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WWW.MEIBUKANMAGAZINE.ORG No 2 May 2004House of the Pure Martial Arts

House Of The Pure Martial ArtsMEIBUKAN MAGAZINE

MEIBUKAN MAGAZINETHE INTERNATIONAL WEB BASED MARTIAL ARTSMAGAZINE AS A PDF DOCUMENT No 2 MAY 2004

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Interview with Master Kiem Hoo Lee

Concussion. On Brain DamageApplications of Basic Kung Fu Techniques

The History of Goju-ryu Karate Part One

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EWWW.MEIBUKANMAGAZINE.ORG No 2 May 2004House of the Pure Martial Arts

MEIBUKAN MAGAZINENo 2 MAY 2004use of the Pure Martial Arts

eibukan Magazine is published several times aear in an electronical format with an attractive mixf subjects and styles. Each issue of at least twelveages is published as pdf-file for easy printing.ublished editions remain archived on-line. We havehosen for a low picture resolution for easy down-oading

eaders of the webzine are enthousiasts and practi-ioners of the spirit of the martial arts world wide.

Editor in chiefLex Opdam

Executive editorMark Hemels

Editorial ContributersMatthew Jones

Peter Andritsakis

ContributorsMathieu RavignatHing-Poon ChanKiem Hoo LeeMarc van Dam

Chun-Ming TamHarriet Paus

Art directorLex Opdam

eibukan Magazine is pleased to submit views, con-erns and experiences on any subject matter IF re-ated to the mission statement expressed by the

eibukan Magazine. Therefore articles, photo-raphs and illustrations are welcome, althougheibukan Magazine is selective and can not

arantee that submissions will be placed. Submis-ion can be mailed to our P.O. Box by floppy, CD orVD, or can be sent to our e-mail address (if smaller

han 5 MB).

MISSION STATEMENT

eibukan Magazine is an initiative of Lex Opdamnd Mark Hemels. Aim of this web based magazines to spread the knowledge and spirit of the martialrts. In a non profitable manner Meibukan Maga-ine draws attention to the historical, spiritual andechnical background of the oriental martial arts.tarting point are the teachings of Okinawan ka-ate-do. As House of the Pure Martial Arts, how-ver, Meibukan Magazine offers a home to the vari-us authentic martial arts traditions.

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MEIBUKAN MAGAZINEP.O. Box 8, 6663 ZG, Lent, Netherlands

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ColumnRight here, right now

InterviewInterview with Master Kiem Hoo LeeSifu Kiem Hoo Lee is founder of the Chinese Martial Arts and Chi-Kung Academy in Ottawa. An interview on the ethical principles ofthe traditional Chinese martial arts.

ReviewTales of Okinawas Great Masters by Shoshin Nagamine.Shotokan - A Precise History by Harry Cook.

FeatureNew Ideas on Goju-ryus Direct Chinese AncestorsMathieu Ravignat launches a new hypothesis as to who is KanryoHigaonnas real master. In doing so, he traces back the origin of Goju-ryu Karate-do beyond Chinese Whooping White Crane Kung Fu.

Photo seriesApplications of Basic Kung Fu Techniques:Examples of reacting naturally to an attack, with Sifu Kiem Hoo Lee.

FeatureConcussion. On Brain DamageHow does the brain react to damage? Neuropsychologist Harriet Pausexplains the risks of taking a beating.

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Copyright and disclaimer

2003-2004 Meibukan Magazine.All materials on the Meibukan Magazine website and Meibukan Magazine pdf-files (including without limitation all articles, text, images,

logos, compilation, audio, video, and design) are Copyright by Meibukan Magazine. All rights reserved.The downloadable Meibukan Magazine pdf-files may be downloaded, printed and distributed for personal use only.

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All information and materials on the Meibukan Magazine website and Meibukan Magazine pdf-files are provided as is and withoutwarranty of any kind.

Meibukan Magazine founders are Lex Opdam and Mark Hemels.Web design by Lex Opdam.

