The 'Jaws of Death' of the Tiger!
Japanese Karate-Do (General) - 'Mawashi-Uke' (廻し受け):
Mawa (廻) = rotation, turning, rounded and circular,
shi (し) = four-corners, all-areas and comprensive-cover
U (受) = receive, meet, accept and stoically bear (suffer)
Ke (け) = stratagem, plan, calculation and measure
shi (し) = four-corners, all-areas and comprensive-cover
U (受) = receive, meet, accept and stoically bear (suffer)
Ke (け) = stratagem, plan, calculation and measure
Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate-Do - 'Toro Gushi-Uke' (虎口受け):
Toro Gushi (虎口) = literally 'Tiger-Mouth' envelopes the enemy - and closes inward from all-sides at once
U (受) = receive, meet, accept and stoically bear (suffer)
Ke (け) = stratagem, plan, calculation and measure
U (受) = receive, meet, accept and stoically bear (suffer)
Ke (け) = stratagem, plan, calculation and measure
Southern China Gongfu Equivalent:
Double Butterfly Open-Palm = 双蝶掌 (Shuang Die Zhang)
Okinawan Goju-Ryu 'condenses' many of these Southern Gongfu Movements for efficiency. Long stances are shortened whilst reaching arm-movements are brought closer to the body (perhaps adapted for practitioners spending long periods on boats). Many Hakka Gongfu Styles originating in the North progressed through this adaptation process in South China. Our Family Style did not - but virtually all the Clan Styles around our village did.
Tora - Tiger - can also be pronounced 'Koko'. In Fujian this can be 'Ho Kho'. Sometimes, despite the literal interpretation of 'Tiger Mouth' - it is used in Chinese and Japanese texts to mean 'Jaws of Death!
The Chinese text states that Goju Ryu is a genuine transmission of 'Nan Quan' (Southern Fist).
攻防一体虎口廻受
Attack and defence are integrated - the open tiger's mouth simultaneously envelopes and traps.
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