Kanku Sho (Japanese: "Gazing Heavenward", "Viewing the Sky", or "Contemplating the Sky") is a black belt kata, practiced in Shotokan karate. It is the minor form of the two Kanku kata. The embusen (performance line) of the kata is almost the same as Kanku dai’s. The two Kanku kata are, kanku dai (Viewing the Sky Major) and kanku sho (Viewing the Sky Minor). Kanku dai is normally practiced at brown belt, kanku sho is generally taught and practiced at black belt. Kanku dai has a strong heian kata presence, master Itosu developed the Heian kata series from kusanku (Kanku Dai). So shotokankarateka pick up the techniques quickly, because they have already practiced most of the moves extensively.
The kata Kusanku (Kanku Dai) is said to have been developed in Okinawa in 1761 from the fighting techniques of a Chinese martial artist named Kusanku.
kanku sho has some very advanced techniques, from the body shifting movements of the first three moves, to the last jump and quick leg switch, low double arm shuto, towards the end of the kata. Although they both hold the same name, ‘kanku’, that is where the similarities end, both kata are very different, with kanku sho being the more advanced of the two.
Below is one of my black belts (Jamie Poole), performing the Shotokan kata, kanku sho, first slowly, then at full speed.
