Empi Kata
Flying swallow
Empi was originally named "Wansu". Empi translates to "Flying Swallow" and is one of the only forms left from the Okinawan Tomari-Te. The style of Tomari-Te, and most of it's katas and techniques, were lost to history due to the secrecy of it's practitioners.
Wansu, the original name of the kata, was actually a Chinese official who arrived in Tomari around 1683 during the reign of king Sho Tei. Wansu was highly adept at martial arts, and this knowledge soon became known by the local population. Little is known about Wansu other than he only taught a few students at a time. After a few years in Okinawa, Wansu returned to China leaving behind a kata known as Wansu. Wansu was exclusivley practiced in Tomari up untill 1865, when it spread to Naha and Shuri. Funakoshi altered the name of the kata to Empi in order to describe the upword and downwards movements of the kata. These movements, along with the quick shifting of stances, are similar to the movements of a flying swallow, thus its name.