Kata: Suparinpei

This kata is known as '108 hands' – representing the 108 evil spirits of man. It is also said to have represented a band of 108 warriors that travelled the chinese countryside in the 1600s performing 'Robin Hood'-type tasks of doing good deeds, giving to the poor, etc. It’s also known by its Chinese name of Pechurrin and occasionally referred to with the Funakoshi-altered name of Haiku Hachi Ho.

Created in the 1600s by Chinese General Ye Fai, this very old kata was later taught to Naha-te founder Kanryo Hiagonna between 1868-1881 in the Fou Chou, China (Fukien province) by Chinese Shorinji Kempo master Ryu Ryu Ku. It was passed on to Gojo-Ryu founder Chojun Miyagi, and Shito Ryu founder Kenwa Mabuni taught this kata to Otsuka.

Suparinpei was originally listed in the 1939 kata list registered by Otsuka Sensei with the Dai Nippon Budokukai as the 16th Wado Kata but was dropped from the syllabus circa 1950s. Many Wado schools have revived the Wado Suparinpei, which is very similar to the Shito Ryu version, probably showing its roots coming to Otsuka from Kenwa Mabuni. Suparinpei is now listed as a Wado Kata with the WKF and its Wado liason, the JKF-Wado Kai. It is presently still taught by Teruo Kono, Hachidan Germany JKF-Wado Kai and Dr. Katsumi Hakoishi, Hachidan Japan JKF-Wado Kai as well as some other various places.

Note: Because of its overwhelming use in Wado techniques, if only one hand is mentioned, the other hand is performing a back hikite. Also, unless otherwise mentioned, all jun-tsukis are at the chudan (solar plexus) level.

Opening

  1. Rei. Masuba dachi.
  2. Yoi. Heiko dachi.
  3. Hajime.

Body

This section is done slowly with ibuki as in Seisan.

  1. Rei. masuba dachi.
  2. Yoi. morote gedan uke. Heiko dachi.
  3. Step out right with morote soto ukes. Right sanchin dachi.
  4. Left arm retracts to hikite.
  5. Left arm to chudan tsuki.
  6. Step forward with morote soto ukes. 'swooshing' step to Right sanchin dachi.
  7. Right arm retracts to hikite.
  8. Right arm to chudan tsuki.
  9. Step forward with morote soto ukes. 'swooshing' step to Left sanchin dachi.
  10. Left arm retracts to hikite.
  11. Left arm to chudan tsuki.
  12. Step forward with morote soto ukes. 'swooshing' step to Right sanchin dachi.
  13. Retract both seikens to chudan level.
  14. Morote yoko shotei.

This section is done quickly.

