Nungali

'Whippy' is back he moved in last summer . Where do they go in winter ? Any way, he owns this patch now, does several patrols a day . Boy is he a noisy little guy. seems to love it in the undergrowth around the cabin and under the cabin, catching bugs I suppose. Always chattering squabbling and chirping ... and of course whipping ... followed by the 'hey you ' whistle. He starts on dawn, but I am awake by then. His body movements are the same ; fast speedy erratic flighty jumpy - frisky little chap. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_whipbird

Is anyone familiar with this ? Instructor sprung it on me last week ( I knew of it, and had 'followed along', now he says I should know it, so I learn it over the weekend and yesterday ). But it is unlike any other hakatsuru I have seen . Supposedly it was developed by Bushi Matsamura , some say it came from Nabe Matsamura (his student) then to Hohan Soken. But although that is the path of the style I practice, it is also unlike Hohan Soken version. Then I heard, in this tradition there is a 'sho' and 'dai' ( 1 and 2 ) versions. Maybe what I learnt is one or the other and the one I learnt is different from that on old videos ? - I cant show a film of it as I cant find one of this form. Basically (and if Bushi did compose it ) it seems to be a blend of some white crane moves and techniques from other kata all put together ( Rohai, Kusanku, Gojushiho, ) and some rather 'inexplicable' moves ' (some say it was originally an exercise for development of power balance distance, timing, etc )

Aha ! Finally @ 25:15 This is the closest one yet. It is basically this one with the moves done differently .

Urrrgh ... I just found a 'mei' version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXEPSGkiRfc This isn't it, but some moves seem similar. (commentator mentions " ..... many of the other Matsamuru White Crane katas .... " How many are they ? or were they ? and why has knowledge of these form and variations virtually disappeared ?

@ 2:45

Thanks Michael .... siome of that .... Now... there is some 'Okinawan wrestling ' ! This hakatsuru form is pretty old, judged by some of the bunkai I do know in it ; one of them is, pushing the others defensive guard down with a circular arm sweeping blocking motion, while the other reaches in to pull the 'comb' out of the others top knot in their hair, retract it, pull back, and push it into the others throat. People don't usually have top knots with combs in them nowadays . In our chinto version I was picked up for doing the 'double front flying kick' wrong .... I thought they were doing it wrong, the first one sweeps upward and is a 'lazy type of flick' and the second goes forward with the toes extended. It was explained to me that the first kick hits up at the large straw hat brim ( that Okinawans traditionally wore ) tied on around the chin, this makes the head jerk back and exposes the throat for a 2nd kick into the throat with the big toe. Very archaic forms .

HUh ? Ummm ... all the stuff you are talking about below .......... or, if you prefer ....... the thread title - Hakatsuru There must be as they appear so different . Aha ! Thanks, that probably significant . I don't suppose there is a record of that anywhere, that explains the differences ? This one has 9 kicks in it , and six unusual moves as if you are holding a ball in front of you, on hand on top one under, and you let the ball go, and fling your arms out to the side. 3 times in horse stance, cross step to the side into another horse stance and do it 3 times again. Before that part, , you shuffle quickly backwards 3 steps as if you are holding a ball and rotating it in front of you three times . Yeah, thanks, I will check on it, the Shuri / Naha forms if I can find stuff on that. I doubt it would be like the goju forms. The Shorin forms I have seen are nothing like it at all. Its nothing like the Chinese forms I have seen. Hakucho is nothing like it. I guess it could be a case of the sho and dai versions, and one became popular and the other ...... ? Oh well, its a fun form to practice , more flowing and circular than the others .

