A very long time ago I attempted very serious Bubishi research.. This discussion on a world wide Goju discussion group had contributions from around the world. Discussion like this are rarely seen these days.
From: "Victor " <isshim@...>
Date: Tue Dec 5, 2000 2:04 pm
A recent question about the meaning of 'Ji' in the McCarthy Bubishi has caused me to think about Miyagi's development of Tensho, as compared to some similar palm techniques in several Chinese systems.
The individual who asked me wondered whether I had had the word "Ji" translated. I readly admitted I had not the knowledge of Chinese to do so myself but offered several answers from my own Bubishi research. Those being:
McCarthy's Tuttle Translation of the 'Bubishi' doesn't translate the Six Ji Hands at all.
Alexander's 'Bubishi' calls it the "6 Wind Hands (Rokkishu) of the Shaolin Style".
John Sells in his 'Unante' says "Miyagi Chojun derived Tensho from Chapter 22 of the Bubishi "6 Ways to use the Fist.. Roku Go Ichi Ken Sho (Rokkishu).
Then referencing Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming's text on White Crane I wonder if it is possible to say that Ji stands for Jin or Martial Power. In that context the 6 hands of martial power makes a little sense.
Surely a simple linguistic issue, but then I started looking at Park's 2nd text on PaQua last night and was struck at how long range the palm strikes he was showing , were performed. In a similar vein I compare it to the palm strikes in my Yang and Wu Tai Chi Chaun studies.
This gets me to thinking. Miyagi Sensei is reported to have been inspired by that section of the Bubishi when he created his Tensho kata. Truthfully, while Tensho does use 6 different palm techniques, I've never worked out whether they are the same as those in the Bubishi.
But they are performed with in a much different manner than those techniques I've seen in the Chinese systems. They are performed at a much closer range, IMVHO.
An interesting fact, my friend Ernest Rothrock studied a Pai Lum form with Daniel Pai known as Tension Form. It is almost an exact clone of Tensho, but with different stances and full long range circles in each strike. When doing the form it is done with 'Snake' Breathing, or a long "Ssssssssssssssssssss" with each technique. [Actually he
informs me that is the first of 3 entirely different breathing patterns. The other two are very hard on the body. I once tried to learn the second pattern, but without the long preparation for that training, was unsuccessful with it. At one period of his training, Pai had him work Pai had him work this form for a year with no other training.
Pai Lum Tension Form
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmfBSdN_Ep0
I don't exactly believe this is necessarily a true Chinese/Okinawan connection. Pai was Hawaiian ,and Miyagi had traveled and demonstrated in Hawaii. It is not necessarily a stretch of the imagination to see if Miyagi demonstrated Tensho on Hawaii, experienced martial artists in the audience could have understood and 'borrowed' the form. In that case it might be the source of this training. Pai Lum (the Pai family system is based on a combination of Northern and Southern forms).
Just thought this interesting.
Victor Smith
Bushi No Te Isshinryu
We need to take caution when discussing Okinawa/Chinese connections.
Chineses absorve quickly foreign cultures and integrate them to their in an authentic alchemical process. I am impressed about how Chineses knows karate like us, and I have caution today when I see a Quan and see occurences of ypical patterns of Karate. It is necessary establish dates and lineages in researches (like autenticate a historical document) to go ahead in our conclusions. So, the observation of Victor about Tensho and Pai Lum can be pertinent.
Fernando
Brasil
Victor Gong,
Glad to see you posting! As I promised, all about "ji" that I can provide... maybe David has some other insights from his Chinese studies.
I have seen "Rokkishu" written two different ways in hanzi/kanji. I have posted them to the "files" section of the Nafadi_Kenkyukai site, for those interested.
The first would be Liu Qi Shou in Mandarin, or the "6 hands of Qi/Ki/Chi/the Force/Mojo/et al" This is found in Mabuni's version of the Bubishi as illustrated in his 1934 "Seipai no Kenkyu."
The second would be Liu Ji Shou. This is the version found in the two Miyagi/Higa lineage Bubishi I have seen. In this case, according to the World Wide Web CJK English Database (URL below) Ji means one of several things:
(1) The key, main point, pivotal point to something. Most basic thing. Pivotal affair.
(2) Mechanism, works, device. Means, instrument, motive (power), agent.
(3) Working(s), function, action, motive. Sign, indication, omen, symptom.
(4) A spring, an impulse, chance, opportunity, occasion.
(5) Talent, ability. The capacity or temperament of a person.
What is interesting, though, is that according to the research of Tokashiki Iken, the "ji" hands often change from teacher to teacher, and that he has also run across people with 10 "ji" hands, for example.
> Then referencing Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming's text on White
> Crane I wonder if it is possible to say that Ji
> stands for Jin or Martial Power. In that context
> the 6 hands of martial power makes a little sense.
Good try, but not quite... <grin>
See kanji for "jin" also at the "files" section.
> This gets me to thinking. Miyagi Sensei is reported
> to have been inspired by that section of the Bubishi
> when he created his Tensho kata. Truthfully, while
> Tensho does use 6 different palm techniques, I've
> never worked out whether they are the same as those
> in the Bubishi.
Many of the same palm techniques found in Miyagi Sensei's Tensho are also reportedly found in Uechiryu (right Mario-san?) as well as To'onryu (right Mario-san?) although not necessarily in "kata" form.
Anyway,
Joe Swift, Japan
Okinawan Bubishi is a Quan Pu, that is, a logbook about the basics, history, and
philosophy of a Quan Fa school. These books still remains very common in China
today. Quan Pu frequently have: the history of the system and lineage, stances,
hands postures, the forms (codified or drawing) and medicines and advices (today
is very rare found medicines in these books and classes of First Aids are
strongly recommended), in this order. Now, the stances and hands postures are
that that occur in all forms/xing of the system. In truth, these little books
are perfect and simple dialectical devices.
The Rokkishu of the Bubish is only the hands postures used in the forms
described in this Quan Pu, but it is difficult to judge this because our Bubishi
can be a spurious journal with elements of several sources. However, I don´t see
any element that resemble Tensho in this Rokkishu (I am referring here "rokkishu"
as a technical chapter that show six hands postures; if eight, it will be called
"happoshu", etc).
I don´t belive that Miyagi had created the kata Tensho from this chapter. This
sound to me as a childish fable about "a misterious magic book written by some
kami from which the fantastic Master Miyagi discovered a kata". I don´t believe
also that the term "Goju" was removed from the Bubishi´s "eight precepts on
kempo".
Finally, I think that Tensho was the beginning of some incomplet Quan that
Miyagi learns with someone or saw it in a book and used the theme and idea. Just
my thoughts.
Goju kata Tensho
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6h9NxIamxQ&t=58s
Fernando
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