  1. Sweep hands into right jodan hikite shotei and left chudan hikite shotei.
  2. Step forward with left tomo-tsuki/shotei. Left seisan dachi.
  3. Sweep hands into left jodan hikite shotei and right chudan hikite shotei.
  4. Step forward with right tomo-tsuki/shotei. Right seisan dachi.
  5. Left hand turns over into downward shooto across chudan.
  6. Right hand circles counterclockwise into downward mae shooto.
  7. Mawata Left 180°. Left seisan dachi.
  8. Sweep hands into right jodan hikite shotei and left chudan hikite shotei.
  9. Step forward with left tomo-tsuki/shotei. Right seisan dachi.
  10. Sweep hands into left jodan hikite shotei and right chudan hikite shotei.
  11. Step forward with right tomo-tsuki/shotei. Left seisan dachi.
  12. Left hand turns over into downward shooto across chudan.
  13. Right hand circles counterclockwise into downward mae shooto.
  14. Mawata Left 90°.
  15. Sweep hands into right jodan hikite shotei and left chudan hikite shotei.
  16. Step forward with left tomo-tsuki/shotei. Left seisan dachi.
  17. Sweep hands into left jodan hikite shotei and right chudan hikite shotei.
  18. Step forward with right tomo-tsuki/shotei. Right seisan dachi.
  19. Left hand turns over into downward shooto across chudan.
  20. Right hand circles counterclockwise into downward mae shooto.
  21. Retract Right Seisan dachi into Right mahanmi neeko ashi dachi.
  22. Mae Tomo tsuki/shotei.
  23. Step Right zenkutsa dachi.
  24. Mawata left 180°.
  25. Left mahanmi neeko ashi dachi.
  26. Mae Tomo tsuki/shotei.
  27. Step Left zenkutsa dachi.
  28. Mawata right 90°.
  29. Right mahanmi neeko ashi dachi.
  30. Mae Tomo tsuki/shotei.
  31. Step Right zenkutsa dachi.
  32. Mawata left 180°. Morote hikite.
  33. Step Left seisan dachi.
  34. Morote hikite.
  35. Right tomo tsuki. (seikan not shotei)
  36. Right gedan uke.
  37. Left tomo tsuki.
  38. Step Right zenkutsa dachi.
  39. Mawata left 180°. Left seisan dachi.
  40. Morote hikite.
  41. Right tomo tsuki. (seikan not shotei)
  42. Right gedan uke.
  43. Left tomo tsuki. Right zehkutsa dachi.
  44. Mawata left.
  45. Left seisan dachi.
  46. Morote hikite.
  47. Right tomo tsuki. (seikan not shotei)
  48. Right gedan uke.
  49. Left tomo tsuki. Right zehkutsa dachi.
  50. Mawata left 180°. Left seisan dachi.
  51. Morote hikite.
  52. Right tomo tsuki. (seikan not shotei)
  53. Right gedan uke.
  54. Left tomo tsuki. Right zenkutsa dachi.
  55. Mawata Left 45°, to corner with left mae ura-ipponken and right chudan ura-ipponken. Sheeko dachi.
  56. Left ura-tsuki. Sheeko dachi.
  57. Step to corner twisting 180°
  58. Morote gedan uke. Sheeko dachi.
  59. Mawata Left 180°, to opposite corner with left mae ura-ipponken and right chudan ura-ipponken. Sheeko dachi.
  60. Left ura-tsuki. Sheeko dachi.
  61. Step to corner twisting 180°.
  62. Morote gedan uke. Sheeko dachi.
  63. Mawata Right 45°, to corner with left mae ura-ipponken and right chudan ura-ipponken. Sheeko dachi.
  64. Left ura-tsuki. Sheeko dachi.
  65. Step to corner twisting 180°.
  66. Morote gedan uke. Sheeko dachi.
  67. Mawata Left 180°, to last corner with left mae ura-ipponken and right chudan ura-ipponken. Sheeko dachi.
  68. Left ura-tsuki. Sheeko dachi.
  69. Step to corner twisting 180°.
  70. Morote gedan uke. Sheeko dachi.
  71. Mawata 45° to starting position with left mae chudan shooto and right hikite. Left kamae dachi.
  72. Mae Tobi Geri. Left zenkutsa dachi.
  73. Right Empi.
  74. Right Uraken.
  75. Mawata Right 180°.

This section is also done slowly with ibuki as in Seisan.

  1. Right Sanchin dachi. Right Shotei push to Hiza;
  2. Left Mae Shooto turns inward at chudan level. 'swooshing' step to Left sanchin dachi.
  3. Left Shotei push to Hiza;
  4. Right Mae Shooto turns inward at chudan level. 'swooshing' step to Right Sanchin dachi.
  5. Right Shotei push to Hiza;
  6. Left Mae Shooto turns inward at chudan level. 'swooshing' step to Left sanchin dachi.
  7. Left Shotei push to Hiza;
  8. Right Mae Shooto turns inward at chudan level. 'swooshing' step to Right Sanchin dachi.
  9. Right Shotei push to Hiza;
  10. Left Mae Shooto turns inward at chudan level.
  11. Mawata 180° to starting position with left mae chudan shooto and right hikite. Left kamae dachi.
  12. Right migatsuki geri counterclockwise into left shooto.
  13. Mawata from kick counterclockwise 360° into left kamae dachi.
  14. Mae Tobi Geri. Left zenkutsa dachi.
  15. Right Empi.
  16. Right Uraken.
  17. Mawata Right 180°.
  18. Step Left into morote gedan uke. Sheeko dachi.
  19. Mawata left 180° and Step left forward into double Koken Uke; left nodo level and right kinteki level. Left mahanmi neeko ashi dachi.

Closing

  1. Yame. Pull back to Yoi position.
  2. Norei. Masuba dachi.
  3. Rei.