Enpi

燕飛

Originally named Wanshu, Gichin Funakoshi (1868 – 1957) changed this kata’s name to Enpi when he moved to the Japanese mainland in 1922. The name Enpi (or 燕飛 in Japanese) means ‘Flying Swallow’ or ‘Flight of the Swallow’. It is a very dynamic kata, requiring speed and agility. It gets its name from the diving patterns of the swallow catching flying insects in mid-flight. In the video embedded below (recorded on 19 June 2023), budoka Johan Oldenkamp, a former national runner-up from the Netherlands, performs this Flight of the Swallow kata of Shotokan ( 松濤館 ) Karatedo ( 空手道 ).