The matsumura hakutsuru kata also features a unique low level kicking sequence and its embusen relies on footwork from the kusanku and naihanchi kata. Scott atkins is an incredible martial artists in my book. Wining medals became the goal and gyako tsuki became main technique, without even thinking of selfdefense, while kata practice was. It was born out of the fighting forms, techniques, and traditions practiced in the shuri and tomari villages of okinawa. There are several variations of these kata, including passai sho. Please take the criticism as something to improve your understanding of applications. This passai has the trademark aggressive shuffle in gambit at the beginning. This book illustrates a kata named bassai dai by three methods. That is tomari version of passai kata and it is generaly oldest version that survived today. Not going to go into the history too much, as i know many of you would be able to add pages on the subject. The first article discussed the controversy over funakoshis classification of okinawan karates shorin and shorei traditions by body type, as well as his. Ive added a link to wikipedia for pasaibassai kata if you need to look at the katas basic history.
Shihan kousaku yokota is an 8th dan at shotokan karate with a special interest in uncovering myths and getting to the truth hence releasing his own book, shotokan myths on the subject. Passai is often explained as a low light or night fighting kata, because of its many sagurite searching hand techniques. This week we share our brainstorming session on passai kata applications. However, one of the noteworthy tomari flavors is the slow movement of the left foot out into cat stance at the very beginning of the kata. In this system of shorinryu karate known as seiyokai, members actually learn two different passai kata. Bassai dai passai dai, ishimine passai, matsumura passai bassai dai passai was cited by gichin funakoshi in his popular books such as karate do kyohan in which he translated its name as to penetrate a fortress. The feeling of kata should be precise, with fast execution of technique and attention given to appropriate balance. I am therefore very honoured to have received the following endorsement by from him on his facebook page, about my dvd, inside bassai dai. Matsumuras concept of strength is manifested in the passai kata. The links below contain videos that demonstrate a number of practical applications and combinations associated with each kata bunkai is a karate technique where kata is broken down and studied for its offensive and defensive elements. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. The passai kata has perhaps spawned the greatest number of confirmed versions than any other kata in the okinawan selfdefense traditions.
Jiin, jion, and jitte form a group of kata used in shotokan and other karate styles, beginning with the same characteristic kamae of the left hand covering the right, which apparently has roots in ancient chinese boxing. Choshin chibana performing passai funakoshi doing the same movement. Reading books and deconstructing karate as it once was. This represents a short introduction to the history of chito ryu and its katas. Takahara, peichin 16831760 was revered as a great warrior and is said to have been the first to explain the aspects or principles of the word do way as it is referenced in karatedo. Core srkdi curriculum each srkdi affiliated dojo is free to establish its own unique shorin ryu curriculum.
Each series of kata is preceded by a historical and technical introduction. In the following article, i will briefly describe the kata of shorinryu seibukan, and their origin. The characteristic of this kata is the execution of knifehand techniques. Sensei george tan shihan history karatedo training attitudes terminology tenshinhappo tenpogosoku uke no gogenri kata and bunkai hiji ate goho tensho, bassaida, seienchin, nipaipo, matsumura no rohai. The origins of this kata are obscure, however there are several theories as to its history. The throw is udewa armring which funakoshi shows in his book. Although the roots of this kata are obscure, there are several theories as to its history. Mikes recent books are toyota kata mcgrawhill, toyota kata culture, and.
When you look into the movements you can see that all the main sequences and techniques are there in a slightly different order sagurite, yama uke. He taught passai dai matsumura no passai and according to takao nakaya, he notes that the kata did not originate in tomari village nakaya, 1983 even though it has a long history there. The actual application is far simpler and less likely to fail and that is a basic principle of kata. Bassaidai is introduced to gkr students at 5th kyu, and remains a students kata through both their 5th kyu blue belt and 4th kyu red belt grades. Bassai dai literally means to extract and block off but this is taken to mean to storm penetrate a fortress. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first book to focus only on karate kata illustrated. Okinawan karate forms and use the forms that are more japanese in nature or were created to kowtow to kano jigoro, because neko ashi dachi allows you to easily prevent a judoka from grabbing.
