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The Path Revised, Mezitli (2025)

23/07/2025

The Secret Teachings of Okinawan Karate

Following our exploration of the Chinese roots of karate—or tōdī (“Tang hand”), as it was known before the 20th century—let us now turn to certain traditional terms still echoed in the dōjō of Okinawan schools. These terms resonate deeply with concepts familiar from the Chinese martial legacy. See more - ThePathRevised page on Facebook...

23/07/2025

The Secret Teachings of Okinawan Karate

Following our exploration of the Chinese roots of karate—or tōdī (“Tang hand”), as it was known before the 20th century—let us now turn to certain traditional terms still echoed in the dōjō of Okinawan schools. These terms resonate deeply with concepts familiar from the Chinese martial legacy.
The first among them is “gamaku,” often translated simply as “waist.” But in practice, controlling gamaku means not merely anchoring one’s awareness in the center of gravity—it refers to a particular alignment of the pelvis, tilted forward and slightly upward. This positioning unites the tendons, muscles, and skeletal frame into what is called the “unified body.” As they used to say on Okinawa: “To defend yourself, tie your fists to your gamaku.”
Naturally following from this is the second key concept: “kokuchi,” or “contraction toward the center.” This principle involves integrating the entire body into a central control system located in the lower abdomen—what is known as the tanden. In this state, every movement of the body becomes a movement of the center, imbuing each technique with the power of the whole body.
The third vital idea, “chinkunchi,” or the “state of the sinews,” explains how this unity is achieved. Masters teach that the tendons must be “engaged,” not just to unify the musculoskeletal system, but to generate that infamous “one-inch punch” power—the ability to deliver explosive force from minimal movement.
But this does not mean that the body should be stiff or constantly tense. Quite the opposite. Enter the fifth principle: “muchimi,” a term loosely translated as “viscous strength.” Muchimi describes a body that is both relaxed and integrated—capable of moving freely yet unleashing the weight and power of the whole body in a seamless flow. A saying from Okinawa puts it like this: “A sea wave is brute force in a soft envelope—that is muchimi.” This is strikingly similar to the Chinese martial adage about a “steel needle wrapped in cotton.” (Which style of wushu do you think favors this principle? The answer might surprise those who lean toward the “hard” styles.)
The idea of muchimi evolves into the sixth principle: “chiru nu chan chan”—a phrase difficult to translate directly, but suggesting “relaxed readiness for sudden explosion.” It highlights the optimal muscle tone and also reflects a broader East Asian principle: motion within stillness, and stillness within motion.
We should also mention “kuminuke,” or “firm rooting of the feet.” Recall the Chinese axiom: “Power comes from the feet, is directed by the waist, and expressed through the fingertips.” That’s precisely the role of kuminuke in Okinawan terms.
Yet, man does not move by body alone. The old Okinawan masters also demanded “men’oshin tattē”—to “stand between the eyes.” This cryptic phrase refers to a state of total mental presence—where body and mind act as one, fully immersed in the surrounding situation. There’s a distinct Buddhist flavor here, touching on transformation of consciousness itself. Such mental engagement also requires “michichi”—a unique kind of gaze that sees everything and yet focuses on nothing in particular. This unfixed, all-encompassing awareness was considered the essence of combat vision.
All these principles closely align with classical Chinese martial requirements for stance and posture—and they serve as the foundation for further practice. Once embodied, they unlock the capacity for “shishē,” the focused application of physical and mental coordination to achieve the maximum possible effect. This might take the form of “nuchun”—a technique of “penetrating through” the opponent—or the coordinated interplay of “meotodē” (“husband and wife hands”), where one hand blocks or controls (the wife) while the other strikes or attacks (the husband) in seamless harmony.
These ideas are, to put it gently, not very popular in modern sport karate. And even many so-called “traditionalists” seem to be quietly forgetting them. As for the connection to the Chinese “Great Triad” of philosophical systems that shaped the entire East Asian approach to self-cultivation—today, referencing such links often requires detailed argumentation and ample evidence…

