Of the
Okinawan versions of
Passai, a clear evolutionary link can be seen from
Matsumura no Passai (named after the legendary
Sokon Matsumura), to
Oyadomari no Passai (named after the
Tomari-te karate master
Kokan Oyadomari), and then onto the
Passai of
Anko Itosu who popularized karate by introducing it into the curriculum of Okinawan schools. The Matsumura version has a distinct Chinese flavour, whereas the Oyadomari version is more "Okinawanized". It was further modified by Itosu, and is thought to have created a "sho" (
Passai sho) form of it.
Gichin Funakoshi of
Shotokan took it to
Japan and taught them as
Bassai dai and
Bassai sho. The Tomari style which incorporated
Oyadomari no Passai was passed down the Oyadomari family for three generations, originally taught by a Chinese living in Tomari (possibly named Anan), who "used very light techniques".
Sokon Matsumura also learned Chinese boxing from the military attachés Ason and Iwah at
Fuzhou. The Okinawans did not have a clear definition for the name "
Passai" for Funakoshi to translate into Japanese, so he substituted it with a similar-sounding
kanji, "
Bassai". This can be literally translated to mean "extract from a fortress" or "remove an obstruction". This is thought to be in reference to the power with which the kata should be executed, emphasizing energy generation from the hips and waist. However, the designation of
Bassai by the Japanese does not appear to have a direct relation to movements in the kata or its origins. The
Shorin-ryu version of
Passai bears a close resemblance to
Oyadomari no Passai, and is a much softer kata than Shotokan's
Bassai dai. Further evidence that
Passai has roots in
Tomari city is that
Passai dai starts with the right fist covered by the left hand, like other kata thought to have originated there, such as
Jitte,
Jion,
Jiin and
Empi. This hand gesture is a common
salutation in China. However, there is some contention between researchers as to if there was a separate Tomari school of karate. The suffix -
dai means "large" and -
sho "small". Hence,
Passai sho is a shorter variation on
Passai and also bears some resemblances to
Bassai dai, indicating this kata may have been born out of combining elements of
Passai and
Passai sho. One notable point is that
bunkai describes it as a defense against a
bo. Itosu is thought to have created this from a version of
Bassai practiced in Shuri city. To confuse matters even more
Bassai Sho is written exactly the same way as a Chinese form known as
baji xiao which has a counterpart form known as
baji da (from the
bajiquan style), so perhaps this kata pair and the
Dai-Sho naming scheme originates from China, invalidating the claim Itosu authored most of the -
sho kata. ==See also==