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Interview withMaster Kiem Hoo Lee

The Morality of Kung FuMaster Kiem Hoo Lee (Li Jian-Hua) began the Chinese

martial arts in his early teens in Vietnam. He is founder of theChinese Martial Arts and Chi-Kung Academy in Ottawa,

Canada, where he has been teaching since the early 80s. Aninterview on the ethical principles of the traditional Chinese

martial arts.

Afterwards, I have heard that some ofthem had died and many haddisappeared. Recently, I reconnectedwith one of my masters in Vietnam (aShaolin Master). One of my seniorstudents, Ching, has visited my teachertwo times in Vietnam and conveyed myrespect to him. This teacher is very oldbut still practices his art in private.

Could you tell us how the training waslike when you started?Very hard, very strict, everything hadto be good. The tradition had to be keptstrong.

- by Mathieu G. Ravignat -

Question: Sifu, could you please iden-tify yourself?Answer: My name is Li Jian-Hua(Kiem Hoo Lees real Chinese Manda-rin name). I was born in North Viet-nam from Chinese parents and lived inHanoi. My age is not important. Istarted training when I was abouteleven. But really I just followed theothers. In my early teens, I started train-ing for real fighting.

Could you tell us about your family?My father was a journalist, my mothera teacher, my grandfather was a herb-alist, a Chinese classics teacher in theConfucian style. He taught at a school.

Please Sifu, could you tell us why andhow you started Kung Fu?I was small and sick, so I was beat up alot. I started training with a friend of aneighbour of my parents and with aschool teacher.

What style did you start with and whatother styles have you learnt in yourmartial arts career?I had an opportunity to travelthroughout the Guanxi Province ofChina before the Cultural Revolutionand I was fortunate to meet and trainwith many martial artists during mytravels. I trained in many differentstyles including: Shaolin, Er-mei,Hsing Yi, Ba ji and Qigong. During theturmoil of the Cultural Revolution, Ilost contact with my masters in China.

Sifu Lee demonstrating San Ti Shih (Three BodyPosture), a foundation stance in the Hsing Yi style.

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Right here, right nowIn my daily life I have always noticedpeoples lack of awareness whilemoving around, especially whenwalking in public. People are so turnedinwards while moving from one placeto another that their environmentbecomes secondary.Once every while when visiting ashopping mall, I see how peoplesuddenly stop, turn left, right, oraround because they suddenly remem-ber an item they have to buy. Thisthought is often so overwhelming thatthey immediately bump into someoneelse. People let their actions be guidedby their desire to go to their targetstraightaway. However, they give itsuch a value that they place it abovethe awareness of their surroundings.

I also notice this lack of awareness withmy own students while practicingkarate. Most students are so full of theirown thoughts that they build in theirown distractions and blockades, whichkeep them from moving freely. Inmartial arts, however, we try to becomeone with the moment of being, and thatonly happens when we are open to theworld.In martial arts, we try to control ourthoughts and emotions, but we do notsuppress or neglect them. We try toaccept our thoughts and emotions andgive them a place. When a new thoughtarises we should try to accept thatthought and place it into order. Whenour desires are too great we are nolonger in control, because this desirewill always be on the front and there-fore overrule our actions.If you compare it, for example, to katapractice you can see that students areoften focused on the next move insteadof the move they are doing right now,or they are still thinking of the previousmovement. It is very difficult for ahuman being to let go of the past andthe future and to be fully present in thehere-and-now.Future and past are always present.Although they give direction, theyshould be secondary and not disturb thepeace we need so much. We should allbe aware of this in our daily lives,because martial arts practice is notcontained to the dojo alone.