22/07/2025

“The Origins of Karate, or "An Edifying History-6"

Finally, we've arrived at the last on our list of the most influential Wushu styles for the emergence of Okinawan Karate: the White Crane Style!
This incredibly popular South Chinese Wushu style is said to originate from the renowned Shaolin Temple. Indeed, quite reliable evidence points to the existence of an authentic Shaolin "Five Animals" style, which included Crane techniques. However, it's more likely that the "imitative" element there lay less in form (the characteristic gestures attempting to mimic the animal) and more in the method of generating power.
To grasp the essence, simply observe how a cat and a crane prepare for a fight. The "soft" animalistic power of the furry beast will sharply contrast with the precise and hard pecking of the bird. The crane's ability to stand stably on one long leg also differs significantly from a cat's knack for walking along the top of a fence. This isn't about which is better, but about the diverse ways one can approach mastering body power, taking into account the physical and psychological characteristics of different individuals.
The direct "ancestor" of karate, however, is a style from the southern provinces of China, with a more pronounced external imitation of the bird, which is also clearly visible in some forms of modern karate. The most striking examples are the kata Happoren or Hakutsuru.
Describing this style in words is a lengthy endeavor; it's simpler to watch the abundance of demonstrations. Its ideological content is also quite familiar; more or less, we've already covered all the main tenets in previous descriptions of various Wushu schools. And it's no wonder: they all "cooked in the same folk pot," against the backdrop of a unified cultural tradition, around the same time, and in relatively close proximity.
Devout adherents of the school might claim that "shaking effort" is the distinctive principle of the style, but they'd be mistaken, as this type of power generation in the body was already utilized by other styles. There is, however, one detail worth discussing to truly "feel" the peculiarities of the style. And that, surprisingly, is an episode from its legendary history!
The school's history features several iconic figures, the most striking and legendary being Fang Qiniang, daughter of the "Arhat Fist" master. Legend has it that the young beauty Fang spent a long time mastering the orthodox Shaolin style. But ultimately, she created her own, which allowed her not only to surpass her father but also to become an undefeated fighter whom no experienced opponent could overcome! Ultimately, Fang's reputation as unconquerable drew many students to her, who created an incredibly large number of school variations. Incidentally, the currently popular Wing Chun school also traces its history back to the famous South Chinese beauty...
Legends are legends, but let's re-evaluate this entire story from the perspective of our understanding of reality: it's quite difficult to imagine a young lady "laying out" someone like Conor McGregor with a few blows. Either the standards of beauty in China at that time were different, and the delicate Fang was more of a masculine "mountain of muscles" with a "dented" head, or she genuinely managed to discover sources of power and develop such mastery of her body that even seasoned brawlers had a tough time of it. "Had a tough time" is a very soft way of putting it, as some opponents, if legends are to be believed, even met their end after a fight with her!
In short, either the legends are lying, or the school known as "White Crane" is truly unique. The only question is whether anyone, especially women, has managed to replicate Fang Qiniang's path and success – but that's a story for another time...

22/07/2025

Demo-version of the structural sequence widely known as "Sanchin" in traditional karate.

22/07/2025

Another variant of the structural "Three battles" (Sanchin). Demo version.

