G95champ Posted April 19, 2002 Posted April 19, 2002 We use the patch that has the tiger below a half moon in a cyrcle. However I have seen this flipped to where the half moon was on op of the tiger. What is the differance. I know the JKA thing has the small cyrcle on the bottom witht he half moon above and no tiger. Is thsi just art work or what? (General George S. Patton Jr.) "It's the unconquerable soul of man, and not the nature of the weapon he uses, that ensures victory."
G95champ Posted April 19, 2002 Author Posted April 19, 2002 Look in row 8 over to the right. You will see a red and orange Shotokan patch. These are the 2 I am talking about.http://www.centuryfitness.com/webapp/commerce/command/CategoryDisplay?cgmenbr=544&cgrfnbr=52850&main_cat=611&catalog=Y (General George S. Patton Jr.) "It's the unconquerable soul of man, and not the nature of the weapon he uses, that ensures victory."
SaiFightsMS Posted April 20, 2002 Posted April 20, 2002 We wear the simple orange and black patch with the orange tiger in a black circle. Over the circle is the kanji for shotokan.
SaiFightsMS Posted April 20, 2002 Posted April 20, 2002 Here is something on the origin of the shotokan tiger. The Tiger on Our Patch Ever wonder about where the tiger on our Shotokan patch originated? There are two main stories to explain its beginning. One story has a nice feel of lore about it; the other is a bit colder and more practical. For those who like lore: When Master Funakoshi was a young man he like to walk in a pine forest near his home. At night after working and training hard all day he would walk up Mt. Torao and meditate among the pines. He would look up at the moon and the stars. He would listen to the wind. He enjoyed the cool breezes blowing through the trees. He listened to the wind. He thought the wind coming through the trees sounded like the ocean waves breaking in upon the shore. This is where the poet inside him received its greatest inspiration. He like it so much, he chose ?Shoto? for his pen name. Shoto means pine waves. Mt. Torao is a very narrow, heavily wooded mountain. From a distance it looks like a tiger?s tail. So when you look at the patch you see a tiger. And at the tigers tail you see a little mark representing a scroll of poetry. The colder more practical explanation came about with the publication of a book. It comes from the expression ?tora no maki? which means the official written document of an art or a system. There was a famous artist named Hoan Kosugi who was also involved in the development and spread of Shotokan karate in Japan. He encouraged Master Funakoshi to write a book and came up with the tiger as a painting for the book cover. It is a traditional Chinese design with a special meaning ?the tiger never sleeps?. This tiger symbolizes the alertness of the tiger and the peace Master Funakoshi had in his mind when he was listening to pine waves on Tigers Tail Mountain. Whether or not you like the lore story or the more practical explanation it is still easy to appreciate the symbol with its multiplicity of meaning. In a way isn?t that like karate do itself? There are multiple levels to everything we learn in the dojo.
G95champ Posted April 23, 2002 Author Posted April 23, 2002 I have read in Kung Fu the tiger was a sign of power. Thats why I assumed we used the tiger. I enjoyed both stories and I assume the truth is somewhere between the two. LOL. However I still ask why is the moon on top and on the bottom in differant patches? (General George S. Patton Jr.) "It's the unconquerable soul of man, and not the nature of the weapon he uses, that ensures victory."
SaiFightsMS Posted April 24, 2002 Posted April 24, 2002 A split within an association where the off shoot didn't entirely want to give up the symbol?
G95champ Posted April 24, 2002 Author Posted April 24, 2002 So which one goes with what? (General George S. Patton Jr.) "It's the unconquerable soul of man, and not the nature of the weapon he uses, that ensures victory."
Jiggy9 Posted April 25, 2002 Posted April 25, 2002 Intresting history of tiger there Sai! Shotokan Karate Black Belt ==Defend the path of Truth==
striking_cobra Posted April 25, 2002 Posted April 25, 2002 cool website thanks... " The art of Kung Fu San Soo lies not in victory or defeat, but in the building of human character." Grand Master Jimmy H. Woo
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