Lex OpdamEditor in chief

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Could you tell us a little bit about how,at that time, students could come to beaccepted by masters?The traditional teacher-studentrelationship is very different from thecommercial relationship we have today.Sometimes you can ask a master toteach you but the teacher can refusewithout giving you a reason. Some-times, a teacher can choose you to be astudent without you asking him.According to traditional thinking, theteacher-student relationship is due tofate. Explanation of this idea can befound in Zen and Taoist philosophies The harder you struggle to find theteacher, the more difficult it is to meetthe right teacher. Sometimes, even ifa teacher accepts you as a student, theymight not be able to teach you the fullsyllabus. Traditional martial arts shouldnot be taught to everyone. Kung Futeachers observe character first. Thoseteachers have methods to evaluate andjudge your character and see if thestudent can be trusted. Teachers valuesuch characteristics as loyalty, endu-rance, and morality in general, whetheryou are a good person. Only afterpassing those tests will a teacher entrusthis knowledge to another person.

How long could it take to be accepted?Up to five years?No. There are many ways to do this.There is no time frame to be accepted;

it depends on the student. My studiesand teaching emphasize the Martialaspects of my art. Traditional ChineseKung Fu was developed as an efficientmethod to control and even to seriouslyhurt people in real combat. I feelstrongly that if this art is taught to some-body who does wrong, it is the KungFu instructors fault and responsibilitybecause the bad students can do harmto society. Thats what Chinese KungFu is all about.

Is that the reason why many people havetried to destroy traditional Kung Fu, sothey dont have to worry about it?Yes, thats true. They do the health partand the demonstration part, but thefighting method is not too developed.But it is not true that this method is dis-appearing. Privately in China they arepreserving it secretly, especially in re-mote areas. People say that Kung Fu willbe extinguished, but thats not true. Mostteachers, when they are older, will ac-tively find a replacement. This is goodbecause the teacher is quite experiencedand his teaching method has improved,and so the accepted students do not goout blindly, but are given the straightpath. Student dont have to be older orbeen around for a long time. The teachermust find someone with potential, pa-tience, endurance and above all, perse-verance. Someone who wants to learnis open, honest, sincere, clean slated,and he has to say what is on his mind.But he must have natural ability and po-tential (talent). Also, most of the realKung Fu masters learn the biology (Tra-ditional Chinese Medicine), he mustlearn that too.

Could you describe the traditional stu-dent-teacher relationship?The concept of Sifu is that of a teacherand a father, not just a teacher. He mustlook after you until you mature, a con-cept that many westerners dont under-stand. Dont talk back to your Sifu. Youcan ask a question, but dont talk back.The Sifu must be very strict, must havediscipline in his daily life. Anytime youare wrong, he will hit you.

What is the responsibility of a Sifu tohis students, and vice versa?Like Confucius said: If the son is not a

good person, it is the fathers fault. Ifhis knowledge is applied wrongly, it isthe teachers fault. The teacher must notbe lazy. He must teach straight, clear,and disciplined. As a Chinese sayinggoes: If the jade is not carved, it is justa rock, worthless. The carving is theteaching. A student must have absolute

Sifu Lee exchanging techniques with Hing-PoonChan illustrating the martial art concept allmartial arts are one family (Wu Lin Yi Jia).

Sifu Lee correcting a students posture andexplaining the theory of Chi (Qi) circulation as the

student performs standing meditation.

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Obedience and respect are very differ-ent. Respect is a certain kind of obedi-ence, respect is more negotiable. Obe-dience is blind. Obedience is to followcommands. With respect you retain yourmind (conscience) and opinion.

What is the difference between a war-rior and a soldier? And which is morevirtuous?A warrior is like a volunteer, a militia

Like Confucius said: If the son isnot a good person, it is the fathersfault. If his knowledge is appliedwrongly, it is the teachers fault.

respect and understand why the teacheris so strict. It is so that you can becomesomebody. The student must endure.When you drink water, you think aboutwhere the water comes from, right? Itis the same thing, the student must pos-sess the nine basic precepts of the Con-fucian tradition. These are: loyalty, fil-ial piety, benevolence, a love of justice,courtesy, a thirst for wisdom, sincerity,purity and honor.

