Unsū
Unsu (雲手), literally "cloud hands", is the most advanced kata found in Shotokan, Shito-Ryu and IsshinShorinji Ryu karate styles and generally taught to karateka at the 3rd to 4th Dan. It contains many intricate hand techniques, such as the ippon-nukite (one finger strike) in the opening sequence. Unsu also contains a 360-degree spinning double-kick with a double-leg take down at the same time, landing on the floor face-down before continuing. Because of this, it is a very common kata in tournaments.
The origin of Unsu is unknown, but it is of the Dragon style {{citation}}: Empty citation (help). It is somewhat a condensation of other katas (e.g., Bassai, Kanku, Jion, Empi, Jitte and Gankaku), hence it is essential to have mastered these before practicing Unsu. The movement, Unsu, or hands in the cloud, is used to sweep away the hands of the opponent and is said to signify the gathering clouds in a thunderstorm. It consists of 48 moves.
"Unsu" is also the title of a 2006 album by French metal band Lyzanxia.
External links
References
- Redmond, R. Kata: The Folk Dances of Shotokan, 2006 (http://www.24fightingchickens.com/kata/)
See also
 | This article related to the martial arts is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |