Why Peacocks?

[Shorin Ryuu]

That's funny. Sauzin and I were discussing the exact same thing a week ago at our gathering.

I'm willing to bet that the similarity may stem from varying degrees of standardization in the early days of modern karate with the Butokukai. I'm sure their certificates of rank were probably something that required standardization. Of course, as organizations began to splinter apart and new ones were formed, there were more individual styles of menjo being made.

I was always under the impression they were phoenixes or something. Peacocks might be good luck or something in Asia. I remember hearing that somewhere once (too lazy to go googling).

[Shorinryu Sensei]

If you noticed my certificates hanging over the aquarium where you were here last weekend, both have peacoks in them. I wouldn't call them Phoenix's though...definitely peacocks. As for why, I really don't know either.

[ShotokanKid]

NEW FLASH!!!

They are a mythical Chinese bird called Hou-Ou (in Chinese they are called feng huaungi)

The word is usually translated phoenix in English, because they are associated with fire. You can get a painting and description (in Japanese) picture of a modern Hou ou on:

http://kz-houou.hp.infoseek.co.jp/

The Hou ou is the symbol of accomplishment ("zensho") or doing the appropriate thing, and is often used on certificates of meeting a standard.

They look like peacocks if they are drawn with long tails (there is some artistic license in how they should be represented) but peacocks are called "kujyaku" in Japanese.