THE SANSEI PAGE: Saifa

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

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.

Sansei

WORLD SANSEI KORYU GOJU-RYU KARATEDO

世界三世紅竜の剛柔の龍は組織空手道

http://www.koryugojuryu.com/

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(International Old-Style Karate Goju Association)

Established 1979

The New Path

A tree reaches past your embrace grows from one small seed.

A structure over nine stories high begins with a handful of earth.

A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.

TAO 64

This passage from a manuscript written centuries ago holds true today. The Kokusai Koryu Gojuryu Karatedo has grown geometrically since its inception in 1979. It has grown from a small group of students to its current existence as a world re-known organization.

The mission of the World Sansei Koryu Gojuryu Karatedo is to promote excellence in its members. Students becoming members in the organization will grow physically, mentally, and spiritually. Karate provides knowledge that will last the lifetime of the student. Discipline and preparedness learned in the Dojo will allow the students to perform at higher levels, giving them a competitive edge, both in school and in the workplace. The student that accepts the Karate way sets himself or herself forever on the path of excellence.

SANSEI

WORLD SANSEI KORYU GOJU-RYU KARATEDO

(International Old-Style Karate Goju Association)

Established 1979

WORLD SANSEI KORYU GOJU-RYU

KARATE & KOBUDO ORGANIZATION

The “Crane” is our symbol, which represents simplicity, beauty, nature, character and the essence of life; it characterizes the goodness that our organization represents by our membership, and our commitment to family and community involvement.

As a Taoist representation it's yang side also represents its dynamic striking ability, smooth, flowing, lighting fast, effortless, with unyielding, unforgiving accuracy

The red interior represents health, strength, physical energy, passion, courage, protection. The color of the element of Fire, Red is associated with blood (and thus, life and death), and intense emotions.

The black outline represents the banishing of negativity.

The white represents Protection and Purification.

The symbol is a reminder of natural law, the order of life and the wisdom you need to live it.

The World Sansei Koryu Goju-Ryu Karate and Kobudo Organization's name and logo are owned by the Organization. Members are cautioned to use them only for the purposes of demonstrating rank certification and certifying students who are in good standing within the Organization.Membership in the World Sansei Goju-Ryu Karate and Kobudo Organization is an honor and privilege! A lifetime of hard work, dedication, and study from the Founder allows the Organization to exist - and it has for 31 years! The Organizational Hombu needs support and cannot sustain itself on its own. The Organizational fees are but a small token of one's loyalty towards this Organization. All members who desire to remain in good standing with the Organization will have their dues paid in full each year and will be posted on the international website. All members are expected to hold the highest standards of respect and dignity. As a member you are encouraged to take full advantage of the services of the Organization. You may elect to use any service we offer at any time.We are all equal under the Arts. The only special consideration given to any member will be the respect afforded to one's rank. This privilege will be given to each member by another. It is only proper that one’s accomplishments in the Arts be recognized.To acquire an accurate understanding of Loyalty, one must understand the meaning of the word Loyalty along with what Loyalty actually represents, both culturally and symbolically.

The World Sansei Goju-Ryu Karatedo Organization's “oath of allegiance" relates to words such as loyalty, commitment, adherence and faithfulness. Loyalty is an actual act of truce between people. Those who believe in our ideology would "Be Loyal" to them. The act of Loyalty is formalized by a special handshake in the way of holding forearms.

Once this Loyalty in understood , it symbolizes support and devotion towards each other. It is also noted that there are no contracts, no formal agreements, only a simple handshake . That in itself emphasizes a simple trust and belief in each other more than anything else.

This Karate Association follows the same path and ideology as one can expect from its title "Loyalty". Its Karate teachings very much parallel the same virtues of loyalty, honesty and commitment; and it promotes supporting and helping each other to achieve the same goals and objectives in Karate-Do.This Karate Association can be viewed as a "way of life" to help promote a unique perspective of life - the wisdom to perceive the benefits of adopting a nonviolent attitude, the virtue of being patient and the tranquility of possessing peace in our lives.

World Sansei Gojuryu Karate-do Organization was founded by Manny Saavedra, currently the Head Instructor of the Karate Association with one major goal in mind: to enrich the quality of life of its practitioners and to develop a strong sense of camaraderie, solidarity and team work among members ... all in the Way of Karate.