21/07/2025

A Dash of Humor...
How can we possibly do without it? Humor, or irony, often helps us stay grounded and maintain a clear mind when delving into the rich and complex history of Chinese martial arts.
The ancient Chinese have long been known for their penchant for poetically beautiful names, which can be quite amusing to those from different cultures and, even more so, different eras. Just the names of the styles themselves are a riot! You can practically find representatives of the entire animal kingdom here, along with fish, insects, and even mythical creatures like unicorns and dragons! On top of that, these names might include rather comical descriptions, such as the "feeding" or "whooping crane." (Have you ever heard a crane scream? Can you imagine a fighter mimicking that shriek?) If you search hard enough, you might even find a "barking horse" 😊
While these colorful names sometimes accurately convey the actions needed to properly generate power in exercises or forms ("tiger pounces on prey, unleashing claws"), often, many style names don't carry much significant meaning.
Reading old legends and descriptions, you'll sometimes encounter passages like this:
"The Shaking Crane style was developed by a resident of Fujian province named Fang Shipei, nicknamed Huishi – 'Excellent Stone.' After becoming a master of the White Crane style, he subsequently spent 10 years in a monastery, delving into the depths of mastery. 'Excellent Stone' carefully observed various animals and birds, trying to grasp their 'energy.' In particular, by observing a bird sitting on a branch in windy weather, he understood how the bird synchronized its actions with the movement of the branch. By observing a dog shaking off water after emerging from the water, he discovered the secret of 'shaking force'..."
It's genuinely hard to hold back from gales of laughter here, isn't it? The most amusing part is that this remarkable master, with such a telling name, seemingly spent about 20 years to create a style that barely differed from the original "White Crane"! It had the same principles and almost the same exercise forms. Was it worth it? That's for the reader to decide...
In short, exploring such folkloric narratives is a complex endeavor. Here, amidst genuinely useful information, you often encounter an abundance of misunderstood, oft-repeated ideas, factual substitutions, and pure fabrication. This is especially true when you're trying to connect this ancient heritage with historical facts, documents, logic, and common sense.
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20/07/2025

The Origins of Karate, or an Engaging History - Part 5
Today, let's take a look at the famous Tiger Style (Husinquan). This style is as frequently associated with modern "kung fu" as Shaolin itself, and many technical elements found in Okinawan karate styles like Goju-ryu and Uechi-ryu strongly resemble the imitative techniques of this formidable beast.

So, the tiger, often seen as the dragon's "partner" in Eastern symbolism, is also one of the "Five Animals" associated with the Daoist natural philosophy of the five elements. Legends also link this style to Shaolin, and it was widely spread throughout the southern provinces of China, tracing a more or less clear lineage back to the 17th century.

A pivotal figure in the history of the school, holding significant importance for karate, is Zhou Zihe (1874-1926). Many researchers identify this master as the teacher of Uechi Kanbun, the future successor of the Pangainoon ("half-soft, half-hard") school, later known as Uechi-ryu.

Master Zhou Zihe had a truly colorful nickname: "The Daoist of Mount Xun." This further proves how traditional natural philosophy shaped the ideological content of Chinese martial arts schools, and how martial arts and "following the Dao" went hand-in-hand. In this context, Wushu was often an "instrument" of understanding, a practical realization of knowledge, and a way to "calibrate" hypotheses.

Let's examine the "appearance" of the style: we see familiar requirements for "short" strikes and a prohibition on "high" leg kicks. Rapid movements were employed, alongside a solid stance – characterized by "long lunge - short strike." There was the same resolve in actions, a lack of "embellishment," and a small number of basic forms (among them, an analogue to the famous "Sanchin").

The school's philosophy strongly resembles one of China's three classical "internal" schools – "Form and Will Boxing," also known as the "Five Elements Style" (Xingyiquan). It shares practically the same requirements for "post standing," the use of "opening-closing" when working with internal force, the activation of "Qi" before all actions, and the use of volitional mental guidance of power.

The section on "specialized training" (J*p. Hojo Undo) is particularly interesting. Here, we encounter the same stone dumbbells, barbells, and jars carried by the "tiger's paw" grip on the neck, among other things. "Combat in a bracing position" is practically the same as the "fight for the center" in Goju-ryu ("kakie"), where practitioners, in constant contact with forearms and knees, seek to overcome their opponent by unbalancing them. However, the Chinese school's work is built more on the ability to manage not only one's own body's effort but also the ability to "listen" to the partner's internal effort, which points us to another "classic" – Taijiquan! This is why this exercise in the Tiger School belongs to the "internal training" section. Other significant exercises from this section include "post standing" in a horse stance and... "Qi leading"!

