About This Kata
| Name | Empi [燕飛] |
| Translation | Flying Swallow |
| Style | Shotokan |
| History | Empi is based on an older Okinawan form called Wanshū, whose name is thought to originate from a Chinese envoy named Wang Ji (汪楫) who visited Okinawa in the late 1600s and may have introduced forms of Southern Chinese boxing. Wanshū’s teachings were transmitted through Okinawan masters in the Tomari-te tradition, including Kokan Oyadomari and Chōtoku Kyan. When Gichin Funakoshi brought karate to mainland Japan, he renamed the form Empi (Flying Swallow), reflecting the kata’s characteristic lightness, speed, and sudden changes in direction. A version is still known by the original name Wanshū in Isshin-ryū and Wadō-ryū. |
| Lineage | Wang Ji (Shaolin/Fujian White Crane, disputed) → Tomari-te masters (e.g. Chōtoku Kyan) → Gichin Funakoshi (Shōtōkan) |
Flying Swallow (Shotokan Kata)
