About This Kata
| Name | Ananku [安南空] |
| Translation | Peace from the South / Peaceful Southern Sky |
| Style | Shōrin-ryū |
| Level | Intermediate |
| History | Ananku translates to ‘Peace from the South’ or ‘Peaceful Southern Sky’, with ‘Annan’ historically referring to Vietnam (Annam), suggesting possible Southeast Asian martial arts influences. The kata has uncertain origins but likely developed in Okinawa during the 18th or early 19th century. One theory is that Chōtoku Kyan brought this form back to the Tomari region from Taiwan in 1895, though it is more likely that Kyan created it with strong Chinese quanfa influences. It is probably the most well-known kata unique to Shōrin-ryū. |
| Lineage | Chinese martial arts → Chōtoku Kyan → Shōrin-ryū |
Kata steps and diagrams to come. If you would like to help completing this page, please contact me (mark.loftusuk@gmail.com).