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Monthly Message: July 2009
Fellow Karate-ka:
I would like to present to you all an
article I found about the animal origins of the some of the kata we do
in Nahashu Ryu.
A Brief Over-view of the
Etymology of Modern Goju-ryu Karate-do Kata
By Joe Swift and Mario McKenna
It is now well documented that Okinawa
karate is indebted to the Southern schools of Chinese boxing for much of
its technical knowledge and expertise. Modern Goju-ryu is believed to be
originally based upon Fujian Crane boxing, specifically Whooping Crane
boxing and it’s enigmatic founder Xie Zhong Xiang (AKA Ru Ru Ko).
Although many Goju-ryu stylists would like to think of their system and
it’s corresponding training kata as an unadulterated and traditional
method handed down from Ru Ru Ko to Higashionna Kanryo and finally to
Miyagi Chojun, recent evidence suggests the contrary (for a complete
overview of this topic see McKenna, in press). Indeed, Goju-ryu is
Miyagi Chojun’s personal interpretation of his instruction from
Higashionna Kanryo in conjunction with his own research.
Miyagi Chojun spent most of his life’s
energies and his sizeable family fortune devoted to studying the
fighting arts. During his studies he came into contact with such
fighting traditions as Fujian White Crane boxing, Tiger boxing (Hu Quan),
Monk fist boxing (Lohan Quan)and quite possibly Five Ancestor fist
boxing (Go Cho??) (Tokashiki 1991; Kinjo 1999). Not surprisingly these
diverse styles are reflected in the kata of Goju-ryu. Regrettably, few
practitioners of the style are aware of this fact or have little
interest in Goju-ryu’s development. Instead, most students of Goju-ryu
focus on training in the various techniques contained within the kata.
Commendable as this is, karateka miss out on Goju-ryu’s rich diversity
since few of these students stop to recognize the fundamental
characteristics of each unique tradition. All kata in Okinawan Karate-do
are fundamentally the same; strikes, blocks, kicks, grabs, chokes,
throws and immobilization techniques. But what makes each kata unique is
it’s use of body mechanics (posture), energy utilization (breath) and
projection (ki), etc. These aspects in conjunction with the intent of
the performance, is what makes each kata uniquely different and gives
each one it’s own distinct flavour.
According to noted martial arts historian
Hokama Tetsuhiro (Hokama 1999), there are six ways to analyze Okinawan
karate-do kata. These include:
1. Methods of walking, hand use, and
technique utilization. e.g. San Chin, Shisochin.
2. Names of the founder or originator of a
particular tradition e.g. Kusanku, Wansu, etc.
3. Names of specific areas or districts in
which the tradition was practiced, e.g. Shuri, Naha, Tomari.
4. The religious or spiritual principles
inherent within a tradition, e.g. Suaprempei, Seipai;
5. The metaphysical or transcendental
aspects of a tradition (catharsis / purification / Zen), e.g. San Chin,
Tensho.
6. The implied movement of animals.
Of these six methods, the analysis of animal
movements found in modern Goju-ryu kata may provide one of the more
interesting and useful means of investigating their origin and
development. Generally speaking, most Goju-ryu karate practitioners
would recognize the double mawashi-uke found at the end of several kata
such as San Chin, Saifa, Seisan, Kururunfa and Suparempei as the
movement of the Tiger. Indeed, this double mawashi-uke is more commonly
referred to as Tora-guchi or the “mouth of the tiger.” But what of the
multitude of movements found within Goju-ryu kata? How are they related
to the movements of animals as formulated by the various schools of
Chinese boxing?
The movements of the Five Animals has had a
long and revered position in the fighting systems of China.
Traditionally, each of the Five Animals was associated with a specific
physical / mental characteristic and training principle (Smith 1964).
For instance, the dragon was believed to cultivate the spirit (i.e.
mind) and emphasized light and fluid movements that did not rely upon
physical strength. The tiger was in direct contrast to that of the
dragon; movements were aggressive, hard and fast. The tiger was believed
to train bone and relied heavily on isometric and isotonic exercises to
do achieve it’s ends. The leopard, much like the tiger, used aggressive
and swift movements, but was intended to develop physical strength. The
snake was associated with the cultivation of ki (internal energy). As a
result, emphasis was placed on correct breathing in addition to
flexibility and strength. The last of the Five Animals was the crane.
Movements of the crane were associated with swiftness and flexibility.
Training in these movements was believed to strengthen the body’s
sinews.
