#okinawan martial arts

[andygojuryu]

Had to go into the attic to find some martial arts magazines for a little research.

This wasn't what I needed, but I thought I would share it. The first issue of the UK magazine, Combat. From September 1974.

I'd already been doing Karate for a year by this time.

#martialarts #traditionalkarate #karatedo #karate #gojuryukarate #gojuryu #gojuryukaratedo #budo #kungfu #combat #Chinesemartialarts #japanesemartialarts #martial_arts

[andysouldancer]

CHOJUN MIYAGI (1888-1953)

Marking the anniversary of the birth of Chojun Miyagi, founder of Goju Ryu Karate-Do.

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

[scarlet--wiccan]

Is Kwannon (the name) wrong? Or not the most accurate? I mean, should it be something else? I still waiting for someone to realize that Da Costa should Really be Roberto da Costa.

I'm not Japanese, and I haven't studied the language in many, many years, so take this with a heaping spoonful salt.

My understanding is that "Kwannon" is supposedly named after 観音, who is a bodhisattva associated with mercy and compassion. In modern Japanese, this name is pronounced "Kannon," or, more formally, "Kanzeon." That "Kwan" sound doesn't make sense, phonetically" for Japanese-- it sounds more similar to the Chinese version, "Guanyin."

I don't know if where the X-Men writers came up with the name Kwannon-- it's possible that, several decades ago, this was the most verifiable spelling of the name. As a modern reader, it feels very similar to "Xian Coy Manh."

I've taken to calling her "Kanon," which is an actual given name in Japanese. Like most names, it can have a lot of meaninings, depending on how it's spelled, but I believe there are some versions that are derived from 観音. I may be wrong about that, but, you know, at least it's an actual name.

[redsamuraiii]

Martial Arts in The Karate Kid & Cobra Kai Infographic

Did a simple infographic about the martial arts used in the series. It’s hard to summarise with just a few words. Hope you like it! 🤓

You can read more of martial arts trivia in the show at Den of Geek.

[black-rabbit-razumikhin]