Passai sometimes pronounced bassai contains a wide variety of striking and grappling techniques including throws, chokes, locks etc. It certainly deserves to be the secret kata of the ryu. It is a blending of both chinese and native fighting methods that includes simple strikes, vital targetpressure point attacks, and standup. List of shorinryu kata bunkai practical application of kata. In modern okinawa karate books you can find an information itosu has. That isnt to say that the way shotokan influenced schools do the kata is wrong, simply that you cannot use the words classic kata of shorinji ryu. Passai in okinawan styles and bassai in japanese styles. Part 2 shotoshinkai karatedo association in malaysia. Whether matsumura or others originated the form or brought it back from china is unknown. This tomarite version retains many open hand techniques compared to its popular counterpart the tawada passai. Some researchers believe the passai kata is related to chinese. Making sense of passai an exploration of origin and style. The creator of the kata was sokon bushi matsumura 18091902 who played a huge role in the development of karate and who was also the. In fact there are references dating back to the egyptians and greeks, performing dances that emulates fighting.
Rather than being exhaustive, it is meant to provide just enough information to prompt deeper study into the topic. Some researchers believe the passai kata is related to chinese leopard and lion boxing forms, with some sequences bearing a resemblance to leopard boxing the opening blocking striking. It also features an opening salutation of the right closed fist resting in. This technique is from kata passai and it is aimed at attackers eyes. I came across an interesting article by sensei robert teller that the this footage of kate passai is one of the oldest forms of this kata. The kata focus on the idea of changing disadvantage into advantage by strong and courageous response, switching blocks and differing degrees of power. The oldest written references to naifuanchis history are probably in the books. We are a group on a mission to return karate to its roots through the use of kata as selfdefense. Complete karate jutsu kata of shindo jinen ryu 9784863440012 by japan karate and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Bassai dai is one of the variations of the passai kata that is practiced in. Any explanation of seibukan must start with kyan chotoku, who was the son of kyan chofu, a highranking official in the okinawan royal court. Shorinryu karate is one of the major branches of karate. But for some reason, funakoshi decided to rename the kata as bassai in 1936.
If oral history can be dependable sakugawa was believed to have learned the passai kata in china. The feeling of kata should be precise, with fast execution of technique and attention given to appropriate balance between speed and power. This form has been used and practiced in many cultures, including china, ryukyu, japan and korea. This kata was one of the most popular katas in history and it is believed to have originated in china. List of shorinryu bunkai practical application of kata. The second, expanded edition of this landmark book is now available. The floating hand techniques are very similar to the movement of tai chi chuan. This section focuses on the bunkai used in various branches of shorinryu karate.
Posted on july 11, 2010 may 2, 2020 by admin as discussed in an earlier posting, the okinawan master, sokon bushi matsumura was a central figure in developing the now familiar linear technique, at a time when most martial artists on okinawa were still using the circular techniques of chinese origin. Bassai dai is one of the variations of the passai kata that is practiced in shotokan karate, normally starting at 3rd kyu. History of matsumura shorinryu karate worldbudokan. The following represents the core, minimum curriculum required by srkdi. The second is katsu, which refers to the understanding or knowledge of the techniques and kata associated with. In gichin funakoshis 1922 book, the kata is referred to as passai which was also the name used by motobu choki of okinawa in 1926. Chotoku kyan learned this kata from kokan oyadomari a famous tomarite karate teacher. This kata was the favorite of many karate men of tomari village. Passai is one of the most popular kata of okinawan karate with many different versions. Bassaipassai which is the correct one iain abernethy. The shorinryu version of passai bears a close resemblance to oyadomari no passai, and is a much softer kata than shotokans bassai dai.
