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
________________
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 Okinawan weapons
are an integral part of Okinawan Budo. In 1470 all weapons in
Okinawa were banned and confiscated. This political move directly
led to the development of two different fighting systems: Te,
practiced by the nobility, is a form of empty hand combat; and
Kobudo, developed by farmers and fishermen is a form of armed
combat using simple tools as weapons. In both systems, training was
conducted in strict secrecy. In some circles if one does not know
weapons, one is not considered well rounded in the Martial
Arts.
Although there are
eight different weapons in Okinawan Kobudo, the most commonly used
and generally viewed as the core of the art are the bo, jo, tongfa,
and the sai. Each weapon has its own set of kata and techniques
used in combat.
Today's existing kata
go back two to three hundred years or so; we can safely say that
they are the footsteps of use in combat.
Approximately 700 years
ago the Ryukyu Islands were split up into North, South, and Middle
Mountains - Clans, as we call them, and in a hundred years or so of
warfare, the Ryukyus became united as one and, the Okinawan Kobudo
or Kobujitsu were firmly established proving its worth on the
battlefield. Unfortunately the history of fighting arts of the
Orient depends on an oral rather than a written history. Therefore,
interpretations and different opinions exist among the historians
as to the accuracy of the divergent viewpoints regarding founders
and their times.
Be that as it may, we
can at least go back (with some degree of accuracy) to Aburaya
Yamaki and Matsu Higa as the first to establish a system of katas
and techniques. We definitely know that Matsu Higa was the Sensei
of Takahara Peichin who taught Karate Sakugawa (1733-1815) who most
historians readily agree was the fountainhead of modern Okinawan
Karate.
The sai while normally associated
with the island Okinawa, is thought to be of Chinese origin, and it
is one of the few weapons that did not evolved from something else.
Popular with many martial artists today the sai is most often used
in pairs, and therefore requires a student to be equally proficient
with both their left and their right hand.
At a time when citizens of Okinawa
were banned from possessing weapons, the sai was easy to conceal,
plus, it's metal construction made it an excellent defensive weapon
against the Japanese samurai sword, or a long range weapon such as
the bo.
The
sai is comprised of seven main parts, they are as follows
:
1. tsukagashira -
the butt end of the handle
2. tsuka - the
actual handle grip
3. moto
- the actual center point between the
two side guards
4. yoko
- the two side
guards
5. tsume - the
tip of each side guard
6. monouchi - the
blade of the sai
7. saki
- the very tip of the sai
blade
The
modern sai while made of lighter metals, has in reality changed
very little from it's original design and is considered a difficult
weapon to truly master.