|
The
original five fighting arts practiced during Okinawa's |
| Ti'gwa:
The plebeian form of percussive impact [referred
to as "Te" or "Di" and written 手]
introduced to Okinawa
from the old Kingdom of Siam during its early period of inter-cultural
commerce. Kata: [Hsing/Xing 型/形 in Mandarin Chinese] Southern/Fujian-based solo quanfa [principally crane, monk fist & SPM-based quanfa] routines used as forms of human movement developed and popularized by the Chinese as ways of promoting physical fitness, mental conditioning and holistic well-being. Torite: [Chin Na/Qinna/擒拿 in Mandarin Chinese] Shaolin-based methods of seizing and controlling once vigorously embraced by law enforcement officials, security agencies and correctional officers during Okinawa's old Ryukyu Kingdom Period. Tegumi: [手組] Originally a multi-faceted style of fighting dating back to the time of Tametomo, the discipline is believed to have been derived from Chinese Wrestling [Jiao Li/角力 from which comes Shuai Jiao/摔角 --- name est. 1928]. Tegumi evolved into a form of grappling and finally became a rule-bound sport called Ryukyu Sumo. Buki'gwa: [武器] Sword, spear, bow/arrow, halberd, shield, knife, cudgel, & truncheon, etc. [The latter two becoming the principal tools of domestic law enforcement following Okinawa's 1609 prohibition of weapons.] |