All caches in
this series are named after Katas that are practised and studied in
Goju Ryu karate. Although there are only 12 basic Katas in this
style of karate, Kata have been developed and added throughout the
years. Some dojos include these additional Katas, as well as other
foreign Katas in their training. The Kata in this series represent
those studied at the various dojos my family has been involved with
for over two decades.
All caches are on the Bruce Trail, and other
than a few exceptions, should be easy
finds.
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"Karate begins and ends with Kata. Kata is the
essence and foundation of karate and it represents the accumulation
of more than a 1000 years of knowledge. Formed by numerous masters
throughout the ages through dedicated training and research, the
kata are like a map to guide us, and as such should never be
changed or tampered with"
Morio
Hiagaonna
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Kata literally means
"form" in Japanese, and is a series of choreographed patterns or
movements practised by most Japanese and Okinawan martial arts. In
Goju-Ryu Karate, the kata is an essential form of training, helping
a student to visualize an enemy attack and their response. Kata
practise promotes the development of proper breathing, technique
and focus, to help develop power and strength, while maintaining a
relaxed, calm mind, and is often described as "moving
meditation"
The standard kanji of Seiunchin
mean “to control and pull in battle”. This is said to
be an Okinawan attempt to pronounce the Hokkien/Amoy reading of the
characters (pronounced "Zhi yin zhan" in Mandarin). Sei/zhi means
"to control", un/yin means "to pull", and chin/zhan means "battle".
Its origins are thought by some to be in the Xingyi internal system
while others think it is from the Tiger Shaolin system (it is known
in some schools as "the Tiger kata"). Yet another theory is that it
is from the Eagle or Hawk school of Shaolin boxing. The techniques
of Seiunchin are well suited for practical, close-in fighting. All
of the movements are hand techniques with no kicks, a very unusual
feature. Seiunchin is a long and strength-sapping kata. It contains
pulling and gripping techniques, throws, hidden techniques and
requires a strong upper and lower body, good breath control and
lots of stamina.