Asato no Eku

Masanori Uekata, samurai and bōjutsu master from Tsuken Island, was a failed contender for the crown of the Ryukyu Kingdom, and was sentenced to "sleep with the fishes" for this failure. However, the executioner failed to carry out the sentence, in admiration of his skill, and sent to to live in secret with a fisherman named Asato, to whom he taught his skill. Asato adapted these teachings for fighting on beaches with boat oars, which were codified into the kata, Asato no Eku ("Oar of Asato"). This form is alternately called Tsuken Akachu no Eku (津堅赤人之櫂之手; "The Oar of the Red Man from Tsuken") Apparently Asato was better-known by his nickname "Red Man" because his outdoor lifestyle left him perpetually sunburnt.

...or at least, that's how the story goes. Again, most kata origin stories were never recorded, or the records were destroyed.

Directions

1. Stand in an attention stance, but with both feet turned out 45°, with the eku slung diagonally over your right shoulder. Bow.
2. Quickly look to #2. Step your left foot to #3, entering a deep left front stance to #2, holding the eku vertically in your fully-extended right arm.
3. Quickly look to #1. Draw your right foot up into a left cat stance facing #1 with a high-level block (blade to the left).
4. Invert your cat stance, and drag your left foot along the ground, like an exercise kick to kick into the opponent’s eyes. Simultaneously push the eku's blade forward, and pull it to your left hip, in a rowing-like motion. Set you left foot by your right foot, and step your right foot out to #8, entering a right front stance to #1 with a butt-end thrust to #1, with the eku's blade on the outside of your left arm.
5. Repeat step 4 twice.
6. Left nami ashi, setting foot down to #4, entering a right cat stance with facing #3.
7. Invert your cat stance, and drag your right foot along the ground, like an exercise kick to kick into the opponent’s eyes, and simultaneously perform a horizontal low-level block. Rechamber you right foot, and set it down at #3 to enter a left kake dachi facing #3, and horizontal strike from the left to the opponent's floating ribs.
8. Step your left foot out to #4, entering a left front stance to #3 with a blade-end thrust to #3, with the eku on the outside of your right arm.
9. Repeat steps 6-8 twice.
10. Quickly look to #7. Perform a right nami ashi, setting your foot down at #2, to enter a left cat stance facing #3.
11. Invert your cat stance, and drag your left foot along the ground, like an exercise kick to kick into the opponent’s eyes. Simultaneously push the eku's blade forward, and pull it to your left hip, in a rowing-like motion. Set you left foot by your right foot, and step your right foot out to #2, entering a right front stance to #1 with a butt-end thrust to #3, with the eku's blade on the outside of your left arm.
12. Repeat step 11 twice.
13. Slide your right foot to #3, entering a kiba dachi facing #5, switching your grip so that the blade is at your right shoulder.
14. Strike diagonally downward from the right with the eku's blade. Immediately strike diagonally upward with the eku's butt along the same line. Feint another diagonal downward strike, but pull the eku to your left hip, as to chamber a thrust. Return eku to the left hip, then step right foot out to #4, entering a right front stance facing #5 with a blade-end thrust, with the eku on the outside of your left arm.
15. Step your right foot to #8, entering a deep right back stance to #5, holding the eku vertically on your right side, like a swordsman in hassō-no-kamae.
16. Jump and switch your feet, landing in a deep right front stance, flex your right bicep in front of your chest, resting the eku horizontally in the crook of your right elbow. Thrust with the flat of eku's blade into the enemy's solar plexus.
17. Jump and switch your feet, landing in a deep right back stance to #5, holding the eku vertically on your right side, like a swordsman in hassō-no-kamae.
18. Strike diagonally downward from the right with the eku's blade. Immediately strike diagonally upward with the eku's butt along the same line. Feint another diagonal downward strike, but pull the eku to your left hip, as to chamber a thrust. Return eku to the left hip, then step right foot out to #4, entering a right front stance facing #5 with a blade-end thrust, with the eku on the outside of your left arm.
19. Pull your right foot back into a left cat stance, facing #5 with a vertical block, planting the eku's blade into the sand. Right front snap kick the back of the eku's blade, bringing it to your left hip, tho fling a large cloud of sand into the opponent’s eyes.
20. Step your right foot to #4, entering a right front stance to #5 with a left-side blade-end thrust to the solar plexus.
21. Snap your head to #1. Switch grips as you execute a right nami ashi, setting right down at #6, entering a right cat stance facing #1 with a rising block (blade to the right). Invert cat stance. Drag a right exercise kick along the ground, throwing sand into the opponent’s eyes, as you make a rowing motion to the right side. Upon the kick’s return, step left foot to #4, entering a right front stance to #5 with a butt-end thrust to #5, eku on the right side. Repeat this series two more times, making sure to have the blade inside the armpit on the final thrust.
22. Snap head to #1. Execute a blade-end thrust to #1, then slash blade, straight down, disarming opponent. Turn around, entering attention stance with both feet out 45°, eku slung over right shoulder. Bow.

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