April Reading Wrap-Up

This month has been an odd one. I didn't believe I was reading all that much through April, but, by the end of it, I think I managed to get a pretty nice selection. Also, equal distribution of fiction and non-fiction which I doubt is ever going to be seen again.

~~~

Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov - Charles Kinbote is the most wet, pathetic, obsessive little homosexual I have read about in a long time; I want to wrap him in a scarf and give him a pat on the head. 4/5

Ancient Okinawan Martial Arts by Patrick McCarthy - Really wish I had read this ages ago. 4/5

The New Odyssey by Patrick Kingsley -This is ten years old and still felt topical in the ways that mattered. 4/5

For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway - Well. That had no right to be as emotionally affecting as it was. 4/5

Ritual Poetry And The Politics Of Death In Early Japan by Gary Ebersole - Besides a mouthful of a title and not the topic I thought it would be, it was still an interesting piece of eternally useless niche knowledge. 3/5

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - I'm not entirely sure what I read or why this was written, but I do know it had a hold on me as tight and as guilty as any daytime TV drama. 4/5

[mikeoliveri]

The version I learned is virtually identical.

[ourlordapollo]

It's me boy I'm the ADHD speaking to you inside your brain leave your t'ai chi practice we don't need it come with me and devote all your time and energy to learning kendo

[braininatankwithalaptop]

An interesting background detail implied but not exactly explicitly stated is that there is a tradition of open hand martial arts in Altazia. The way that Taiven has a sparring dummy even though she's a mage with a weapon, the poses that she has in the art, it points to some type of unarmed technique. "Well no shit sherlock, why bring it up?" I wanted to establish this because in most dialogue, her comments of knowing how to fight and physical fitness could be interpreted as her talking about using weapons in combat. And I wanted to establish that because I was trying to figure something out. Why is there an unarmed tradition in a world of mages? Martial arts are not born in a vacuum. Willingly deciding to train how to fight without a weapon instead of with one is usually done with other factors involved. Sure, most cultures in our world developed some type of unarmed combat, but most of the time it devolves into some type of sport overtime (like boxing and wrestling now) as weapons prove more and more effective (from what I understand). What usually kept unarmed martial arts alive for serious self defense is either a) a population that can't afford weapons or b) an oppressive government that bans weapons to disempower resistance (this is based on my limited understanding, I know there are gaps in it). I know that Okinawan Karate became as strong of a tradition as it did because Japan banned Okinawans from owning weapons and they had to find a way to defend themselves without them (some people argued this was with the goal of fighting in a secret resistance with guerrilla tactics but that's been heavily disputed). So, in the MoL world, why would weapons be banned? How useful would unarmed combat be in a world where organizations that can ban weapons can also have mages? Because unlike having a weapon, magic can be taught to any one, and probably be much more effective. I can personally only think of three reasons why. 1) Mages were much less common than they seem to be in modern day Altazia. Fighting other people with weapons when you didn't have any was still viable and learning magic from anyone at all (including non-giant power structures like witches and tribes) wasn't viable for most. 2) Weapons were important to mages, as it was hinted in the gods' boons to mortals magical artifacts and weapons were used to push back against the frontier. This suggests a significant portion of magic use was done through objects and weapons, and the banning of it meant that people had to learn how to cast without those objects and fight without them at the same time. (Of course overtime spellcasting without weapons/objects were adopted by everyone as all superior spellcasting does, and as the spellcasting tradition was separated from the martial art, all that was left was the physical techniques). 3) Martial arts aren't a method of self defense at all and are only regarded as a sport. Only useful for exercise, and most importantly, cements Taiven's character as a jock official as she is the coach's assistant to teach the sport and has dummies to practice at home.

[bowldeepfannish]

1 of 2 3 SK8 The Infinity zine art reveals for @sk8graffitizine :D

uuh did tumblr just fuzz the image or it's just the preview thumbnail quality I hope

For the graffiti bg I picked some elements tied to the characters and to Okinawa (cat and pan-flavoured rainbow - a nod to his phone case - for Miya, roses and linked hearts for TadaAi, gears hibiscus and the shisa lion dog for Reki and Okinawan heritage, cresting waves again as a nod to the ocean and to the 'galloping river' [Hasegawa] of Langa's family name). Bonus bishamon kikko aka tortoise shell pattern ( longevity, happiness, good luck and strength with a slight martial touch as they're linked to Bishamon's armour too ) x sakura print on Koyomi's tee.

This was a very fun yet chill experience and filled with so many good art fics merch and cool people. I was very happy and honoured to contribute as guest artist… and I got the chance to draw both my girl Koyomi and Oka too - darlings! - in this group pic to boot, woohoo! Keep an eye to the @sk8graffitizine tumblr and twitter accounts for upcoming leftover sale announcements + more art stories and merch reveals! ^3^

[allvalleyskillschallenge]

November: Loss & Life

From the cooling weather to the turning colors of the leaves, Autumn is a time of transformation and reflection. Of mourning and celebration. It's a bittersweet season; the falling leaves remind us that in the sorrow loss, there is also great beauty in letting go.

Accordingly, the All Valley Skills Challenge theme for November is:

Below, you will find this month's prompts. Our mods have created a series of moodboards, each inspired by a Festival of the Dead from a culture represented in the Karate Kid and Cobra Kai universe. We've also included a short description of the unique traditions of each:

(Moodboards by @idontknowkaratebutiknowcrazy, @desolateice and @wicked-jade.)

