This kata (sometimes also written and spoken - incorrectly - as Empi). The name can be literally translated as 'Flying Swallow', though the original name of the kata was Wansu. This was another kata that had its name changed by Funakoshi sensei when karate came to mainland Japan, though in this case the name change stuck.

It is believed that Enpi can trace its origins in Chinese martial arts, from which it entered the Tomari te system. The predominant theory on its development is that it was a kata practiced and taught by the Chinese diplomat Wang Ji, known as Wanshu in Okinawa, who arrived in Tomari in 1683. Wang Ji practiced Fujian White Crane kung fu and taught connections in the Tomari area. It came to Funakoshi sensei via Itosu sensei.

Older versions of Wansu / Wanshu are almost unrecognizable when compared to the Shotokan version, though there are some more recent interpretations - such as the version found in Wado ryu - that are somewhere between the more traditional Okinawan versions and the more recent Japanese ones. Certainly the Shotokan kata makes greater use of pauses and slowed movements but suffers from being less complex and nuanced than those kata seen in pure Okinawan styles.