Another purpose of this article is to clarify what is traditional okinawan kata. Kyudokan training hall for learning the do waypath to selfenlightenment the okinawan shorinryu karatedo kyudokan school, now known as the higa family school of karatedo, is a traditional school renowned throughout the world because of its history, its accumulated culture and the traditions handed down over the centuries by the fore fathers of karate in okinawa. The characteristic of this kata is the execution of hidden fist punches. Mike is coauthor of two groundbreaking lei workbooks, learning to see. Passai dai, which is very close to the shotokan version, is required for a student wishing to obtain a brown belt. Though by the time of chotokus birth in gibo village, shuri, the. Passai is an ageold form, and one of the oldest versions of this kata is seibukans oyadomari passai. Kyan no passai from the book on passai kata isshin. There are other similarities in the shifting of body weight in light stances. Chofu was a royal steward, attending to the okinawan king, sho tai, personally.
History of chito ryu katas calgary chito ryu karate club. Chinto kata has a fascinating history and it is necessary to have some understanding of that history if we are to understand the kata itself. In 1983, he started learning shito ryu style karate. This three part series examines the roots of shotokan karate through gichin funakoshis 15 original kata. Its intricate and complex movements make the performance of the matsumura no hakutsuru kata unique among karate kata. As we know kata, meaning form, or a series of movements, looks to the outsider as a dance, and history has recorded these dancelike forms in various cultures. One must remember that a kata, by itself, is a complete fighting system, and a book could be written using one kata as a subject source. However, several years later, i began to realize that a new, competitive karate, was taking place.
Passai dai matsumura no passai kata of okinawa shorin ryu karatedo. His teacher masonobu china told him that this kata goes back at least 200 years in the village of shimabuku. This diplomat of the qing government, wang ji, is reported to have been a highly educated well rounded scholar for his time. Kata, as practiced in karate, provide a living encyclopedia of selfdefense, tradition, and training methods. Further evidence that passai has roots in tomari city is that passai dai starts with the right fist covered by the left hand, like other kata thought to have originated there, such as jitte, jion, jiin and. Kata includes both hidden and apparent selfdefense applications such as blocks, strikes, kicks, grabs, vital point activation, chokes, throws, takedowns, body hardening, combinations, muscle memory, breathing and methods for improving focus and acceleration. In his 1922 book, gichin funakoshi names the form passai. Okinawan karate researcher akio kinjo feels that the passai kata is related to leopard and lion boxing forms kinjo. Making sense of passai an exploration of origin and style ikigai. Complete series of shito ryu kata book 3 japan karatedo federation shitokai on.
There are over thirty different versions of this kata, based on the different ryu schools of karate. Saifa introduces students to the goju element of karate. This is a compilation drawn from numerous existing documents. Bassaisho shotokan passai in okinawan styles and bassai in japanese styles. The kata are generally known as passai in okinawan styles of karate and bassai in japanese styles, although gichin funakoshi originally spells the name of this form. Calgary chito ryu karate club history of chito ryu katas. Bassaidai was purposely chosen as the fourth kata of gkr, appropriately following saifa. Nov 23, 20 passai dai matsumura no passai okinawa shorin ryu kyudokan karatedo youtube stay safe and healthy. Shitoryu karatedo english a traditional art of self defence by. Heian kata videos the history of the tekki kata the tekki iron horse kata were derived from a single long kata called naihanchi internal divided conflict which was a part of the shurite and tomarite karate styles in okinawa and was the most basic kata before. Members of the arizona hombu dojo in mesa, arizona, learn itosus passai kata. The first of these principles is known as ijo, or the way of humility, compassion, and love.
The kokusai butokukai studies and preserves four of these. Like the first edition, it is produced to the highest standard, printed on the finest paper, and bound in the traditional manner as befits a book that is, and will continue to be, the ultimate reference to the art of shotokan karate. A lot of tomari history is speculation and tomari kata are often named after. Passai is nearly universal in traditional karatedo schools, but the kata have many differences depending on the style of karate. Over the holidays i had a very pleasant experience watching. In this book, emanuel giordano sensei shows the execution of the kata.