T. Kimura wrote:These are all pretty enriching resonses. There is a lot of collective understanding and experience here. I actually neither know nor practice Suparenpei. It does, however, feel "right" to me to have at least one somewhat authentic naha te kata in a syllabus. The nine core kata constitute most of my own practice. I teach and practice only 15 kata. As far as the "Okinawan-ness" of Wado, I think there are some semantic issues, rather than technical, involved. Wado can not be so distant from its sources that it is no longer karate. I think it is important to see Wado very much as a school of karate Do and not as a school of jujitsu. If I am not mistaken Suparenpei was included, in writing, to Dai Nippon Butokukai in the original Shenshu Wadoryu Karate jutsu syllabus, and was practiced in the Shinkokai/Shinbukai before the war. I was wondering if anyone did it just to see if any kind of otsuka version was still practiced or remembered. I obviously agree that Wado is the most Japanese (meaning grounded in Japanese kobudo) of all karate do. Perhaps Wado's ultimate evolution would have been into a formation of sogobudo rather than a school of karate.
Hi TK,
There was a very creditable and credible version of suparinpei on you-tube a while back, it was performed by JFK’s Koji Okumachi 6th Dan, I went back to look but it is no longer available it seems. It was credible because it wasn’t a CC of shitoryu or goju version but very wado in its dynamic and creditable because Koji Okumachi was World Wado kata champion in 1994, and has for many years been the kata coach to Wadokai Japan. Beyond that, Guseikai or Blackcat can probably give you more info on Okumachi than I can.
Tim's already mentioned a longish discussion on Suparinpei and the bunkai/kaisetsu difference in wado thinking on this old site
http://www.all-karate.com/forums/index. ... =1470&st=0 that adds to the understanding and reasoning and hopefully removes it from the 'semantic issues' pejorative. In this regard I would say it is more a matter of kanji differences that Ohtsuka meijin used (for instance: kata 型 or kata 形 and bunkai 分解 or kaisetsu 解説 )to differentiate wado ryu's principles, ethic and core dynamic from its Okinawan influence.
It probably doesn't really matter what we call it and for some there probably isn't a right or wrong way to practice unless we recognise that what we have now is a 21 century global wado diaspora that has flourished since the 1950s which suits many people, some of whom wish to improve their wado ryu by adding to the mix while others prefer to strip away the excess and work from the core principles and ethic that Ohtsuka meijin appeared to be constantly refining.
What we do need to think about is its longevity and its easiest form of identity for its shu heritage and portability. In the long run, the winnower may end up with a few principles to play with that would send the kata collector into premature hibernation for long winter periods while the razor wielding winnower figures the kata collector may end up with a generic brown soup for his troubles. In the final analysis though it comes down to the dojo and the individual and the strengthening (or diluting) the simple essence of Wado ryu as a worthwhile endeavour by uncovering a unique path of discovery while, if we are open to it, lifting the veil of self delusion.
oneya