An illustrated step-by-step guide to the structure, themes, and
techniques of Suparinpei--the last kata of Goju-ryu.
Suparinpei, or Pechurin, is the highest and most difficult kata in the
Goju-ryu system of Okinawan karate. Its performance has long been
reserved for high-level practitioners, its history and applications
obscured by misunderstanding and misinterpretation.
In this indispensable manual by experienced master Giles Hopkins,
readers will learn the skills, techniques, and bunkai of this
little-understood kata, step by step. Suparinpei explores the initial
receiving, bridging, controlling, and lethal finishing techniques in
sequence, and offers illustrations of both the applications and
movements of Suparinpei. Hopkins questions conventional interpretations
of kata movements, suggesting instead that there is only one originally
intended application for each move in kata, and that each is to be
understood in sequence and not as isolated components. This strict
interpretation of kata movements reveals not only realistic self-defense
executions, but also potentially the original intent of kata.