There are almost as many versions of the Kusanku kata as there are styles of karate. There is even a Sai (forked trudgeon) kata performed to the movements of Kusanku. In its original form, Kusanku includes empty-handed push blocks executed from a shifting stance, as well as a 180º jump kick. Funakoshi changed the name of Kusanku kata to Kanku, which means “to view the sky”, in honour of the opening sequence, in which the practitioner forms a circle overhead with their hands and peers through them at the sky. Taekwondo’s Koryo form mimics the Kusanku kata by employing the same opening movements.


Note:
The Kusanku kata is not part of our (Legacy Shorin Ryu) curriculum but is one that we practice as an aside. The kata that is actually part of our curriculum is Kusanku Dai.