Thanks Andrei, I will have a look ( I have checked him before on other matters, but I doubt he knows or shows this rare form, ) What you mentioned is an area of interest for me ; since my tradition comes down through Hohan Soken the 'traditional ' teachings of the Bunkai , as opposed to 'finding them' . I have experience in that, and some peoples 'findings' are crazy . In the book, 'The Secret Of Shotokan' they have a rather good ;list of 'Bunkai tests', things you can use to test someone's idea of an application. But, in many cases (and I assume that was the problem with the people that taught you ) the bunkai was unknown or invented. Inventing an application is fine .... if they make sense, a lot don't ! In my early days of strict Japanese style karate, it was frowned upon to ask some questions. One thing I have learnt since, is that a whole mass of karate ,practitioners do not seem to understand what is going on . So when I say , inexplicable , it is not without a lot of experience with 'bunkai' Anyway, I will offer up two very good vids to explain what I mean .. Dillman ran into Hohan Soken once .... and got 'taught' some of the 'proper' bunkai ( poor guy ) . And some modern applications : ( One aspect is, it seems that the teachings of technique and kata and bunkai are rigid and formal , but as we know, no one fights like that ( except in rule restricted karate competition and movies.), a fight is more wild, scrappy, unpredictable, tricky, psychological, 'anything goes' , etc. The form seems the 'blank form' the skeleton, that which the basis is drawn from, in a fight one applies them as they can from a wide variety of different circumstances. . ) I think the film below demonstrates this point ( although MMA is still a restricted by rules fight )

Thanks ... now all I have to do is sit back and wait for the avalanche of replies !

Damn ... typo in the title (and cant fix it ) Haka tsuru !

Its influence . You write something here and it happens. Now, if only we could get you to write properly, all this crazy incomprehensible shit would not be going on all around us ! [ My nutty volatile Latino XGF was a musician and songwriter , one time she wrote in a song ; when I am sad it rains and when I have joy the sun comes out. I had to ask, " Don't you mean its the other way around; the rain and overcast weather makes YOU down and the sunshine gladdens YOU ?" Nope ! She was adamant about that ... the supreme self centred egotist . ]

Staying on a topic , follow through, answer questions, evidence ... proof .... lineal construction of ideas ...... logic ... sense .... I can attest that Shinto has never committed such sins here ! ... and feigning such innocence Kar3n ..... tut tut ...... we know you are one of the 'operational supervisors ' in your secret organisation ! And Sean ? .....

Cathedral Rocks NSW Australia. 'Tradition' ? errrmmm .... eclectic . Various. Most notable; on the path in from the car park, at the beginning are 3 large roundish boulders with slit eyes, huge foreheads, no nose and small mouths , reminiscent of a type of 'alien' head . As one walks up to the peak (see pic 2 ) , in places the track is a narrow corridor between rock faces, these are shot through with seams of white or black quartz. . At the very top ( pic 3 ) there is one last step up to the top rock, under that rock is a ledge with a small deep cave around 10" wide. I had an overpowering compulsion to feel around in there. I told my companions and they said "Why? What do you think is in there ? " " I don't know .... gold ? a black snake ? .... ? " But I had to stick my hand in, it was deep, I had to lie down on my side right up to the rock and put the whole end of my arm in and feel around. I felt a rock on the floor of the little cave so I pulled it out, it had a small black quartz crystal rod attacked to it . Okay, Buggles, I keep that . When I got home, I told a friend and they " You should talk to L. he got a back crystal up there somewhere. I did, and he got it from the same little cave, and had a similar feeling about it. He said " E,. got one there too ." So I went and saw E. Hers was large and spectacular, she had the same feeling, and stuck her hand in, but palm up, and the crystal dropped from the roof of the cave into her hand . - but I cant spend more than a couple of hours there ... I get a massive headache if I do, and I do not suffer at all from headaches. around 2005 - 2007 Sorry, I have no experience like that. I think they are man made illusions. However a temple may have been built on a 'power spot' . I think anyone can have a 'powerful experience ' at the pyramids , Himalayas, Uluru, a Gothic Church , etc .

Especially the toilets at the US embassies in Australia ;

Yes, that can be done with a northern hemisphere clock that is used down here, You need to attach a new face with the numbers though. A stick on face can be got from the state department of time zones.

Unless you in the southern hemisphere... as clocks run the other way around down here .

You might have a lot of hot air to dispel .... but not that much !

But they do ! Who told you they do not ? it is a quality of response and reaction to the internal and external environment .

Meanwhile ..... you guys ( and India ) are getting my spring rain ! ( which reminds me , I better jump in the river and make sure the pump intake is well below the surface ..... brrrrrr ... )

A zen Master with a bad Chinese accent ?

No, I have no questions for her

You have no staying power ..... to get a greater reward at the finish .