In the case of modern Goju-ryu kata it has
been considerably difficult to determine the animal origin of specific
kata based upon the kanji (Chinese ideograms) currently used. The
correct kanji for most, if not all, of Okinawa karate’s kata have been
lost to time. Most modern readings for kata using kanji are simply just
that, modern interpretations using appropriate kanji which fit the
phonetic reading of the kata in question. A crude but accurate analogy
would be taking the proverbial square peg and beating it into a round
hole. As a result, for each kata there are several different and often
bewildering ways to write it with a corresponding difference in meaning
(table 1). What this amounts to is basically a royal mess when trying to
understand the origin of the kata and it’s etymology. However, recent
efforts by martial arts researchers and historians has shone some light
on a subject that has been, until recently, an impossible task. Of note
is the research by three gentlemen, Kinjo Akio, Tokashiki Iken and
Otsuka Tadahiko.
Both Kinjo Akio and Tokashiki Iken have
analyzed modern Goju-ryu kata primarily by examining the various schools
of Chinese boxing found in Fujian province, Southern China. They believe
that Goju-ryu kata are, for the most part, derived from these Fujian
boxing systems (Tokashiki 1991, 1995; Kinjo 1999). They argue that the
current readings of Goju-ryu kata have been Okinawanized from their
original pronunciation in Fujian dialect (table 2) with the accompanying
meaning being lost through successive generations of students.
Otsuka Tadahiko, on the other hand, has
examined the Goju-ryu kata using the techniques and martial terminology
of Tai Chi Quan and corroborated it through the various techniques and
postures found in the Bubishi. Both methods of kata interpretation are
equally valid and offer insight into the possible technical and
etymological origins of Goju-ryu kata, however with respect to examining
the animal origin of the kaishu (advanced) Goju-ryu kata, the following
section we will focus on the research of Kinjo Akio and Tokashiki Iken
and their respective ideas. The reader should be cautioned as although
most kata combine several different elements and / or techniques from
different animals, there is a general “flavour” to a form as a result of
its emphasis on one particular animal. It is hoped that such a
presentation will allow the reader to draw his or her own conclusions.
Lion based kata - Saifa
Of all the Goju-ryu kaishu kata to be passed
down, only Saifa appears to have retained it’s original pronunciation in
Fujian dialect. In 1936 Goju-ryu founder Miyagi Chojun wrote “Ryukyu
Kenpo Toudi Enkaku Gaiyou” (an Outline of the History of Ryukyu Toudi).
In it we can find a section entitled “Kenpo Torai ni tsuite” (On the
origin of Kenpo) in which Miyagi Chojun names several styles of boxing
including: Tiger, Snake, Dog, Crane and Lion boxing. Among the Southern
Shaolin system in Fuzhou exists a family of boxing systems aptly labeled
as “Lion boxing” (Jap. Shishi Kenpo). These include, among others, Lion
Form boxing, Golden Lion boxing and Lion boxing. Not surprisingly,
several elements of Lion boxing can be specifically seen in Saifa such
as the double hiraken strike (illus. 1) and mawashi uke (illus. 2). The
double hiraken strike, according to Kinjo and Tokashiki, represents the
pouncing and pulling action of the a lion’s front paws pulling down it’s
prey, while the mawashi uke, although often thought of as the mouth of
tiger, can also be interpreted as the mouth of the lion as well.
Finally, the many stomping actions contained within Saifa are meant to
represent the powerful steps of the lion.
Hawk based kata - Seinchin
Depending on the style or association, this
kata is known as Seinchin, Seiyunchin Seiyonchin or Seianchin in
Okinawan dialect. However, the correct pronunciation of this kata in
Fujian dialect is Chaiinchin. Both Tokashiki and Kinjo believe that
Chaiinchin is derived from the fighting movements of the hawk with
emphasis on the movements of the wings and talons. Although extremely
rare, hawk boxing is still practiced in some areas of Fuzhou and on the
island of Taiwan. The hawk is also one of the ten original animals
incorporated into the internal system of Xing-I-Quan. However, it is
believed that the hawk characteristics of Chaiinchin were not derived
from Xing-I-Quan (Murakami, 2000). According to Kinjo, two movements in
Chaiinchin are characteristic of hawk boxing. The first is the opening
movement of the kata in which the hands are extended outward, the body
lowered into a shiko-dachi and the body turned to a forty-five degree
angle (illus. 1). This movement is meant to represent the hawk extending
its wings before engaging its prey. The second movement found in
Chaiinchin which is characteristic of the hawk, is the hooking grab and
nukite (illus. 2). This movement is thought to be akin to the talons as
they grab and tear its prey.
