Tensho was originally created by Chojun Miyagi. “Tensho” means rolling or fluid hand, literally translated as “rotating palms”. Tensho is the soft and circular (yin) counterpart to the hard and linear (yang) Sanchin kata. Not only was Tensho one of Mas Oyama’s favorite kata, he considered it to be the most indispensable of the... more »
Tensho was originally created by Chojun Miyagi. “Tensho” means rolling or fluid hand, literally translated as “rotating palms”. Tensho is the soft and circular (yin) counterpart to the hard and linear (yang) Sanchin kata. Tensho is a basic illustration of the definition of Karate, derived from Chinese kempo, as a technique of circles based... more »
Tong il is a Taekwondo form (hyeong). The name “Tong il” means “unification” which is the ultimate goal of all Koreans. Korea used to be one country, but was divided into North and South Korea in 1945 by the ideological conflict between the USSR and the USA after World War II. Yon Mu Sun,... more »
Tongbeiquan (literally “Spreading Power from the Back Boxing”) is a school of martial arts popular in northern China. Tongbeiquan’s basic precepts are Taoist in nature and many of the training methods in Tongbeiquan are similar to those of the internal styles. In traditional Tongbeiquan training, several parts are included: basic training (stance, arm techniques,... more »
This kata was created by Seigo Tada, founder of the Seigokan branch of Goju Ryu. Tsuki no Kata by its very name is “kata of punches”, and there is only one kick and just a few blocks in the entire form. The word Tsuki can also mean fortune and luck. Good fortune and luck... more »
Ul ji is a Taekwondo form. It was named after general Eulji Mundeok who successfully defended Goguryeo against a Sui invasion force of over one million soldiers led by Yang Je in 612AD. By employing hit and run guerilla tactics, he was able to destroy the majority of the force. The diagram of the... more »
Wankan (“King’s Crown” or “Emperor’s Crown”) (also called Okan) is a Karate kata practiced in many styles of Karate. Not much is known about the history of this kata. It originates from the Tomari-te school and in modern karate is practiced in Shito Ryu, Shorin-ryu, Shotokan, Genseiryu and Matsubayashi-ryu. Wankan is often considered an... more »
Won hyo is a Taekwondo 28-movements form (hyeong). This pattern is named after the noted monk Wonhyo who introduced Buddhism to the Silla Dynasty in the year 686 AD. [From Wikipedia. Original page is... more »
Xingyiquan is one of the major “internal” or Wudang styles of Chinese martial arts. The word translates approximately to “Form/Intention Boxing”, or “Shape/Will Boxing”, and is characterized by aggressive, seemingly linear movements and explosive power. There is no single organizational body governing the teaching of the art, and several variant styles exist. A practitioner... more »
The Kata Yantsu originates with Motobu-ha Shito ryu. The name “Yantsu” or “Yansu” is derived from the characters Yan, meaning safe, and Su, meaning three. The name is attributed to that of a Chinese military attaché to Okinawa in the 19th Century. The word yansu also means to keep pure, striving to maintain the purity of principles and ideals... more »
Yeon gae is a 49 movements Taekwondo form (hyeong). It was named after the famous general Yon Gae Somoon during the Goguryeo Dynasty. He defended Goguryeo from the aggression of the Tang Dynasty by destroying nearly 300,000 of their troops at Ansi Sung. (This pattern normally resides between Choi Yong and Se-Jong). [From Wikipedia.... more »
Yoo sin is a Taekwondo form (hyeong) named after General Kim Yu-Sin, a commanding general during the Silla Dynasty who played an important role in the merger of Goguryeo and Baekje by Silla. The 68 movements refer to the last two figures of 668 AD the year the three kingdoms were unified. The ready... more »
Yul gok is a Taekwondo 38-movements form (hyeong). The name “Yul gok” is a pseudonym of a great philosopher and scholar Yi I (1536-1584) nicknamed the “Confucius of Korea”. The 38 movements of this pattern refer to his birthplace on 38-degree latitude and the diagram of the pattern represents scholar. [From Wikipedia. Original page... more »
Zui Quan (drunken boxing) is a concept in traditional Chinese martial arts, as well as a classification of modern Wushu forms. It is a category of techniques, forms and fighting philosophy that appear to imitate a drunkard’s movements. The postures are created by momentum and weight of the body, and imitation is generally through... more »