Saifa

Saifa

"To Smash and Tear to Pieces"

This is the first of the advanced kaishu (or "open hand") group of kata. The name of this kata uses the same Chinese character as for the 'sai' found in gekisai kata. The second character 'fa' means to tear or rip. It therefore means "to smash and tear". It is pronounced "sui-po" in Mandarin, "sai-fa" in Okinawan dialect and "sai-ha" in Japanese.

This is a close-fighting kata which utilises hammer fist and backfist strikes along with kicks using the knee and kicks to the groin. It is thought that this kata uses techniques from the white crane and tiger (or perhaps lion) systems. It mixes swift, light stances (neko ashi dachi & sagi ashi dachi) with solid, grounding stances (shiko dachi)

Saifa is the first of the classical combative Kata taught in Goju-Ryu. Goju-Ryu's Kata origins come from the martial arts taught in the Fuzhou area of southern China, largely Crane and Xingyi/Baqua as well as other internal and external martial arts. Kanryo Higaonna Sensei was taught this Kata, along with the other Kata of Goju-Ryu, while he studied in China from 1863-1881 under the direction of RuRuKo ( Xie Zhong Xiang in Chinese) and others.

These Kata and martial strategies would become the basis of the the quanfa of Higaonna Sensei, which later Miyagi Sensei would call Goju-Ryu. From an understanding of the grappling and strking techniques of this Kata, Saifa can be interpreted to mean grabbing and tearing of tissue in close-quartered combat.

A hard lesson learned

A hard lesson learned

One of our virtues is that
“truth is our worship”
I broke that virtues a few days ago and paid the price:

Life is a unique experience for every single one of us. Everyone has their own memories, their own perspective, and their own take on the world. While much of life can only be experienced, below are a few lessons that seem to stand true in a majority of people's lives. I write these lessons because I have personally experience what a so called “white lie” can do to yourself and the person that has received it.

In Yourself :

You shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do.

It takes a long time to become the person you want to be.

Either you control your attitude or it controls you.

It isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

Your background and circumstances may have influenced who you are, but you are responsible for who you become.

Credentials on the wall do not make a decent human being.

In Relationships:

You cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.

No matter how much you care, some people just don't care back.

It takes years to build up trust and only seconds to destroy it. Yes seconds and just one word, will destroy a trust.

It's not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.

True friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. The same goes for true love.

Just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

You should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

The people you care most about in life are always taken from you too soon.

Even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

*Never lie, its not worth it, not even the smallest lie.

My name is Manny Saavedra 57 years old Born July 20, 1951 Teacher/Writer/Karate Sensei