Crane based kata – Sanseru, Seisan &
Suparempei
Sanseru, Seisan and Suparempei (known as
Soparinpai in Fujian dialect) are considered Crane based kata. Although
there is disagreement as to their exact origin, it is generally thought
that the techniques contained within these kata are of the Crane family
which consists of Ancestral Crane (Zong He Quan), Feeding Crane (Shi He
Qan), Whooping Crane (Ming He Quan) and Flying Crane (Fei He Quan).
Kinjo Akio argues that these kata belong to the Ancestral Crane (Zong He
Quan) lineage originating in Yong Chun village and were passed on to
Higashionna Kanryo by Zheng Li Gong (Jap. Jou Rei Kou) from Yong Chun
city, Fujian. This is the same Yong Chun village where Fang Qi Niang,
the founder of Nan Bai He Quan (Southern White Crane Fist), lived. In
contrast to this it has been suggested that these kata were handed down
to Higashionna by Aragaki Seisho, a noted Monk-fist and Crane boxing
master who resided in Kumemura near present-day Naha or through the Kojo
clan also of Kumemura.
Be that as it may, there are many techniques
contained within these kata which are obviously crane in origin. One of
these techniques, common among all three kata, is sukui-uke (scooping
block). According to Kinjo, sukui-uke takes its name from the scooping
action of the hands which is meant to emulate the crane scooping a fish
from the water. This technique is used to quickly intercept an attack at
close quarters and to topple the attacker to the ground. Thus to
generate the necessary power to throw the attacker, “shaking jin”
(power) is needed. Shaking jin refers to sudden and explosive movement
of the torso and waist in conjunction with a rooted lower body (Yang
1996).
Dragon based kata – Kururunfa & Seipai
As is expected by kata which emulate the
movements of the dragon, both Kururunfa and Seipai emphasize light and
fluid movements that do not over-emphasize physical strength. The most
obvious movement of dragon origin, according to Kinjo and Tokashiki, is
the opening sequence where the karateka steps back into a shiko dachi
and extends the right arm outward and straight in front of him or her
(illus. 1). This is meant to represent the protruding tongue of dragon.
Kururunfa is referred to as Gorunfa in
Fujian dialect and perhaps more than Seipai, the movements of the dragon
seem more obvious in Kururunfa. The opening sequence containing the
sokuto-geri is thought to represent the dragon kicking-off the ground or
surface of the water as it takes flight (illus. 1). Other examples of
the dragon in Kururunfa include the dragon’s tail striking the water
(lower palm-strike)(illus. 2). Finally, the sequence of techniques
containing an escape from a full-nelson are distinctively dragon and
bear a remarkable similarity to the chi-gong exercises emphasizing the
dragon found in the opening sequences of five-animal / five-element form
in Hung-gar Quan’fa (illus. 3).
Mantis / Cricket based kata - Shisochin
According to Kinjo Akio, Shisochin, or in
Fujain dialect Shisauchin, is representative of the movements of a
cricket and / or preying mantis. The opening kame (posture) and nukite
(finger thrust) in Shisochin are thought to show the mantis hooking its
prey and devouring it (illus.1). In contrast, the forward stance with
the arms extended is indicative of the cricket spreading its wings
(illus. 2).
Conclusion
It is hoped that this brief over-view of the
animal forms present in modern Goju-ryu karate-do kata may better help
the student gain insight into what makes each kata unique. By keeping in
mind each kata’s respective animal, a student may be better able to
understand the use of body mechanics (posture), energy utilization
(breath) and projection (ki) and hopefully gain a little more from his
or her respective training.
References
Hokama, T. (1999). Okinawa Karate-do
Kobudo no Shinzui. Naha, Naha Shuppansha.
Kinjo, A. (1999). Karate Denshin Roku (A
True Record of the Transmission of Karate). Okinawa, Tosho Center.
McKenna, M. (In Press). Exploring Goju-ryu’s
Past: The myths and facts surrounding Higashionna Kanryo. Journal
of Asian Martial Arts.
Murakami, K. (2000). Personal
Communication
Smith, R. W. (1964). Secrets of Shaolin
Temple Boxing. Rutland, VT, C.E. Tuttle Co.
Tokashiki, I. (1991). Gohaku-kai
Nenkanshi (Yearbook). Naha, Privately.
Tokashiki, I. (1995). Okinawa Karate
Hiden Bubishi Shinshaku (Okinawa Karate Secrets: A New Interpretation of
the Bubishi). Naha, Privately.
Yang, J. M. (1996). The Essence of
Shaolin White Crane: Martial Power and Qigong. Jamaica Plain, YMAA
Publication Center.
This is the way.
Soke Dave
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