Reading such a description, one can't help but wonder again: do we truly possess an "authentic" Tiger style today? To what extent did karate schools adopt the "technology" of self-improvement from Chinese masters? Is all that Daoist "philosophy" mere speculation (repeated too often in various schools across China) or does it carry some significant, yet rather elusive, knowledge?

19/07/2025

The Origins of Karate, or an Informative History - Part 4
Another "ancestor" of karate is the Dragon Fist (Chinese: Longquan). This style is quite widespread and well-known in China, especially in the southern provinces. The image of the dragon is popular and also symbolizes the "dark principle" in esoteric Daoist sciences, standing in opposition to the "light principle," whose animal symbol is the tiger. The narrative of the tiger and dragon locked in combat is a frequent theme in folklore, and their graphical depiction, whether as a tattoo or a branded "mark," was, according to legend, the exclusive property of the warrior-monks of the Shaolin Monastery.

"Dragon" techniques are also integrated into the classical Wushu styles of the "Five Animals," which symbolize the Five Elements (primeval forces) of Daoist natural philosophy. The style arrived in the southern Chinese province of Fujian, if legends are to be believed, of course, from the Shaolin Monastery with solitary monks fleeing Manchu persecution almost 300 years ago.

It is asserted that a local resident named Peng Decheng (a local Matsumura Sōkon, if you will) acquired the "original" from one of the Shaolin monks and significantly reformed it towards technical simplification, focusing on counterattack tactics. Master Peng condensed his entire school into just two (!) complexes: "soft" and "hard." Overall, the style prepared practitioners to confront taller and physically stronger opponents – an astonishingly accurate initial orientation! The subsequent transmission of the style to students introduced numerous new techniques and complexes, as well as variations of the school.

The description of the original Dragon style indicates that it contained no "superfluous" movements; the school's arsenal was rather sparse but potent. It was believed that all techniques could be used for both defense and offense, should possess "internal fullness," and the training methodology allowed for the "development" of variations of basic techniques depending on the situation, thus adapting to changing combat scenarios.

The school's techniques primarily involved sharp, short, direct strikes with hands and feet no higher than the waist, often targeting the groin and lower abdomen. The distance was short: instructions demanded "when striking, do not move the elbow away from the body further than one fist's length." Movements were to be executed swiftly, and stances were to be stable.

But there's more. Within the framework of the "Five Elements," the style was intended to "cultivate the spirit." One instruction demands that during combat, one should "look into the eyes, depriving the enemy of will" – a peculiar requirement, not within everyone's grasp! Furthermore, the training principles begin to sound quite "metaphysical": cultivating the spirit should be based on "immersing qi" in the lower Dantian (J*panese: Tanden) and "guiding qi" through the body (not to be confused with modern fantasies about energy channels – there's nothing like that in Dragon Fist!), thereby controlling the "emission of external force – Li." The principles of breath control are also well-developed and intriguing.

Now, you can check YouTube to see how well the old descriptions align with what's demonstrated nowadays. Experienced karateka might also ponder how much the ideological foundation of this Chinese "ancestor" is reflected in the training methodology of modern karate..

17/07/2025

A simple sequence for training routine (in fact, not so simple😚)

17/07/2025

The Origins of Karate, or An Informative History - Part 3
Let's continue our little dive into the ocean of Chinese tradition, focusing on its influence on the genesis of the karate we know – or perhaps don't quite know yet.

Today, we're discussing a "rare beast": the "Golden Lion Reverence" (Shiquan) style.

For ancient China, the lion was an exotic creature. It arrived with Buddhist teachings and, due to its majestic appearance, became the primary guardian of temple gates and the imperial court.

Also immensely popular in China is the festive lion dance, typically performed by two people in a special costume – one controls the head, the other the body. The performance demands considerable acrobatic skill, which leads some to link the style's origin to this dance.

