The origin of kata Ryufa

There is an erroneous information circulating on the Internet stating that Akamine learned Ryufa and Kusukun from his friend Seiken Shukomine. This is a serious mistake. Akamine stated that he learned Ryufa directly from its creator, Seitoku Higa, and this is recorded. The photo below shows an annotation made on November 15, 1962, during an examination at ABK. It is written there the following: "Execution of kata 'Ryufa' or 'Rufua' of Master Seitoku Higa - Bugeikan (movements of the serpent) Sergio Yanagisawa and Sadao Saito in the 1st row ...".

This information is also confirmed here.

Both Akamine and Shukomine learned Ryufa directly from Seitoku Higa, who at that time (~1940) was still a senior disciple of Kishimoto. For some reason this kata was discontinued at Bugeikan. Akamine's version is orignal, and Shukomine's, who also learned this kata from Seitoku Higa, revised it to bring it closer to the Passai, the kata that Seitoku would have used as a model for Ryufa. Today this kata is known as 'Passai' in the Gensei-ryu.

(See our post "Ryufa and the dragon hand", and Kusanku in the post about Takemura)

Unfortunately, Ryufa was diffused in some schools that originated from Akamine in a distorted form, since these practitioners did not learn it directly from the master, and the kata underwent several modifications by the hands of others. I realize that many practice a hard and strenuos kata, when it is a light and agile form (the kata imitates a serpent), besides some errors. Akamine extracted his kumite techniques from this kata. Ryufa is one of the most effective katas I know.

Unsu: the minimax kata

Unsu is a very old kata. It is simple and short but very efficient to teach the practical principles of Naha kempo. Personally, I think it's much better to teach it to students after Sanchin because it gives them a real fighting skill. I think it's much better than the Gekisai, who to me are just kihon.

The version below was transmitted by Choyu Motobu (the "master in the shadows" of Miyagi) and still taught today in the old Goju / Naha-te schools. André Mucci, 5th dan, performs the kata.

"Shikan-ryu" - The Akamine Karate

Seiichi "Shikan" Akamine called his style informally "Shikan-ryu". It was a combination of effective techniques of Naha-te (Izumigawa/Higa lineage) and Shuri-te (Kishimoto/Higa Seitoku's lineage). His kumite system used open hands and nekoashi in quick, elusive attacks. Today, followers of Akamine changed his style bringing it closer to orthodox goju-ryu. Shoreijikan remains still followimg the original Akamine system taught in the ABK period (1958-1964).. The original Shikan-ryu style is closer to Shito-ryu than to Goju-ryu.

I am the second ABK generation and was taught in the Shikan's system by Moritoshi Nakaema, Iwao Yokote, Nelson dos Santos, all Akamine top disciples who integrated the first generation (1957-1964). Akamine was also a respected kobudo master and taught his art to few people, of whom I knew only the masters Yoshiide Shinzato and Nelson dos Santos. I started karate in the early 60's and later joined ABK karate. In 1983 I founded the Shoreijikan. I was associated to Nakaema/ABK until his death, in 2019.