About This Kata
| Name | Kururunfa [久留頓破] |
| Translation | Holding Ground Form / Stay and Destroy |
| Style | Gōjū-ryū |
| Level | Advanced |
| History | Kururunfa is one of the classical Gōjū-ryū kata with roots in Chinese martial arts, particularly White Crane, Praying Mantis, and Tiger styles from Fujian Province, transmitted to Okinawa through Higaonna Kanryō during his studies in China in the 1870s. It emphasises fighting techniques used when maintaining a defensive position while countering aggressively. The kata includes complex hand techniques and changes of direction. |
| Lineage | Chinese martial arts → Higaonna Kanryō → Chōjun Miyagi, Kyoda Juhatsu; Chōjun Miyagi → Masutatsu (via Goen Yamaguchi) |
Step-by-step movements
| Step | Technique | Translation | Stance | Stance translation | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yoi | yoi | get ready | musubi-dachi | standing stance | Begin after the bow with the hands crossed in front of the abdomen. Keep the tanden tense and the breathing controlled. |
| 1 | migi chudan-osae-uke / hidari chudan-kuri-uke | right middle-level pressing block / left middle-level circular receiving block | neko-ashi-dachi | cat stance | Use a double sliding step to the right. Finish with the right pressing block and the left circular receiving block; the final hand position resembles shutō-uke, with the left forearm inclined inwards. |
| 2 | hidari sokuto-kansetsu-geri | left low side kick | From the cat stance, kick with the blade of the left foot towards the opponent's knee joint. | ||
| 3 | hidari chudan-osae-uke / migi chudan-kuri-uke | left middle-level pressing block / right middle-level circular receiving block | neko-ashi-dachi | cat stance | Lift the left knee slightly and use a double sliding step to the left, performing the mirror image of step 1. |
| 4 | migi sokuto-kansetsu-geri | right low side kick | Perform the mirror image of the preceding low side kick. | ||
| 5 | migi chudan-sukui-uke / hidari gedan-teisho-osae-uke | right middle-level scooping block / left lower palm-heel pressing block | heiko-dachi | parallel stance | Set the right foot back, then slide forwards on the central axis into right-foot-forward parallel stance. Perform the scooping and downward pressing actions together. |
| 6 | mawaru / migi gedan-harai-uke | turn / right lower sweeping forearm block | heiko-dachi | parallel stance | Pivot sharply 90 degrees left on both feet. Sweep low with the open right hand and bring the left hand to the solar plexus. |
| 7 | mawaru / migi chudan-sukui-uke / hidari gedan-teisho-osae-uke | turn / right middle-level scooping block / left lower palm-heel pressing block | heiko-dachi | parallel stance | Pivot sharply back to the right and repeat the scooping and pressing combination from step 5. |
| 8 | hidari chudan-sukui-uke / migi gedan-teisho-osae-uke | left middle-level scooping block / right lower palm-heel pressing block | heiko-dachi | parallel stance | Step the left foot forwards and perform the mirror-image scooping and pressing combination. |
| 9 | mawaru / hidari gedan-harai-uke | turn / left lower sweeping forearm block | heiko-dachi | parallel stance | Pivot sharply 90 degrees right and perform the mirror image of step 6. |
| 10 | mawaru / hidari chudan-sukui-uke / migi gedan-teisho-osae-uke | turn / left middle-level scooping block / right lower palm-heel pressing block | heiko-dachi | parallel stance | Turn back to the left and repeat the left-sided scooping and pressing combination. |
| 11 | migi chudan-sukui-uke / hidari gedan-teisho-osae-uke | right middle-level scooping block / left lower palm-heel pressing block | heiko-dachi | parallel stance | Repeat the right-sided scooping and pressing combination. |
| 12 | mawaru / migi gedan-harai-uke | turn / right lower sweeping forearm block | heiko-dachi | parallel stance | Repeat the sharp left turn and right lower sweeping block. |
| 13 | mawaru / migi chudan-sukui-uke / hidari gedan-teisho-osae-uke | turn / right middle-level scooping block / left lower palm-heel pressing block | heiko-dachi | parallel stance | Turn sharply back to the right and repeat the right-sided scooping and pressing combination. |
| 14 | hidari chudan-haishu-mawashi-osae-uke | left middle-level back-hand circular pressing block | neko-ashi-dachi | cat stance | Slide diagonally back-right into cat stance. Circle and press with the left back hand; hold the right hand at the solar plexus with its palm facing forwards. |
| 15 | hidari ura-zuki / migi chudan-osae-uke | left uppercut / right middle-level pressing block | heiko-dachi | parallel stance | Slide farther in the same direction and rise into left-foot-forward parallel stance. Perform the left uppercut and right pressing block together. |
| 16 | migi chudan-mae-geri | right middle-level front kick | Deliver a right front kick without changing the upper-body position. | ||
| 17 | migi age-empi-uchi | right rising elbow strike | shiko-dachi | square stance | Set the right foot forwards into square stance and strike upwards with the open right elbow. Bring the edge of the left hand to the solar plexus. This action is also commonly described as age-hiji-ate. |
| 18 | ninoji-no-kamae | parallel-hand guard position | neko-ashi-dachi | cat stance | Slide backwards on the same line into cat stance. Hold the hands parallel before the abdomen, left hand above, with the palms facing one another. |
| 19 | migi chudan-haishu-mawashi-osae-uke | right middle-level back-hand circular pressing block | neko-ashi-dachi | cat stance | Slide diagonally back-left and perform the mirror image of step 14. |
