zuki ).
21 - Ryowan-kamae:
Bring the left foot against the right foot in the heisoku-dachi position , turn the head 45 degrees to the left, extend the arms on both sides of the body by making them write a trajectory in which they cross each other in front of the chest, to find yourself in ryowan-kamae posture .
22 - Tenshi kenseitai / Migi gedan oi-zuki:
( 22A ) Shift the left foot obliquely to the left, raise the left arm in extension, open hand, in the same direction.
( 22B ) Take a step forward and lower your left arm steeply in front of you while raising your right arm. You perform a high / low feint ( tenshi kenseitai ), open hands.
( 22C ) Finish your forward move to find yourself in zenkutsu-dachi's front right lunge posture , while sending a straight down straight straight ( gyaku-zuki ).
23 - Hidari gedan-zuki:
( 23A ) Without moving the feet, pivot the pelvis strongly to the left and move the center of gravity to the left leg
( 23B ) Adopt a zenkutsu-dachi left front lunge posture in the opposite direction, and carry a left down low punch ( gedan-zuki ).
24 - Hidari gedan-zuki:
Without moving the feet, pivot the pelvis strongly to the right and move the center of gravity to the right leg to take a zenkutsu-dachi right front lunge posture in the previous direction, administering a stroke of fist descending right low level ( gedan-zuki ).
25 - Hidari chudan tate shuto-uke:
( 25A ) Turn the head to the left, shift the left foot in your back, to the right. Rotate the pelvis to the left, raising your left hand open to the right shoulder.
( 25B ) Complete your 180 ° rotation to the left and adopt a fudo-dachi rooted posture as you perform a vertical slash of the left middle level ( tate shuto-uke ).
26 - Teisho tate hasami-uchi:
( 26A ) Lower the right hand in front of you by opening it, heel of the protruding hand, then remount it in spoon to the left hand
( 26B ) Advance the pelvis to adopt a slit posture left front zenkutsu-dachi and raise the heel of the right hand to join the heel of the left hand. You make a vertical blow of the heels of the hands in scissors ( teisho tate hasami-uchi ).
27 - Migi mae-geri kekomi / Hidari chudan gyaku-zuki / Migi chudan-zuki:
( 27A ) Without changing the position of the arms, powerfully raise the right knee to the chest, between the arms.
( 27B ) Take a penetrating shot of the right heel in front of you as you bring your hands to the chest ( mae-geri ).
KIAÏ !!!
( 27C ) Rest the right foot in front of you, in the direction of the kick, and adopt a zenkutsu-dachi right front lunge posture , performing a left -handed mid- level left punch (gyaku-zuki ).
( 27D ) Wear a right middle level right punch ( chudan-zuki ).
28 - Migi sokumen gedan-barai:
( 28A ) Turn the head to the left, put the right foot in front of the left foot and come to put it on the other side of it, turning the pelvis in the same direction, all raising the right fist above the head.
( 28B ) Slide the right foot outward, 135 ° from its previous position, to find yourself in the kiba-dachi rider's posture and lower the right arm to perform a downward lateral block (gedan-barai ).
29 - Hidari sokumen jodan haito-uke:
Turn the head to the left, take a slipped (suri-ashi) step to the left to settle in kiba-dachi rider posture and execute a lateral blocking of the inner edge of the left hand high level(haito-uke ).
30 - Hidari sokumen gedan-shuto-barai:
( 30A ) Turn the head to the right, pass the left foot in front of the right foot and come to put it on the other side of it, by turning the pelvis 180 ° towards the right, while raising the left hand above the head.
( 30B ) Slide the right foot outward, 135 ° from its previous position, to find yourself in kiba-dachi rider posture and lower the right arm to perform a downward lateral block (gedan-shuto-barai ).
31 - Migi sokumen jodan haito-uke:
Turn the head to the right, take a step slid (suri-ashi) to the right to sit in kiba-dachi's posture lower the left arm on the left side to execute a block side of the inner edge of the right hand high level ( haito-uke ).
32 - Sokumen chudan-zuki:
Always in kiba-dachi carry a left side punch middle level ( sokumen chudan-zuki ).
33 - Hidari chudan haishu-uke:
( 33A ) Turn the head to the left to look in the opposite direction, turn the left foot 90 ° to the left by moving the pelvis to the right leg. Extend your arm in front of you.
( 33B ) Continue rotating the pelvis to find yourself back in the right kokutsu-dachi stance while doing a mid-level left hand ( haishu-uke ) blockage .
34 - Migi mikazuki-geri / Sempu tobi-geri / Ushiro-geri:
( 34A ) Swivel the pelvis to the left, forcefully launch the right leg in front of you and strike the left palm with the sole of the right foot ( mikazuki-geri ), at the same time that, from the left leg, you leap to pull yourself off the ground.
( 34B ) Suspended in the air, enjoy spinning to perform a whirlwind kick ( sempu tobi-geri ).
( 34C ) At the end of the full rotation (360 °), send the right leg back to carry a back kick (ushiro-geri ), at the same time as you lower your hands to prepare you to get back to the ground .
When you land, your hands are spread shoulder-width apart and angled in at 45 ° angles. The right foot is resting on the ground, under the right shoulder, and the left leg is extended back, heel up.
35 - Mawashi kake-uke / Teisho awase-zuki:
( 35A ) Rise up and move your left foot into the sanchin-dachi hourglass position . Bring your right hand in front of the left shoulder by raising your left hand in front of your right side.
( 35B ) Lower the right hand to the right hip, raising the left hand to the left shoulder and wrap the hands along the flanks of the bust to perform a hooked circular block ( mawashi kake-uke ).
( 35C ) Push both hands in front of you to carry a penetrating double tap of the heels of hands ( teisho awase-zuki ), the right hand aiming at the face of the opponent, and the left hand its average level.
36 - Mawashi kake-uke / Teisho awase-zuki:
( 36A ) Move your right foot into the sanchin-dachi hourglass position . Bring your left hand in front of your right shoulder by raising your right hand in front of your left side.
( 36B ) Lower the left hand to the left hip, raising the right hand to the right shoulder and wrap the hands along the sides of the bust to perform a hooked circular block ( mawashi kake-uke ).
( 36C ) Push both hands in front of you to carry a penetrating double tap of the heels of hands ( teisho awase-zuki ), the left hand aiming at the face of the opponent, and the right hand its average level.
37 - Hidari jodan age-uke / Migi chudan gyaku-zuki:
( 37A ) Pressing on the right foot, slip the left foot into your back, on the right side, and rotate 180 ° to the left while extending the arm straight upwards, left hand in hikeness.
( 37B ) Sit in the zenkutsu-dachi left front lunge posture by executing a high-level left-upper block ( jodan age-uke ).
( 37C ) Immediately carry a right-hand inverted right hand punch ( gyaku-zuki ).
KIAÏ !!!
Lower the left foot against the right foot ( heisoku dachi ) cross arms in front of the chest before spreading the arms on either side of the body, 45 degrees from the vertical, knuckles fists down.
Yame in position hachiji-dachi.
