A question for our Goju ryu friends

[twendkata71]

How important of a kata is Saifa to your style? I have been practicing this kata for several months now, I like it. It is a short kata. I guess I would like some insight into the kata and some of its hidden movements. Any information would be great.

 

[seasoned]

How important of a kata is Saifa to your style? I have been practicing this kata for several months now, I like it. It is a short kata. I guess I would like some insight into the kata and some of its hidden movements. Any information would be great.

It is an intermediate kata, brought back from China, that means to smash and tear. The three back fist and the two hammer fist strikes are designed as a training method, to develop whipping power. On the above techniques the elbow leads in and toward the end of the strike the elbow is pulled back and down, allowing the fist to continue to the target in a whipping fashion. At the end, the kata features a strangle, take down move.

 

[twendkata71]

thank you. That is exactly the information I was looking for.

 

[Grenadier]

Saifa is one of the "identifying" kata in the Goju Ryu system, much how like Kanku Dai is also an "identifying" kata of Shotokan. If anything, I believe that both such kata are taught at the early stages of one's advanced training.

Its inclusion in the Shitei kata list seems to give even more support to this.