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Sifu Lee demonstrating a basic stance ofthe Er-Mei (Omei) style.

ceed in life) but are prone to be influ-enced by their friends too much and notenough by family. They hit a wall if theyare influenced by the wrong people.Also, in the 60s and the hippie move-ment, women wanted more liberaliza-tion, and thats good. But some peopletake advantage of women, and kids takeno responsibility anymore. It is moreabout satisfying themselves and theydont care about the girl. But who fixesthe mess? The West misses religion andhas no balance. When you lack the spiri-tual part, or a good family, who do youspeak to? Just your friends, but they arethe same age as you. They need to knowwhat is right and wrong. There is justno balance.

Should a martial artist be a patriot?Yes! Very much so. If he understandsreal Kung Fu, he should pay attentionto his training and not be afraid to diefor his country. But at the same time, a -martial artist should have no race orcountry. The greatest duty of a martialartist is simply to train the next genera-tion of martial artists into good people.This is an important contribution to thecountry and to humanity. That is realpatriotism. In the West, people take themartial arts to defend themselves it isalways about them, about thinking forthemselves first but, if you think aboutdoing something for your country, thatis a different way of thinking, right?

What kind of life do you think a mastershould lead and why?

Sifu Lee explaining the details of power generationas the student performs a punch from the

Eight Extreme (Ba ji) style.

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man. A soldier is a professional; he ispaid like a mercenary or a soldier in thearmed forces. Which is more virtuousdepends on the training and who usesthe tool. The tool itself is not bad aknife or a gun is just a piece of steel itis the persons mind which is important.

Sifu, what according to you is the spiri-tual goal of the Chinese martial arts?In general North-America, Kung Futeachers dont put any emphasis on thespiritual level. The martial arts are a verydeep philosophy. People who learn herejust learn the outer appearance, but theydont understand the spiritual part. Ingeneral, if a teacher is at a high level, heis pretty confident if he can beat some-body up or not. So whats the point? He

doesnt necessarily have to cross handswith you. He just needs to talk to youand he will know; this is a kind of spiri-tual power. Many here in North Americahave strong power, but they just havethe outside shell, in a real life-and-deathsituation they would not know what todo. Also, they like the martial arts, butwhen they have to work hard, they cantdo it. But, the real part is not the exter-nal part but the internal spiritual part.Real martial arts emphasise the mind andthe will (Yi). Not like here, with no bal-ance like a fast food restaurant, or likea business in which you can buy yourblack belt in one year. Thats no good.Therefore, the teachers greatest respon-sibility is to make sure that the student

has a balance between the physical andspiritual parts.

Sifu, could you please tell us what spiri-tual, philosophical and ethical systemshave influenced the martial arts?Depends when, in which dynasty. Butmost of the big ethical systems in Asia,including Confucianism, Taoism andBuddhism, affected the martial arts.

Could you please tell us which you ad-here to and why?In my opinion, the internal for the forms;they are more natural. But Buddhism forthe philosophy; it is more satisfying. Iread lots of books on religion, and Bud-dhism is the most deep. But, even inBuddhism, there are many differencesin levels of deepness. Zen (Chan) is verydeep.

What do you think of Christianity?This is only my opinion. The theory andprinciples are very good. But it is notsatisfying to me. Christians try to attractpeople by missions, want people to goto church. Buddhism, however, doesntactively seek. The door is wide open,and one can leave at any time. It is notfixed. The methods are different, notnecessarily one better than the other, justdifferent. I dont know enough aboutChristianity though.

What do you think is wrong with theWest?The West lacks balance between spiri-tualism and materialism. Individualismis good, however the kids have to do itthe hard way all the time. Kids needmore guidance. Oriental kids are not asgood as the western kids in taking careof themselves, and maybe they dependon the family too much. But the west-ern kids cant rely on the family enough.There are pros and cons to both ap-proaches. The oriental approach is toomuch, but the pro is that they dont of-ten risk hitting a wall. Whereas thewesterners can defend themselves (suc

Real martial arts emphasise themind and the will. Not like here, withno balance like a fast food restau-rant, or like a business in which youcan buy your black belt in one year.

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Mathieu G. Ravignat (B.A.Soc. Sc. MA. Pol. Phi.) hasover seventeen years experi-ence in the Chinese martialarts of Northern and South-ern Shaolin Kung Fu. He isthe founder of the Universityof Ottawa Stone Lion KungFu School, founded in 1993.Mathieu is one of MasterLees students and is also oneof Sensei Hing-Poon Chanssenior Meibukan Goju RyuKarate-do students.

