A commonly used translation of the kanji for kururunfa is ‘come, stay the waves’. Not being particularly skilled in deciphering complex kanji I’m unable to comment on the validity of this translation, so for the purpose of this post I’ll assume that this translation is an accurate one.
The translation ‘come, stay the waves’ is particularly criptic and does not on the surface, offer much to insight into the individual character or fighting strategies of this kata.
However the section of the kata where you perform the otoshi uke, kizami tsuki, mae geri & empi combination does actually bear a striking resemblence to the movements of a wave.
Drawing back slightly, sinking low and bearing your weight down onto the opponent to disrupt his balance with the otoshi uke, you draw him down and in toward you.
Surging forward and rising from your low position you advance toward the opponent, clearing whatever lies in your path with one arm whilst the second arm immediately follows with the punch with the whole weight of your body rising behind it.
The wave crests at its highest point as you continue to pursue the opponent and strike mae geri, before dropping your entire bodyweight into the elbow strike like a wave crashing down onto the shoreline.
Smothering the opponent and preventing escape you then withdraw into tenchi no kamae, immobilising the opponent and pulling him toward you to offbalance, like the wave then returning back out to sea.
The overall strategy is that you draw the opponent in before then drowning him with combinations of multi level strikes in order to offer him no opportunity for escape or counter attack. The mentality could be likened to that of a tidal wave surging through and destroying whatever lies in its path.
The timing of this section also relates to the above analogy and is very important in relation to the effectiveness of the techniques…..
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