Annanko (Ananku, Ananko) Kata History & Bunkai (video & article)

The Kata has at least 2 stories around its origins - both Taiwan related. One is that it was a fighting from native Taiwan and moved to Japan/Okinawa from there. The other, by historian John Sells (8th Dan), is that Kyan Chotoku (a Okinawan karate practitioner who lead to the founding of the Shorin styles) went for a time to Taiwan and upon returning to Okinawa, he began to teach a new kata called Ananku. This historical note suggest Chotoku had created it as a basic kata from techniques developed from or inspired by his Taiwan adventures.

The modern kanji representing Annanko, translate as "Light from the South". See the below video clip for the kata's kanji (Chinese characters).

Regarding the sports karate world, Anannko is not included on the WKF Shitei list (at least in 2009 that was the case). Shorin-ryu, Shorinji-ryu and Shito-ryu (with such sub-styles as Seito shito-ryu, Hayashi ha, Shitokai, Tani-ha, Shukokai & Renbukan) are the most often seen pratitioners of this kata.

Full length Video on Annanko Kata & Bunkai

Click here to download complete video with bunkai $19...

This video (partial preview above right) includes bunkai and the Kata is performed fast and slow at different angles including a slow instructor-based walk-through of the pattern. Bunkai for the entire kata are referenced to an evidence based approach related to street, emergency, police & UFC data/statistics.

Shihan Jason Armstrong, 7th Dan is the primary instructors & demonstrators in this video. Nick Lukich (Amgen Dojo, 4th Dan) also demonstrates a version of the kata. Shihan Jason's shito-ryu version of the kata was filmed when he was a 5th Dan at a time shortly after he returned from living in Japan in 2002. The bunkai was filmed in 2012.