This interview was held onFebruary 20th 2000 at NotleyMartial Arts, where SifuKiem teaches a small numberof dedicated students threetimes a week. The interviewwas originally published athttp://home.achilles.net/~pchan/gtka.html

Be hard on yourself, soft on oth-ers. Or like they now say in the West:square inside, circle on the outside.

Hard on yourself, soft on others. Or likethey now say in the West: square inside,circle on the outside.

Sifu, do you have any last comments?People who are interested in Kung Fu:understand the spiritual part. You mustpersevere. Teachers: take you respon-sibilities seriously. You must give yourstudents self-confidence. If they donthave self-confidence and a balance be-tween the physical and the spiritual,they cant be good people. In life youneed to have a goal and the disciplineto do it. By your adolescence you shouldhave a goal. At 20, you should be work-ing for that goal. By 30-35, you shouldbe settled, and between 50-60, youshould take care of your family. Yourfamily and nation must be able to relyon you.

For more information about Sifu Lee andTraditional Chinese Martial Arts,

please visit his website atwww.here.is/kungfuor contact him at

[email protected].

Tales Of OkinawasGreat Mastersby Shoshin Nagamine

157x236 mm, 190 pp,over 130 photos & ill.

available atwww.mikado.nlwww.amazon.com

TALES OFOKINAWAS GREAT MASTERS

Now available for the first time in English,Tales of Okinawas Great Masters, thelate Shoshin Nagamines groundbreakingwork, recounts the legacy and life histo-ries of Okinawas greatest martial artists.In addition to profiles of the legendarytegumi wrestlers, Nagamine-sensei fea-tures many of the worlds great karatemasters, including the founders of the corestyles from which modern karate sprang.Read about Choken Makabe, the aristo-cratic, legendary giant whose incrediblefeats have spurred generations to trainwith diligence; Kosaku Matsumora, thefirst great master to emphasize moralityabove all else; Sokon Matsumura, the con-summate synthesizer who combined thenative traditions of Okinawa with prin-ciples and techniques of Japans Jigen-ryuand Chinese boxing from Fuzhou; and thegreat To-Te Sakugawa, who made a markin weapons and empty hand arts thatremains vibrant to this day. Tales ofOkinawas Great Masters corrects histori-cal inaccuracies surrounding Okinawanmartial arts and brings alive the greatestof the great masters. In this seminal work,Nagamine-sensei presents the martiallegacy of the Okinawan people and, tocomplement and emphasize what is ofgreatest importance in these tales and lifehistories, concludes with detailed instruc-tions for the practice of zazen (sittingmeditation). Already a classic in the Japa-nese edition, Tales of Okinawas GreatMasters is a must-read for all karate andtegumi enthusiasts, practitioners and re-searchers alike. Shoshin Nagamine (1907-1997) was a practitioner and master ofOkinawan karate-do for more than 70years and, after years of intense study, thefounder of Matsubayashi-Ryu Karate-Do.Nagamine-sensei held the rank of 10thdan black belt and Hanshi, the highest titlein the art of karate, from the OkinawanKarate-Do Association. He was a mem-ber of the Board of Advisors for theDaihonzan Chozen-ji/International ZenDojo and was the head of Chozen-ji/In-ternational Zen Dojo of Okinawa.

