Thursday, November 27, 2008

Saifa

サイファー Saifa




According to Mr. Akio Kinjo, a karate researcher, the name "Saifa" is derived from "Sai", a Chinese word meaning a lion. I agree with him. I suppose "Sai" is a Fukien dialect for a lion. Actually in Indonesian language, a lion dance is called "Barong Sai". "Barong" is an Indonesia word, while "Sai" is a Chinese word. In the kata of Saifa, there is a double knuckle strike, which resembles a lion's paws.