Dia de los Difuntos - Ecuador Celebrated on November the 2nd, and coinciding with All Souls Day, Ecuador's Dia de los Difuntos (Day of the Deceased) is a holiday that combines Catholic tradition with the death rituals of the indigenous Quechua people. On this day, families gather to honor and celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed away. Traditionally, they visit cemeteries to clean graves and to bring gifts of flowers and food to share with those they've lost. The belief is that the food will help give souls strength for their journey to the afterlife. Stalls selling guaguas de pan (bread babies - a sweet bread piped with colorful icing, shaped to resemble a doll or baby) and colada morada (a thick, dark purple corn drink, served hot) line the streets, along with vendors selling other treats and grave decorations. In rural areas, it is common for families to dress in their finest clothes and share a picnic together in the cemetery. The festivities also often include carnivals and parades.

Kyu-Bon (Obon) - Okinawa/Japan The Obon Festival, also called Kyu-Bon in Okinawa, is celebrated throughout both Okinawa and Japan. While the holiday is based on the solar calendar in mainland Japan, in Okinawa, it follows the lunar calendar. This means it can fall anywhere from mid-July to early September. Always starting on a Monday, the celebration lasts for three days. It is customary for Okinawans from all over to Japan to return to their hometowns, in order to observe the holiday with their families. On the first day (Unke), families hang glowing lanterns outside and leave their doors and windows open, to guide and welcome the spirits of their ancestors home. They also leave offerings such as sugarcane sticks and uchikabi paper (money for the afterlife) on the family altar. On the second day (Nakanuhi), families prepare food, visit other relatives homes, and exchange gifts. The final day (Ukui), is a time for feasting, celebrating, and sharing stories. Prayers and goodbyes are said before sending the spirits back to the afterlife. Food, handwritten notes, and uchikabi paper are placed in a large bowl as a gift for the ancestors. The contents are then burned, so the spirits can take the offerings with them when they go. Over the course of the festival, colorfully clad Eisa dancers march through the streets, entertaining both the crowds and the spirits by dancing, chanting, drumming, and playing folk songs on the sanshin.

Chuseok - South Korea Celebrated on the full moon of the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar for about a 3 day holiday. People return home bearing gifts, visit and clean grave sites, and share a feast. Parts of these feasts include songpyeon (a type of colorful rice cake), types of Hangwa like the honey cookie yakgwa, fruit, baekju (a type of alcohol), jeon (savory pancakes), japchae, bulgogi and more. Food will also be set out at a in-home memorial for the ancestors and those who've passed. Games are played like Yut Nori, as well as sports like Ssireum (a type of wrestling), and Taekkyon (a type of martial arts). There is also a dance, Ganggangsullae.

All Souls Day (Il Giorno Dei Morti) - Italy Also coinciding with All Souls Day, Il Giorno Dei Morti is the Italian Day of the Dead. While November 1st (All Saints Day) is the day to honor the Catholic saints, November 2nd is reserved for honoring dearly departed loved ones. On this day, families flock to cemeteries in order to pay their respects to the dead by lighting candles and laying flowers - customarily, bouquets of chrysanthemums - on their graves. In Sicily and other parts of southern Italy, parents will hide small gifts, such as toys, sweets and Pupi ri Zuccaru (sugar puppets) around the house for their children to find. The children are then told that the gifts were left for them by their deceased relatives, who came to visit them in the night. Traditional foods vary from region to region. Pan dei morti (bread of the dead) is consumed in almost every part of the country. Other treats include Frutta di Martorana (marzipan sweets from Sicily), and Ossa dei morti (bones of the dead - crunchy, almond-flavored cookies that are shaped to resemble bones.)

You will have one month from today to create and submit fanworks inspired by this theme. This is your chance to show off your creative skills, whatever they may be. From writing, to art, to everything in between. Our goal is to encourage all forms of creative expression within the TKK/CK community. All pairings and ratings are welcome.

This round will officially close on Monday, November 30th at noon, CST, so if you would like for us to share your works, make sure to submit them before the deadline. Tag us @allvalleyskillschallenge and #allvalleyskillschallenge, to make it easier for our mods to find and reblog your works!

We’ve also created an AVSC Collection on ao3, if you would like to add your works there. We highly recommend that artists who wish to share uncensored, NSFW content do so on ao3, to avoid violating tumblr’s guidelines.

Please check out our FAQ for more details. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us at @allvalleyskillschallenge, our asks are open.

[andygojuryu]

Throwback Thursday

While it was 'Karate Day' yesterday, a photo from 30 years ago of myself and Sensei Teruo Chinen at the old Shevington Dojo.

Sensei Chinen is the main influence on my own Sensei.

[andysouldancer]

Training Part 1

No Dojo to visit while it's a holiday. So, watching football on the TV and getting a spot of personal training in, Hojo Undo with the Chi-ishi... Conditioning with equipment, in this case Chi-ishi, an asymmetric dumbell, is all part of Goju Ryu's 'in house' training systems.

#martialarts #traditionalkarate #gojuryukarate #gojuryukaratedo #gojuryu #karatedo #okinawankarate #training #budo #traditionalmartialarts #japanesemartialarts

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

[cutecuttlefish]

The sword of the day is the tonfa.

The tonfa is a club originally used by the people of Okinawa, in Japan. Like many weapons, it originated as a tool, or rather part of a tool. The traditional origin story is that it was developed from the handle of a millstone, used for self-defense after other weapons had been confiscated by samurai. There is some debate regarding the weapon’s origin, though, and although it is most heavily associated with Okinawan martial arts, variants can be found in China and Southeast Asia as well.

[cerddom]

I don’t know how I’ve never heard this, but apparently in Okinawan martial arts, the long staff (bō) is known as a kon.