Saifa (kanji:砕破, katakana:サイファ) is a ''kaishugata'' (

kata ''Kata'' is a Japanese word ( 型 or 形) meaning "form". It refers to a detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements. It can also be reviewed within groups and in unison when training. It is practiced in Japanese martial arts ...

) of

Gōjū-ryū , Japanese for "hard-soft style", is one of the main traditional Okinawan styles of karate, featuring a combination of hard and soft techniques. Gō, which means hard, refers to closed hand techniques or straight linear attacks; jū, which me ...

karate. According to the International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-Do Federation, this kata is taught third, after Gekisai Dai Ichi and Gekisai Dai Ni, and preceding the ''heishugata''

Sanchin is a kata of apparent Southern Chinese (Fujianese) origin that is considered to be the core of several styles, the most well-known being the Okinawan Karate styles of Uechi-Ryū and Gōjū-Ryū, as well as the Chinese martial arts of Fujian ...

. It is likewise taught third in the Meibukan tradition. The name is variously translated as "rip and tear", "pound and pulverize", or "tearing and breaking ground". This name might refer to the striking techniques which prioritize closed fist strikes such as back fist or hammer fist strikes, as well as simple grabbing techniques. The origins and creator of this kata are unknown, but it has been speculated that it may have originated in Chinese styles studied by

Higaonna Kanryō , and sometimes known as Higashionna West to distinguish him from his cousin, was a Ryukyuan martial artist who founded a fighting style known at the time as Naha-te. He is recognized as one of the first students of Fujian White Crane Kung Fu ...

, who was the teacher of Miyagi Chojun, the founder of

karate. However,

Tōon-ryū is a style of Okinawan Karate founded by Kyoda Juhatsu. entered the dojo of Higaonna Kanryō in 1902 and continued studying with him until Kanryō's death in 1915. One month after Kyoda started, Miyagi Chōjun (founder of Gōjū-ryū) entere ...

, the style founded by another of Higaonna's students, Kyoda Juhatsu, does not contain Saifa, leading other sources to speculate that it may have been developed by Miyagi Chojun himself. Saifa is also practiced by Shito-Ryu, founded by another of Higaonna’s students, Kenwa Mabuni, and in

Kyokushin is a style of karate originating in Japan. It is a full-contact style of stand-up fighting and is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline, and hard training. Kyokushin Kaikan is the martial arts organization founded in 1964 ...

karate.

References

{{reflist Karate kata