GIKKU:GojuryuInternatonal KaratedoKobudo Unioin YUZENKAI StStudy on another-Ryu Kata　Last update　Feburuary 2, 2016　HOME
I talk about the name of Syotokan KATA . The names of present Syotokan-KATA hade created by Gichin Funakoshi(1868～1957). Needless to say, he is the great Okinawan master who brought Karate from　Okinawa to Japan. However , now these two actions are sometimes pointed　out as his mistake. First of all, He abolished the Okinawan KATA's name and changed there　into the Japanese style name .For instance, "KU-SAN-KU" had changedinto "KAN-KU".In addition, to be suitable for a Japanese idea,he had changed the operations of KATA. At the time,The operations of Okinawan Kata were very strange operations for many Japanese people. I try to research the former meaning of Syotokan Kata.
Syotokan name(Name that Funakoshi created) Meaning of Japanese name that Funakoshi created. original Okinawan name Meaning of original Okinawan or Chinese name★ Comment GAN-KAKU 　　　岩鶴 Crane on the rock CHIN-TO　 Head leader of camp 陣頭 Chinto comes from the meaning of a head (頭：Tou：leader) and a camp (陣：Chin). CHINTE　 　　　珍手 Unique techniques CHIN-TE Heaven And Earth　天地 The name is relation with religious association in Chinese. TEKKI 　　　鉄騎 Iron　horse NAI-HAN-CHI Attack of defense with knee　 内拌膝 It is often written as another word "内歩進" . In this case, the name meaning becomes " walk and advance to the inside ". BASSAI 　　　抜塞 Destruction of fortress PAS-SAI Sai is the lion . "拍-獅 Pau-sai" mean Lion dance beatBy the way,"Sai-fa" of Gojuryu was from the conbut of "lion". MEIKYOU 　　　明鏡 Bright mirror ROU-HAI Luohan (羅漢) "Rouhai" (Okinawa dialect) comes from "Luohan" in Chinese.Influence from Chinese luohan quan (羅漢拳) is seen in this Kata. This Kata features a one-legged posture. In Okinawa, it is called the posture "the foot of the heron".So Rouhai is written 鷺牌 (Shield of a heron) in a kanji, but this is a substitute character.The name Meikyo (明鏡：Bright mirror) was created by Gichin Funakoshi."The heart brightly clear like a mirror" was an ancient Japanese important item of virtues.It was named to match the Japanese spirituality. KANKU 観空 Watching the sky KU-SAN-KU Ku-syan-ku Title of honor to expert 拳聖公(Ken-sei-ko) This means Saint of Karate.Perhaps,the person was the bureaucrat of maximum level accompanied Chinese emperor's envoy. UNSU　雲手 Cloud and hands UN-SYU Wang Sifu 王叔(wan sensei) This name is guessed from the master's name "Wang Shi-jiang" He also was guessed the bureaucrat of maximum level accompanied Chinese emperor's envoy. HEIAN　平安 Peace PIN-AN Chan-Nan (Chan sensai who came from the south) There is another theory that HEIAN had been from the name of the Chinese martial artist who has defected to Tomari,Okinawa. ENPI　　燕飛 Flying swallow WAN-SYU Wang shihan 王師父(wang shi fu) He was the same person of "UNSU" ★Recently, Sensei Akio Kinjo of Karate-ka of Okinawa has clarified the mystery of the name of Kata. I support his theory because there are corresponding a lot of theories of them to my research and legend. Of course, anothertheories exist,too.) ※Refer to "our histry and activity" for "Wang Shijiang". Wai Shinzan, WANG Shijian, and WANG Daxing are the same persons. It is very interesting that Gojuryu and shotokanryu have "Common ancestry". KATA"WANKAN" of Shitoryu is the same etymology. ☆It is thought that Ryuei-ryu Karatedo's three Katas( Anan, Heiku, and Paiku ) originates in Chan Nan. The three Kata have the peculiar　movemen of beginning. The movement that indicates Heaven and Earth at the same time has a religious meaning. From the operation,it is guessed that Chan-Nan was parties concerned of "Taiping Rebellion" (1850) of the Christian who gets up in China.  They are our distinctions of the 20th century now though we are persisting in the style of "××Ryu". Kata of Karate has very various roots. "××Ryu" is only a system of Kata that famous Sensei collected by chance. However, a certain great Sensei constructed the system choosing Kata by a clear plan and the principle, and adding his research. Chojun Miyagi and Gichin Funakoshi are the typical great men.
returns at the page top
yuzenkai@ab.auone-net.jp 19motoomosoraoot81@gmail.com