By Marc van Dam

Shotokan -A Precise Historyby Harry Cook

210x297 mm, 352 pp,over 150 photos.

available atwww.mikado.nlwww.amazon.com

SHOTOKANA Precise History

Perhaps the most in depth book on thehistory and development of Shotokankarate ever written. The praise for thisbook has been of the highest calibre.Cooks research is original and he sharesit with us all in his superb text as well asin his copious footnotes, end notes, andappendices. He has gone back to thebeginning of the Shotokan story. Everyfact has been carefully checked beforebeing placed into the text, the author evermindful that, like the bricks used toconstruct a great building, each mustsupport the entire weight of the structureabove it. There is no compromise on stan-dards; assumptions are not permitted;conjecture is unacceptable.The mass of fascinating material itpresents combined with the infectiousenthusiasm of the authors writing style,also makes it immensely readable. It isvery well organized and although theamount and quality of information is alittle overwhelming at first, one soonlearns how to get the most from it. Thefirst section of the book features aforeword by Morio Higaonna, 9th DanHanshi, a preface by noted karate historianGraham Noble. Of special note are thephotographs in this book, a good numberof which are sensational. Many appearhere for the first time including images ofFunakoshi, Mabuni, Motobu, Ueshiba,Taira and others from the Konishi privatecollection. Several were only recentlydiscovered, notably superb early imagesof Kentsu Yabu in California and ChojunMiyagi in Hawaii. A privately publishedlimited edition, it is printed on one of thebest coated papers available. Its bindingis sewn for permanence then fitted withlinen covered boards, gold blocked inJapanese and English to produce thehighest quality casebound (hardcover)book. This volume is finished with aheavy duty rexine (clear) cover. AuthorHarry Cook, a graduate (Chinese) ofEnglands Durham University, has studiedShotokan karate for more than 30 years,and Goju Ryu for almost as long, in-cluding three years in Tokyo with masterinstructor Morio Higaonna at the legen-dary Yoyogi dojo. He has a teachingcertificate in Muay Thai, studied Ba Guawith Sifu Rose Li and is a student ofCapoeira under Maestro Gato.

By Marc van Dam

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Even today there is still much controversy surrounding the true history and origins ofGoju-ryu karate. In this academic effort Mathieu Ravignat narrows down the confusion

over the Chinese origins of Goju-ryu. In this first article of three, he launches a newhypothesis as to who is Kanryo Higaonnas real master. In doing so, he traces back the

origin of Goju-ryu beyond Chinese Whooping White Crane Kung Fu.- By Mathieu G. Ravignat -

The History of Goju-Ryu KarateNew Ideas on Goju-ryus Direct Chinese Ancestors

At the request of an Okinawan Goju-ryu delegation in the 80s it was dis-covered by the Fujian (Fukien)Provincial Wushu Association in thecity records of Fouzhou that there maybe a direct lineal relationship betweenGoju-ryu karate and Fukien WhoopingWhite Crane. Ryu Ryo Ku, teacher ofKanryo Higaonna Sensei (1853-1915),the founder of Naha-Te and the masterof Miyagi Chojun Sensei (founder ofGoju-ryu), may actually be a certain YuYu Jay (Xie Zhong Xiang) (1852-1930),a practitioner of the Whooping WhiteCrane Kung Fu style.

Confusion Over NamesAs Sensei Hing-Poon Chan, Head of theCanadian Branch of the All AmericanGoju Ryu Meibukan Academy, hasexplained, the confusion in the past asto who may have taught him waspartially linguistic, since Ryu Ryu Kois the Fukinese dialect pronounciationof the Cantonese Yu Yu Go or Ko (inMandarin) which simply means brother,and is in no way the surname of RyuRyu (Yu Yu) which is actually Jay (inCantonese and Xie in Mandarin).According to Whooping White Cranelineage Xie Zhong Xiangs (Ryu RyuKo) teacher was a man named Pan Yubaand Pan Yubas teacher was Lin Shixian.It was also reported that Ryu Ryu Kowas a basket weaver, a brick layer anda builder of commercial items in hisprofessional life.However, it is unfortunately not assimple as equating Kanryo Higaonnasteacher with this person. As PatrickMcCarthy has pointed out in his Bubishi(1995) there is a slight problem with the

information provided by the WushuAssociation. According to the civilrecords Ryu Ryu Ko was born one yearbefore Kanryo Higaonna (1853) andsince Higaonna went to China in 1873they would have met when they wereboth in their early twenties. Theproblem with this age is that this isdecidedly very young for a Kung FuMaster at that period of time in Chinashistory.Other information written on KanryoHigaonnas teacher also contradicts the

been some confusion as to the trueidentity of Higaonnas teacher. If thisis the case then who is the likely candi-date to be Higaonnas teacher? It is thelate and respected Shoshin Nagaminesopinion that it was not Ryu Ryu Ko butWai Xianxian (Wan Shin Za). Thisseems to have been proposed also byGichin Funakoshi who indicated in his