However, the Southern Shaolin "Shiquan" approach bears little resemblance to a dance. Its movements are quite restrained, with numerous grappling and joint-lock techniques, and kicks only reaching waist height. Breathing is emphasized. Here, we already encounter the "Sanzhan" (J*p. "Sanchin") breathing-power complex, characterized by a deliberate ex*****on, though based on entirely different movements compared to the Okinawan Sanchin.

Although the style is considered "external" – meaning it focuses on physical power – its "philosophy" casts significant doubt on this classification. Teachings frequently mention the requirement for harmonizing the "external" and "internal," stating that "softness" must be the nurturing ground for "hardness." Besides developing that enigmatic "jin" (effort/power), one must also train "qi," and even the purely esoteric Daoist term of "cultivating spirit – shen" appears! "Shen" is not "will" (Chin. "yi") nor "mind-attention" (Chin. "xin"); it is precisely that "highest element" the Daoists sought to cultivate in their pursuit of immortality. In this light, within the framework of a rigid and practical martial arts style, a deeper system of self-development with different horizons for achiement begins to emerge.

"Lion's Fist" has many similar variations but is not considered widespread.

16/07/2025

Part of the training process: alternating fast and slow ex*****on rhythms—a method for addressing different goals.
The fast rhythm helps test the integrity of movement and body tension in strikes and blocks, while the slow pace additionally develops the "density" of internal force and the ability to direct one's willful intent.

15/07/2025

"The Origins of Karate, or A Journey Through Martial History – 2"

Let us continue our historical exploration into the question of which Chinese martial arts styles gave rise to karate—what the Okinawan masters inherited, and what they left behind.

Our second subject of investigation is the Arhat Fist (Luohanquan). An arhat, to put it simply, is a Buddhist ascetic who has attained supernatural powers—a kind of ideal warrior figure within the Shaolin tradition. This style indeed traces its origins to the famed Shaolin Monastery, although most researchers agree that the original form has been lost to time. The popular versions practiced today in China’s southern provinces are considered by many to be later reconstructions.

Still, many styles within the Southern Shaolin branch trace their lineage to fugitive monks of the original temple, who fled persecution during the Manchu conquest and the rise of the Qing dynasty (17th–20th centuries). These monks, staunchly opposed to the new regime, left a deep imprint on the martial traditions of the south. The various lineages of Southern Arhat Fist often name different founders—which, paradoxically, may lend credence to their legendary nature. Brief mentions of Luohanquan can even be found in karate’s own “bible,” the Bubishi.

This particular school of Wushu is considered “external”—characterized by powerful techniques focused on hard contact, especially at close range. Ideologically, it shares much with the previously discussed Emperor Taizu’s Fist—with “hardness” as a central tenet. Technically, however, it places more emphasis on hand techniques, while kicks remain strictly below the waist—a hallmark of orthodox Shaolin.

Yet the philosophy that has come down to us from this tradition appears far more refined than in Taizuquan. For one, it emphasizes the supremacy of Li (principle) and Fa (method) over mere physical form. “Methods are founded on principles and serve to develop them,” the masters would say. In other words: Don’t just do what is shown and hope to understand later—first understand why and how it should be done. Quite an unusual perspective for adherents of "Shigoki" (that grueling repetition-heavy training style)!

Through the practice of “hardness,” the practitioner is expected to eventually realize “softness” and the "changeable" power—that mysterious “semi-soft” or “semi-hard.” Experienced readers will immediately recognize here a connection to Gōjū-ryū and Pangainoon-ryū (also known as Uechi-ryū)—and they would be absolutely right.

The texts also contain familiar guidance regarding the cultivation of the elusive quality called "Jin"—an inner power that should ideally be harmonized with physical strength (Li) and... Qi energy. And yes, here we go again—more talk of mysticism and esoterica! But it all depends on how you look at it. After all, there was a time when rubbing amber with silk to produce an invisible force seemed just as mysterious...

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