Bassai Form

Bassai Form

Complied Name Meanings

Eight Forts.
Breaking Through the fortress.
Penetrate a fortress.
Selection of the best choice.
To Thrust Asunder.
Destroy A Fortress.
To Break through and Enemy's defenses by shifting and finding the weak points
Breaking through or away as when one is ambushed

Path of Form China ->

Okinawa ->

Japan ->

Korea ->

Chinese Version

Name(s)

Description

Known Changes

Okinawa Version

Name(s)

· Passi

· Bassai

· Passai

Description

Movements will include powerful blocking and angular defense against attacks from multiple directions.

From Master George Dillman. This form is at least 400 years old (base on a carbon tested, silk drawing of the form), and is a Family form. Bassai is the name of a Family in Okinawa. The creator of the form was left handed. If the practitioner keeps that in mind, some more of the hidden techniques of the form will become visable.

Known Changes

Japanese Version

Name(s)

Bassai - Japanese Characters and words mean: Ba - To Shoot Through. Sai - To Close.

· Bassai-Dai - To penetrate (Storm) a fortress. This fform has 42 techniques, and should take just over a minute to perform.

· Bassai-So - To penetrate (Storm) a fortress (minor version). Incorporated into this form are Bo defense techniques.

Description

Exemplifies the idea of changing disadvantage - an attack - to advantage by strong and courageous response. Feeling of Kata should be precise, fast execution of technique, with attention given to appropriate balance between speed and power. Form has 42 techniques utilizing changing disadvantage into advantage, by switching blocks and differing degrees of power.

Brought From China teaches grappling and how to shift quickly between positions. Angular attack against multiple opponents.

To Break through and Enemies defense by shifting and finding weak points

Shotokan Believed developed Matsumura Sokan

Known Changes

Believed created by Master Itosu.

The lesser (Sho) version was created by Master Itosu.

Korean Version

Name(s)

· Bassahee

· Bal Se - Korean Characters and words meanings: BBal - means Selection of Best Choice, Fast, to shoot through; Se - means to collect, to Close.

· Pal Che

· PalSek

· Bal Sae

· Ba Sa Hee

· Bal Sak

· Bassai

· Bassai Sho - There are two completely different versions one similar to those from Japan/Okinawa. The other is from Grand Master Myung Seok Seo who brought this form over from china where he studied during World War II. Like the Okinawan and Japanese versions, it is a shorter version of Bassai, but in this case the moves are different from its comparable Cousins. These forms were created by selecting the best motions form the So Rim Sa (a southern Chinese Temple) forms such as "San In Dan Si Sae", "Ho Bing Si Mun Sae", and "Pal Ho Mee Sae". It is nicknamed the Small Cobra Form.

· Bassai Tae (or Dae) - nick-named the Large Cobra Form

Description

The Korean animal spirit associated with the form is the Cobra. The desired intention of the form is to have lightning quick strikes. Movements are fast, active, and contain a succession of different postures.

Brought From China teaches grappling and how to shift quickly between positions. Angular attack against multiple opponents.

According to Grandmaster Uk Lee this form was devised approximately 450 years ago. It is based on the art of boxing and has been changed many times during its evolution. It was practiced by the Buddhist monks at the So Lim Sa temple situated in the Ha Nam region of China, and consists of carefully selected moves from the Sol Lim Sa techniques, which are executed, with the effective use of force and speed.

Created

Mid to Late 1600's in the Hwa Nam area of Southern China.

Known Changes