Kanryo Higaonna

The Wai Xianxian HypothesisGiven that the term Ko means brother Iwould like to propose on the onset thatRyu Ryu Ko might actually beHigaonnas Senpai (older brother orShihing in Chinese) and that there has

biographical information given by theChinese authorities. In the followingparagraphs I will try and reconcile theOkinawan accounts of KanryoHigaonnas teacher with this biographi-cal information from China.

According to Funakoshi Higaonnasteacher was a military attach, andso it is improbable that Wai Xianxianand the Ryu Ryu Ko found in Chinaare the same person. In the classbased society of China a basketweaver could not have been a mili-tary attach.

Ryukyu Kempo Karate-jutsu (1922) thatHigaonna and other Okinawans weretaught by a teacher called Wai Xianxian.According to Funakoshi he was amilitary attach by profession and so itis improbable that Wai Xianxian and theRyu Ryu Ko found in China are thesame person. In the class based societyof China a basket weaver could not havebeen a military attach.Interestingly enough and accordingto Morio Higaonna Miyagi Chojunhad learnt from a junior student of RyuRyu Kos while in China on his first tripto Fujian that Ryu Ryu Ko was agovernment official (Higaonna, 1996,p.55). Could there have been someconfusion, could the student haveactually been talking about WaiXianxian, the military attach? In anycase this indicates that at least two menwhom did not know each other had

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similar opinions about one mansprofession, one of them a direct studentof Ryu Ryu Kos and the other a com-mentator in Okinawa. Also SenseiAnthony Mirakian, currently the mostsenior Goju-ryu Meibukan teacher inthe world, in an interview for FightingArts International (1990) has indicatedthat Liu Liu Ku (Ryu Ryu Ko) becamethe equivalent of a Chinese Knight (Shi)in his 73rd year after having had to takehis examinations three times. It is morelikely that a Knight would have becomea military attach than a basket weaver.In order for this to be true the Ryu RyuKo found by the Wushu Associationcould not be the same person. Simplybecause by the time Ryu Ryu Ko couldhave been Knighted at 73 (around1921), the Emperor would have alreadybeen deposed by the NationalistRevolution in 1911. Therefore, this manwas certainly Knighted long before1911and could not have been Ryu Ryu Ko.This adds evidence to the Wai Xianxianhypothesis.

A Class LinkGiven this I propose that it is possiblethat the confusion stems from the factthat Ryu Ryu Ko and Wai Xianxianwere similar names. Given the fact thatthey reportedly practiced the same styleand taught at the same dojo both toOkinawans, they may have actuallybeen related in some way as part of thesame extended family. Hence, theconfusion could have been a genera-tional mistake. Sensei Hing-Poon Chan

has indicated that since there are twosyllables in Wai Xianxian that Ryu Ryumay actually be an Okinawan deforma-tion. This would make sense for variousreasons, but mainly because Ryu RyuKo is known to have been descendantof noble heritage but that his family hadbeen impoverished because of politicalturmoil. Had this older relative been aKnight and a military attach in exile itwould make sense that Ryu Ryu Kowould have been an impoverishedlabourer.Also another hint that Wai Xianxian wasHigaonnas first teacher in China is thatin traditional Okinawan and Chinesesociety, class distinctions were extreme-ly important and a similar social linkmust have existed between all of thesemen. So what may have been this link?Aragaki Tsujin Pechin Seisho (1840-1920), Higaonnas first teacher inOkinawa, was a noble of the Pechinwarrior class and fluent in Chinese. Hewas the Chinese interpreter at theOkinawan Court. As an interpreterAragaki probably met the militaryattach of the province of Fujian at theOkinawan court and became his friendand Kung Fu student. The link betweenWai Xianxian, Aragaki, Higaonna andultimately Miyagi Chojun was that theywere simply members of the samewarrior aristocracy. Wai Xianxian wasa Knight and military attach, Aragakiwas of the Pechin class and Higaonnasfamily was also descendant of the nobleShin Se Kei family who were of theChiku udon Peichin keimochi class.

