Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Hafuka No Kata

One of the sections in Habersetzer’s “Bubishi’ is on the Hakufa No Kata. Here is my translation of that section




Page 200                                                   Hakufa No Kata

 

This kata was brought back by Miyagi Chojun (1888-1953) from his stay in China. It is still very known in Goju-ryu of Okinawa and the teachings of Gojukensha de Tadahiko Ohtsuka Sensei (following pages): the numbers between brackets appearing in summary description below reference with the photographs illustrating the unfolding of the kata of the White Crane).

 

-          Rei

 

-          Starting position, Musubi-dachi, hands crossed in front of the abdomen, left above (112)

 

-          Laterally draw aside the hands, fingers downwards and palms towards the rear (113). Slowly.

 

-          Raise [Spear] the right knee upwards while crossing the hands in front of the face, the body right (114). Sharply, lower slowly the point of the right foot, to pose it in nekoashi-dachi by drawing apart the hands to the sides from the  body, bases of the palms slightly projecting(115). On the spot, form the hands in crane beaks (washide), wrists strongly flexed upwards. The elbows are slightly flexed and pointing to the bottom (116). The times [beat as in music] 114 to 116 are followed harmoniously

 

-          On the spot, by maintaining the position of the left hand, to circularly bring back the right hand from the rear ahead, from the exterior towards the interior and in a horizontal plane, until the right arms are completely tightened in front of oneself, palm right oriented to the bottom (117). From this position, draw in the hand in hikite, right in back (118). The whole of this movement is fluid and slow.

 

-       On the spot, by maintaining the position of the left hand, to set out again ahead with the right hand, the wrist rounds itself  at the end of the course [technique], so that the fingers point towards  the exterior, thumb (folded) to the bottom (119). The movement of the hand rounds itself then from the interior towards the exterior, until this comes, laterally, in the plane of the chest, wrist always folded and fingers pointing tow to the rear (120). The whole ensemble of this movement is fluid and slow.

 

-       On that spot, while always maintaining the position of the left hand, set out again slowly upwards with the right wrist always strongly folded. The fingers, reunite in :the crane beak” pointing to the bottom (121). Quickly throw the right hand vertically to the bottom until marking, one time that it has managed to the horizontal, an impact with the bottom of the palm, the fingers raised (122). The right wrist sets out again at once, and with same liveliness, in a vertical line upwards, where it finishes in the position of original departure of the movement (123=116).

 

-       The records 124 to 132 were a symmetrical reproduction (after advancing the left foot) of the records 114 to 123.

 

-       The records 133 to 141 were the renewal (after newly advancing the left foot) of the movements of the arms imitating the beating of the wings and the attacks of the birds beak, of two arms simultaneously, and on the same rhythm. The totality of this sequence (movements to the right and then to the left, finishing simultaneous movement of the two sides), ending at photo 141.

 

-    Bring back the right heel against the left, and join the ‘knife hands’ before the chest (circular movements in a horizontal plane). The palms are turned upwards, the fingers point in front. The knees lightly flexed (142). Slowly.

 

-       While standing straight [upright] in the position, slowly open the hands until to draw aside the qu.elles hands until they are a continuation of the line of the shoulders. The palms are then turned towards the exterior, the fingers pointing upwards. The chest remains turned towards the front of the central axis of the kata (143).

 

-       Advance the left foot to  45 degrees of this axis for, while in nekoashi-dachi, to carry out jodan-koken-uke with the left wrist, accompanies with a right chudan-teisho-uke (144). Slowly.

 

-       Turning the body towards the right, cross the left foot in front of the right by bringing the left hand in a circular motion towards the right (145). Advance the right foot for, in nekoashi-dachi opposite, executing jodan-koken-uke with the right wrist, and with left chudan-teisho-uke, to 45 degrees of the central axis of the kata but towards the right (146). Slowly.


Page 201

 

-          Turning the body towards the left, cross the right foot in front of the left by bringing the right hand in a circular motion towards the left (147). Advance the left foot to remake time of144, to 45 degrees of the axis of kata (148). Slowly.

 

-          Return the left heel against the right while joining the ‘knife hands” in front of the chest. The body makes has new side to the front of the kata (149). Slowly.

 

-           Slip the right heel ahead, on the central axis (150), and follow with the left foot to strike very quickly of the two flexed wrists, fingers in claws and directed towards oneself, elbows tight. The position is Zen-kutsu (151).

 

-          Link up immediately and also quickly, with a short gliding step (yori-ashi), by jodan-koken-uchi with the right wrist, fingers pointing towards the ground, accompanied by gedan-teisho-uchi in the opposite direction (152 and 153). The time [photo] 152 represents the preparatory phase to the koken-uchi (arms). The right knee is very flexed and the body leans in the direction of the blow.

 

-          Turn 180 from the right to the left side executing a symmetric movement, towards the rear, on the central axis of the kata (154).

 

-          Advance the right foot and link up with the same symmetrical techniques as before (155). Photo’s 151 to 155 were linked quickly.

 

-          Advance the left foot to 90 degrees towards the left and to remake the technique of photo 154, quickly (156).

 

-           On the spot, but slowly, and while maintaining the position of the right hand, make the left hand into chudan-kake-uke by raising the hand in a circular motion from the interior towards the exterior (157).

 

-          Turn 180 degrees from left to right to execute the symmetric movements from two times preceding, by alternating speed (158 = 156) then slowness and relaxing (159 = 157).

 

-          Set out again from the left foot on the central axis of the kata, towards the rear and to remake the photo 154 (= 160).

 

-           Advance the right foot in the same direction and to remake the photo 155 (= 161).

 

-           Bring the left foot against the right and to begin a slow rotation of the body from right to left (162) which finishes with the face to the front of the kata, on the central axis, knife hands joined in front of the body  (163=149).

 

-           Leap from the right foot in this direction while “arming” [cocking]. the flexed wrists in front of the chest (164) to finish on yori-ashi in nekoashi-dachi with a double strike in koken-uchi in front of oneself (165). The bust [chest] is well from the front.

 

-           REMAKE TO TWO RECOVERIES [Repeat Two Times], and also quickly, this technique in the same direction, on yori-ashi and always with the right foot ahead (not illustrated).

 

-          Return slowly to the rear with the right foot, until reversing the position nekoashi (166) all while strongly drawing aside the flexed wrists, clawed fingers in the .attitude of the crane beak, the interior towards the exterior, simultaneously and in symmetry. This movement opens a little the tips of the elbows towards the exterior while raising up the backs of the wrists. Finish then, to the front, the wrists raised on the level of the temples, fingers pointing to the bottom and before, in the attitude (double) of the head of a bird (167). The elbows are very flexed and a little more drawn aside that the wrists, the fore-arm to the oblique.

 

-           Maintain for one moment this attitude in concentration, then return the left foot against the right to rectify itself in the position of photo112.

 

-          Rei

-          End of the Kata






 

Habersetzer also wrote about kata Happoren. My translation can be found here.

 

 



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