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Fat Cobra

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Posts posted by Fat Cobra

    Koryu(old) Passai

    in Karate

    Posted

    Awesome article which really explains all the branches. I knew there were different Passai, but was unclear why until I read this article.

    I practice the Nakamura Passai, as passed down to Taika Oyata and then through him to Amor Kaicho.

    https://www.ikigaiway.com/making-sense-of-passai-an-exploration-of-origin-and-style/

    This is the best article I have seen about the historicity and variations of Passai that is available on the web.

    Koryu Passai is usually a matter of lineage. In Kobayashi-Ryu, Itosu-no-Passai Dai has been displaced by Tawada ha Matsumura no Passai as the Passai Dai of said systems. In said systems, Tawada Passai is Passai Dai, and Itosu-no-Passai Dai is identified as Passai Sho. Some Kobayashi-Ryu schools have retained the original Itosu-no-Passai Sho as Koryu Passai or Passai Gwa.

    In Shi'to-Ryu, it is not unusual to hear Tomari Bassai (derived from Nagemine's version of Passai Dai) called Koryu Passai to distinguish it from the Bassai Dai and Sho of Itosu as practised in Shi'to-Ryu. It is undeniably older in origin than the Itosu-no-Passai but whether it deserves such a designation is debatable.

    Lastly, in the west I have heard people call the oldest known versions of Passai, Matsumura no Passai and Oyadomari no Passai, Koshiki or Koryu Passai. How accurate such a practice is to reality is debatable.

    There is no version older than the Matsumura or Oyadomari version. Any claim to the otherwise should be treated with profound scepticism without compelling evidence presented.

    My personal working hypothesis, for many of the older kata, is that they are abridgements of older Chinese Forms, or are collections of disparate techniques organised into a form on Okinawa by Okinawans even if the techniques may be of foreign origin. I believe that Passai has a significant Chinese influence, but the reason we cannot find a form alike to Passai in Chinese martial arts is that:

    1. Its Chinese analogue went extinct.

    2. It never existed in Chinese Martial Arts in the First Place.

    With Passai, I am inclined to believe the second is likely true, just because we cannot confirm a Chinese origin (In comparison to another old kata such as Seisan), the name has no clear meaning, and although it bears resemblance to Chinese Martial arts: it bears resemblance to several. I believe it is a collection of techniques of Chinese Origin worked into a Kata of Okinawan Origin. However, that is as far as I can get with my research.

    Stretching and Running

    in Health and Fitness

    Posted

    I run as a matter of personal physical fitness (plus I spent 24.5 years in the US Army, so running is second nature). I think it is good for your overall fitness and health, but for my students it is a personal choice and not something we do as a group.

    Question about Ryukyu and Okinawa/Samurai Champloo

    in General Martial Arts Discussion

    Posted

    I have never seen this show, but I do study Japanese history, specifically military history. From my opinion, this is strictly fiction made for the show. The Ryukyu Kingdom was never a threat to Japan nor were they considered individual threats to samurai. When the Shimazu Clan invaded Okinawa in 1609, they easily defeated Ryukyuan forces.

    Obviously, karate was imported from Okinawa with Gichin Funakoshi in the twentieth century, and Japan thoroughly embraced that style of martial arts. However, what you describe in the show I believe is anachronistic, portraying thoughts of today to yesteryear.

    Just my 2 cents.

    Question about Dan ranks

    in Karate

    Posted

    Wow! A lot of these responses are surprising to me.

    In Ryukyu Kempo, we do not wear stripes on our black belt to indicate Dan rank. In fact, we usually don't wear a traditional black belt per say. All Yudansha wear a modified version of black hakama pants, so their is a belt built into the pants to tie it. We wear a black Gi jacket (or just a t-shirt). If we are in a formal ceremony, we will wear our white Gi jacket, which has your rank sewn in on the left chest side of the jacket.

    That being said, it is expected that you learn the ranks and titles of the Yudansha and address them as such. However, you can look them in the eye and talk to them as normal human beings. We are not super formal that way.

    If you won the lottery....

    in General Martial Arts Discussion

    Posted

    It depends on how much I won...but if it was significant, I would:

    1. Share with my family.

    2. Donate to my Church.

    3. Donate to charities.

    4. Pay off my house and bills.

    5. Quit my job.

    6. Buy a large Dojo, fill it with training equipment, and run it full time.

    7. Travel to Okinawa (at least 4 times).

    8. Travel to New Zealand (we have URKA Dojos there...at least 3 times).

    9. Travel to Japan (at least 3 times).

    10. Travel to other CONUS URKA Dojos for their seminars (regularly).

    Old Martial Arts Magazines

    in General Martial Arts Discussion

    Posted

    Over the weekend, I visited to a couple of used book stores and bought some old Black Belt and Karate/Kung Fu Magazines, ranging from 1974 to 1992. This includes the 1974 Black Belt Yearbook, with Bruce Lee recognized as the Martial Artist of the Year (posthumously).

    These are great. I love stuff from the 1970s and 1980s. Does anyone else have a collection of magazines from that era?

    NJ martial arts

    in General Martial Arts Discussion

    Posted

    The gyms are closed here in New York and on Fort Drum (a US Army base where I co-locate my Dojo at one of the gyms). What we have been doing is training at a local park. We keep our social distance and can continue to train. On the down side, anytime there is bad weather I have to cancel training.

    I don't know when I will be able to get back in the gym on Fort Drum. I am estimating either July or August.

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