Four centuries ago Kung Fu practitioners drilled the quick, pouncing movements of a Leopard. A century ago Okinawan Karate Masters altered these movements to protect their ruler. Today, students know they have arrived at the heart of True Karate when they dig into the secrets of Passai Kata.
The leopard is one of the five original Animals of the Shaolin Temple. This feline beast is able to move quickly and with much power. The first moves of the form Passai show this ability.
That the form is at least four centuries old is indisputable, as silk drawings of the movements have been carbon tested. In addition to this scientific proof, there are Chinese spellings of the name that are quite similar to the Okinawan. In Mandarin the form is spelled Baoshi, Fuzhou spelling is Bas-sai, and there is even an art, Ba Ji Ch'uan, that is spelled the same.
This puts forth the concept that the founder of Passai, Ankoh Itosu, was inspired by the Chinese arts when he created the Okinawan version. Actually, records indicate an evolution of form from Sokon Matsumura to Koken Oyadomari to Ankoh Itosu. One cannot be sure, of course, but such a lineage could very well happen.
Once in Okinawa, the form became part of the training regimen of the king's bodyguards. This brings forth the fascinating possibility that the form was tailored to the actual floor plan of the royal castle. Coming as it does after a student has mastered the Pinan Kata, this is a distinct possibility.
The name of the form is translated as 'to break a fortress.' However, this name was created by Funakoshi, and some scholars hold that it is not accurate. The original translation of the name means 'to extract from a castle,' or 'to remove an obstruction.'
Thus, in the event of hostilities, the bodyguards were not trained to 'storm a fortress,' but rather to remove the king from the castle. While the younger students created chaos and confusion in the main hall, the advanced students were expected to hustle the king to a rear hallway, and then to...'extract him from the castle.' This is certainly an intriguing possibility.
At any rate, whether one chooses to enjoy this theory, or to adhere one of another devise, the points of similarity are certainly intriguing. This writer believes they are more than mere coincidence. One thing is certain, however, and that is that a student who Masters the Pinans will certainly be overjoyed to experience the quick yet powerful movements inherent in the Passai Kata, and may be said to be duplicating the movements of the Kung Fu Leopard of Shaolin fame.
The leopard is one of the five original Animals of the Shaolin Temple. This feline beast is able to move quickly and with much power. The first moves of the form Passai show this ability.
That the form is at least four centuries old is indisputable, as silk drawings of the movements have been carbon tested. In addition to this scientific proof, there are Chinese spellings of the name that are quite similar to the Okinawan. In Mandarin the form is spelled Baoshi, Fuzhou spelling is Bas-sai, and there is even an art, Ba Ji Ch'uan, that is spelled the same.
This puts forth the concept that the founder of Passai, Ankoh Itosu, was inspired by the Chinese arts when he created the Okinawan version. Actually, records indicate an evolution of form from Sokon Matsumura to Koken Oyadomari to Ankoh Itosu. One cannot be sure, of course, but such a lineage could very well happen.
Once in Okinawa, the form became part of the training regimen of the king's bodyguards. This brings forth the fascinating possibility that the form was tailored to the actual floor plan of the royal castle. Coming as it does after a student has mastered the Pinan Kata, this is a distinct possibility.
The name of the form is translated as 'to break a fortress.' However, this name was created by Funakoshi, and some scholars hold that it is not accurate. The original translation of the name means 'to extract from a castle,' or 'to remove an obstruction.'
Thus, in the event of hostilities, the bodyguards were not trained to 'storm a fortress,' but rather to remove the king from the castle. While the younger students created chaos and confusion in the main hall, the advanced students were expected to hustle the king to a rear hallway, and then to...'extract him from the castle.' This is certainly an intriguing possibility.
At any rate, whether one chooses to enjoy this theory, or to adhere one of another devise, the points of similarity are certainly intriguing. This writer believes they are more than mere coincidence. One thing is certain, however, and that is that a student who Masters the Pinans will certainly be overjoyed to experience the quick yet powerful movements inherent in the Passai Kata, and may be said to be duplicating the movements of the Kung Fu Leopard of Shaolin fame.
No comments:
Post a Comment