| 20 | migi ura-zuki / hidari chudan-osae-uke | right uppercut / left middle-level pressing block | heiko-dachi | parallel stance | Slide in the same direction and perform the mirror image of step 15. |
| 21 | hidari chudan-mae-geri | left middle-level front kick | Deliver the mirror-image front kick. | ||
| 22 | hidari age-empi-uchi | left rising elbow strike | shiko-dachi | square stance | Set the left foot forwards into square stance and perform the mirror-image rising elbow strike. |
| 23 | ninoji-no-kamae | parallel-hand guard position | neko-ashi-dachi | cat stance | Slide backwards into the mirror-image parallel-hand guard position. |
| 24 | mawaru / mawashi-uke / tora-guchi | turn / round block / tiger mouth | neko-ashi-dachi | cat stance | Turn left and set the right foot onto the central axis. In right cat stance, perform mawashi-uke: the right hand receives high then presses down, while the left hand travels from low to high. |
| 25 | mawaru / hidari chudan-ura-kake-uke | turn / left middle-level back-hand hook block | heiko-dachi | parallel stance | Pivot 90 degrees left into left parallel stance. Perform the left back-hand hook block and return the open right hand to the side. |
| 26 | mawaru / migi ushiro-hiji-ate / hidari hikite | turn / right backward elbow strike / left pulling action | heiko-dachi | parallel stance | Turn 180 degrees left, carrying the right foot in an arc. Strike backwards with the right elbow while the left hand closes and pulls towards the body. |
| 27 | migi chudan-ura-kake-uke | right middle-level back-hand hook block | heiko-dachi | parallel stance | Step the right foot forwards and perform the mirror image of step 25. |
| 28 | mawaru / hidari ushiro-hiji-ate / migi hikite | turn / left backward elbow strike / right pulling action | heiko-dachi | parallel stance | Turn 180 degrees right and perform the mirror image of step 26. |
| 29 | mawaru / ryowan-kosa / ryowan-yoko-hiraku | turn / cross both arms / open both arms to the sides | hachiji-dachi | natural stance | Step the left foot well forwards and turn to face the front in square stance. Cross the forearms horizontally before the chest with the right arm above. Rise slowly into natural stance while extending both arms to the sides, palms down. |
| 30 | ryoken-age / zutsuki (: koto-ate) | raise both fists / headbutt | shiko-dachi | square stance | Bend the elbows so the forearms point upwards; bring the backs of the hands together behind the neck and raise them above the head. Drop rapidly into square stance, close and lower the fists before the chest, and simultaneously drive the head backwards. |
| 31 | morote-gedan-osae-uke | double lower pressing block | shiko-dachi | square stance | Without moving the feet, thrust both hands down before the abdomen, with the left hand above. |
| 32 | furi-sute | throw both hands to the sides and rear | shiko-dachi | square stance | Without moving, tear both hands sharply out to the sides and backwards, palms facing behind. |
| 33 | kaisho-kosa-uke | both-palms crossing block (X block) | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Step the right foot forwards into front stance and block at upper level with crossed open hands, left hand in front. This action is also commonly described as jōdan juji-uke / kōsa-uke. |
| 34 | mawaru / shaga / ryoken-gedan | turn / squat / lower both fists | Turn 180 degrees left on the right foot and bring the left foot in to face the rear. Rotate the crossed hands so the palms face forwards, squat down, close the fists and lower them before the body. | ||
| 35 | tobi-ashi / migi kake-uke / hidari teisho-osae-uke | jumping movement / right hook block / left palm-heel pressing block | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Jump 45 degrees right and land in a very deep front stance. Hook with the right hand and press the left palm forwards and downwards. The application shown is to hook an attacking heel and press the inside of the knee. |
| 36 | hidari kake-uke / migi teisho-osae-uke | left hook block / right palm-heel pressing block | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Step the left foot forwards at 90 degrees to the previous line and perform the mirror-image hooking and pressing action. |
| 37 | mawaru / tora-guchi | turn / tiger mouth | neko-ashi-dachi | cat stance | Set the right foot onto the rearward central axis, turn 180 degrees left and finish in cat stance with tora-guchi. |
| Yame | naore / rei | return / bow | musubi-dachi | standing stance | Raise the left hand beneath the right, bring the left foot to the right, rotate and lower the hands before the abdomen, then bow. |
Variation note
Kururunfa is practised with recognised differences between Gōjū-ryū lineages and organisations. This table records one coherent version for use on Kata Step By Step.
Other versions may differ in the count grouping, the way the opening receiving actions are named, the orientation of the ninoji-no-kamae positions, and the interpretation of the fast diagonal entries near the end. Notable variations include describing kuri-uke as an elbow or forearm receiving action; naming the mawashi-uke and tora-guchi sections differently; interpreting the raised-arms and headbutt section with alternative close-range applications; and performing the final diagonal entries as sharp jumps, slides or rapid entering steps.
These differences should generally be understood as lineage and terminology variations rather than errors.
Kata steps and diagrams to come. If you would like to help completing this page, please contact me (mark.loftusuk@gmail.com).