| gekisai, expression. |
撃砕 |
“Conquer and occupy,” from Chinese. In Japanese, it means “the pulverizing.” |
| kata, n. |
型 |
Pattern/form. Not to be confused with kata, n. 肩. shoulder. |
| kuzusu, v. |
崩す |
To pull down. To unbalance. |
| Ansan, proper n. |
安三 |
Also pronounced Yantsu. Three-way Safety. |
| Bassai, proper n. |
バッサイ |
When using Gichin Funakoshi’s kani, 拔塞, translates loosely as “Capture the Fortress.” |
| Bō kata chion, proper n. |
棒型知音 |
Bō kata “Sound knowledge.” |
| Garyū, proper n. |
臥龍 |
Reclining Dragon. This is Mas Oyama’s pen name, taken from the hill in his hometown where his parents are buried. |
| Gekisai-dai, proper n. |
撃砕大 |
The kata, “Conquer and occupy, major.” In French, avec force. |
| Gekisai-shō, proper n. |
撃砕小 |
The kata, “Conquer and occupy, minor.” In French, avec discretion. |
| Gyaku-Tsuki no kata, proper n. |
逆突きの型 |
Reverse-Punching kata. |
| Happō no Kuzushi, proper n. |
八方の崩し |
The kata “pull down/unbalance from eight directions.” |
| Heian, proper n. |
平安 |
“Peace and tranquility.” Its Okinawan equivalent is pinan. |
| Hiji kata, proper n. |
肘型 |
The elbow kata |
| Ichigai, n. |
我意 |
One (self) will. |
| Pinan, proper n. |
平安 |
See Heian |
| Saiha/Saifa, proper n. |
サイハ |
“Smash and Tear Down.” In French, destruction maximale. Either spelling works, because the Japanese do not pronounce ‘f’ with their teeth on the lower lip. |
| Sanban Tsuki, proper n. |
三番突き |
“Three tsuki.” “ban” (番) is a counter used in series. |
| Sanchin, proper n. |
三戦 |
From the Chinese, “three battles/conflicts.” Its Japanese pronunciation (never used) would have been “sansen.” |
| Seipei, proper n. |
十八 |
“Eighteen (hands).” Sometimes spelled sepai or saipai. Taken from Fujian dialect, where “sei” is 10 and “pai” is 8. Apparently, and I’ll need to check with the Bubishi again, katas from way back when didn’t have cool names, but were just numbered. |
| Seiunchin, proper n. |
制引戦 |
Literally, “Pulling Battle System.” |
| Soburi-Kata, proper n. |
組分理 |
“Kata d’enchaînement.” The kata created by Shihan André Gilbert in 1975 |
| Sushiho, proper n. |
五十四歩 |
“54 Steps.” In modern Japanese, it would be called “gojūshiho”. 54 refers to the number of beads in one of the Buddhist mala prayer beads. “Su” seems to be an old way to refer to the number 50, much like “Iso” used to mean 50 (see Wikipedia on Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto). |
| Taikyoku, proper n. |
太極 |
Translated in French as “ultime action.” Literally it means “great ultimate,” a Taoist concept for the “state of undifferentiated absolute and infinite potential, … from which Yin and Yang originate.” See Taiji |
| Tekki, proper n. |
鉄騎 |
Iron horse-rider. |
| Tenshō, proper n. |
転掌 |
The kata created by Chōjun Miyagi. Literally, “rotating palms.” |
| Tonfā kata, proper n. |
トンファー型 |
The tonfā kata |
| Yantsu, proper n. |
安三 |
See Ansan. Also pronounced Ansan. Three-way Safety. Traditionally called “Maintain Purity.” (Possibly a regionalism from where Mas Oyama was based in World War II?) |