The Gankaku-Sho kata is a very traditional Japanese/Okinawan style kata from Tomari-te Shorin-Ryu. Unlike the more commonly seen Gankaku kata of Shotokan (meaning “crane on a rock”), which is performed in a straight line to the front and rear, Gankaku-Sho is performed along a different line of movement (embusen), which is forty-five degrees to the front left and one hundred thirty five degrees to the right rear from the starting or ready position (yoi). This is the only kata taught by Soke Kanazawa that follows this line of movement. According to Soke Kanazawa the version of Gankaku-Sho he teaches is the original version of the Gankaku kata (also sometimes called Chinto) from Okinawa. Thus, the more common version of Gankaku seen in Shotokan is really a modified version of the older Gankaku-Sho, which was apparently changed by Master Funakoshi and possibly other sensei.A nearly identical version of this kata to the one taught by Soke Kanazawa is illustrated in a book on Okinawan Shorin Ryu karate by the late Master Shoshin Nagamine entitled, The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do (Tuttle Publishing, 1976). In his book, Nagamine Sensei wrote that “Chinto” is “one of the anonymous kata,” meaning no one knows who founded this kata. According to Nagamine Sensei, Chinto is “characterized by dynamic movements using kicking techniques including the flying kick and unitary techniques of offense and defense.” He also wrote that it was a favourite kata of the famous Okinawan karate masters “Kyan and Arakaki.” Soke Kanazawa has discussed this kata in several published interviews over the years and he has taught it to SKIF members at seminars all over the world. One of the main reasons Soke Kanazawa teaches Gankaku-Sho and has added it to the SKIF system is that his version of the kata includes ten different stances,
including musubi dachi; zenkutsu dachi;kiba dachi; kokutsu dachi; fudo dachi; kosa dachi (crosslegged stance); shiko dachi; iagosi dachi (kneeling stance); bent leg renoji dachi (L stance); and soto hachiji dachi (open V stance). In addition, this kata includes numerous body rotations to change directions,many unique defenses and counter-attacks to different targets, levels and directions, open hand techniques,and several defensive distraction techniques with the hands.
The Gankaku-Sho kata is listed and recognized for competition by higher level competitors in certain divisions in SKIF tournaments. In 1994, Soke Kanazawa and SKIF Yudansha Kai produced a video showing Soke Kanazawa performing Gankaku-Sho, as well as the Seienchin and Sepai kata. This video has since been made into a DVD by SKIF Yudansha Kai. It shows Soke Kanazawa performing these three kata at various speeds and at different angles.