-That is very good. It is good for students to know the history of
kata. One note. Isn't the old name for Hangetsu,Seisan? That is if
memory serves me right. Great job.




-- In KOJF@yahoogroups.com, "Ramsey, William J SSG-- III Corps CSES"
<william.ramsey1@u...> wrote:
>
>
> Saw this stuff and thought it was interesting. Thought that the
Group might
> like to read it. It comes from the website of KARATE UNION OF
AUSTRALIA.
> They have a pretty interesting Website and it seems as it is very
tasteful.
> The URL is http://www.ozwebart.com.au/kua/index.html
> <http://www.ozwebart.com.au/kua/index.html>
>
>
>
> "The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in
the
> perfection of the character of its participants." - Gichin
Funakoshi
>
> Heian
>
> The old name for the Haian Kata was Pinan. These Kata were
developed by
> Yatasune Itosu as intermediate Kata to the much longer main Kata of
> Shorin-Ryu. He did not make them up however, they were based on
much older
> training forms called Channan, which had their origin in China.
>
> Master Funakoshi considered Pinan Shodan too difficult for an
introductory
> Kata so he changed Pinan Nidan to Heian Shodan and Pinan Shodan to
Heian
> Nidan.
>
> For beginners, a somewhat simplified version of Heian Shodan was
introduced,
> which is called Taikyoku Shodan. This is most often used for 9th
Kyu
> gradings as a "stepping-stone" to Heian Shodan.
>
> Tekki
>
> The Okinawan name for these was Naihanchi and they are directly
taken from
> the long form called Hua-Chuan which is one, one of the main
training forms
> of Tiger Style Northern Shaolin Wu-Shu. It was on Okinawa that the
Kata was
> split into three separate sections that we now call Tekki Shodan,
Nidan and
> Sandan.
>
> The name means "Iron Horse". The Kiba-dachi stance used
exclusively in these
> Kata is the main training stance of Northern Shaolin Tiger Style
of Wu-Shu.
>
> The Tekki Kata we know and practise today are as follows....
>
> Bassai
>
> Again these Kata are from Northern Shaolin sources but from which
sub-style
> we are not sure. They do however, have strong Tiger Style
characteristics.
>
> The name used on Okinawa was "Passai" and it translates
as "Capture the
> Fortress".
>
> We are taught that Bassai-Dai symbolizes the capture of the
fortress and
> Bassai-Sho symbolizes the fight to get out again.
>
> Kanku
>
> The Kanku Kata were taught to the Okinawans by Master Kwang Shang
Fu -
> Military Attaché to Okinawa in 1724. The Okinawan way of saying
his name is
> Kushanku and this was the Okinawan name for these Kata.
>
> Master Funakoshi changed the name to Kanku which means "to view
the sky".
>
> Jion
>
> This is the classic "mainstream" Shaolin Kata, complete with
the "Ming"
> salute at the beginning. Shaolin was also named Jion-Ji by the
Japanese but
> the literal translation of the Kanji is "to love the sound" (of
Shaolin).
>
> Ji-In <http://www.ozwebart.com.au/kua/kata.htm>
>
> Another Shaolin Classic and all of the above relating to Jion
apply here
> too. The name translates to "love of truth
>
> Chinte
>
> This Kata is one of the older ones and it's salute at the
beginning betrays
> its Wutang origin. The name translates to "to restore calm" or "to
establish
> peace".
>
> The final moves of this Kata are supposed to represent the ocean
waves
> disappearing into the dry sand on the beach just as your enemies
would
> vanish before you if you master these techniques.
>
> Jutte (Jitte) <http://www.ozwebart.com.au/kua/kata.htm>
>
> Another Shaolin classic. The name means "ten hands". If you master
this
> Kata, your enemies will feel as though you had ten hands
>
> Empi
>
> A classic white crane style Kata brought to Okinawa in 1644 by
Military
> Attaché Master Wang-Shu. The Kata was names after him hence its
Okinawan
> name of "Wanshu". This translates to "excellent or incredible
arms" and
> perhaps this explains the lovely hand techniques this Kata
contains.
>
> It also tells us that Master Wang-Shu must have been very good
with his
> hands.
>
> Hangetsu
>
> This is a Wutang Kata that came to us through Master Itosu's
training in
> Na-Ha-te from Master Higaonna. It is named after the third Chinese
Zen
> Patriarch but the name Hangetsu, given to it by Master Funakoshi,
means
> "half moon" - a description of the stance.
>
> Sochin <http://www.ozwebart.com.au/kua/kata.htm>
>
> This is a Northern Shaolin Dragon Style originally taught on
Okinawa by
> Master Aragaki. This Kata is supposed to demonstrate the power
of "Ki" and
> the name means "to overcome using power" (of Ki).
>
> Unsu
>
> Another Dragon Style Kata from Aragaki. Where he trained is not
known but
> the strong Chinese influences in this Kata suggest it was
certainly in
> Mainland China.
>
> The name used on Okinawa is "Unshou" and it means "cloud defence" -
even if
> your enemies surround you like a cloud, you will surely defeat
them if you
> master Unsu.
>
> Nijushiho <http://www.ozwebart.com.au/kua/kata.htm>
>
> Another of Aragaki's Kata but this one is thought to have its
origins in one
> of the Dragon sub-styles.
>
> The name translates to "the twenty four steps". The form they are
taken from
> is called "Kaisan". The old name was "Neseishi".
>
> Gojushiho
>
> These Kata are a departure from the norm as they have their origin
in a
> Southern Shaolin Style called "Phonexi Eye". The form they are
taken from is
> called "Kaisan". The name on Okinawa was "Useishi" but this was
changed to
> Gojushiho - "the fifty four steps".
>
> Meikyo <http://www.ozwebart.com.au/kua/kata.htm>
>
> This is a very mysterious Kata. It seems that the Japanese knew it
long
> before Master Funakoshi introduced Okinawan Karate into Japan.
There is even
> a Japanese legend concerning Ameratsu, the Sun Goddess.
>
> It appears Ameratsu lost her mirror and could not admire herself
and so went
> into a sulk. The world therefore, was in darkness. At last the
other Gods
> decided something must be done so they sent a great warrior to
perform a
> "war dance" outside her cave.
>
> Hearing the noise, Ameratsu became curious and came out of the
cave. The
> "war dance" was reputed to be Meikyo.
>
> Meikyo translates to "mirror of the soul". The old name for Meikyo
was Rohai
> and this is now coming back into use.
>
>
>
> Wankan <http://www.ozwebart.com.au/kua/kata.htm>
>
> Shaolin based Kata of unknown origin. The old name was Wanduan and
the name
> translates to "sword arm". Using these techniques, your enemies
will think
> your arm is a sword.
>
>
>
> Gankaku
>
> Yet another White Crane form, this time taught by Master Ching-To,
attaché
> to Okinawa from the Ming court in 1732, and so the Okinawans named
it in his
> honor "Chinto".
>
> Master Funakoshi later renamed it Gankaku (the crane on a rock).
>
>
>
> Blessings,
>
> Bill Ramsey
>
>
>
>
>
> SSG William J. Ramsey
>
> III Corps Staff Engineer Section /
>
> Det 1, 420th Engineer Brigade
>
> Systems Administrator (P)
>
> Information Management Officer (P)
>
> Information Assurance Security Officer (ALT)
>
> Phone: (254) 287-4590
>
> Fax: (254) 287-9640
>
> E-Mail: <mailto:william.ramsey1@u...> william.ramsey1@u...