Interestingly, many years later Higa-onna would maintain his teachers tiesto the court and teach to the royal familyand other noble warrior sons such asMiyagi Chojun. A similar link is un-likely to have been possible with thelabourer Ryu Ryu Ko.For all of these reasons I think it is morelikely, as Patrick McCarthy has argued,that once in China Higaonna waspresented to his teachers (Aragaki)teacher (McCarthy, 1995, p.37). Butbecause Wai Xianxian was often awayfrom home as an attach it is possiblethat he mostly trained with WaiXianxians assistant Higaonnas SenpaiRyu Ryu Ko. It is also possible that the73 year old Knight and military attachdied shortly after Higaonnas arrival inChina in 1873 and that Ryu Ryu Ko thenbecame his principal teacher. Perhapsthis happened in 1877 when it isreported that Kanryo Higaonna actuallystarted training with Ryu Ryu Ko. Thiswould also explain why (according toMcCarthys research) they would havetaught at the same Dojo (McCarthy,1995, p.37). However, even if they werenot related, a class link may haveexisted between their families.Incidently, the fact that they wereteachers of the same style is corro-borated by Morio Higaonna, whoreports that Higaonna had commentedthat their Sanchin were the same butonly differed slightly because WaiXianxian was shorter than Ryu Ryu Ko(Higaonna, 1996, p.15). Given theinformation above I propose the follow-

Old photo of the Shuri Castle

Arakaki Tsujin Penchin Seisho

Cour

tesy

of A

ntho

ny M

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an.

7


ing and perhaps more accurate bio-graphy of Higaonnas martial artscareer.

New Elements for a BiographyIn 1867 Higaonna would have begunhis training with various Okinawanteachers, the most important being theteacher of Shaolin Lohan Kung-FuAragaki Tsuji Penchin Seisho (1840-1920) in Okinawa. Aragaki, a courtinterpreter, often saw and visited themainland on business, which gave himthe opportunity to learn Shaolin fromMaster Wai Xianxian, the Chinesemilitary attach to the Okinawan Court.

the names and they are probably talkingabout Wai Xianxian because we knowby the records found by the WushuAssociation that the real Ryu Ryu Kowas a teacher of the Whooping WhiteCrane system. However, why is it thatHigaonna did not call his systemWhooping White Crane but used theterm Shorei-ryu which meansinspirational (enlightened) style. Andwhy is it that in An Outline of KarateDo Miyagi Chojun did not identifyHigaonnas style but only said: theonly detail that we can be sure of is thatduring 1828 a Chinese system fromFujian was unfolded and studieddeeply (Miyagi, 1993, transl.McCarthy).I will begin with the second questionbecause it will help lay the backgroundto answering the first. The reference to1828 clearly refers to a style that existedin Okinawa before Higaonna returnedfrom China and taught. So it is clear thatMiyagi is referring here to the styletaught by Wai Xianxian to Aragaki andKojo Taite and to other Okinawans inNaha. Certainly the date of 1828 andthe generation would be correct. In lightof this I believe the first question mayalso be easily answered. I believe thatthe name Shorei or Zhao Ling Ryuactually refers to Lohan and was thename first introduced and used by WaiXianxian in Okinawa. Arhats areconsidered enlightened ones and Shoreimeans inspirational, illuminated orenlightened style. Therefore, Lohanmeans the Shaolin of the Enlightenedones, the style of the Arhats orBuddhist saints.

Whooping White CraneHowever, the contradiction seems toremain. If Higaonna learnt Lohan andnot Whooping White Crane, how canhe be linked to Ryu Ryu Ko and howcan we resolve this apparent contra-diction? We dont. There is no contra-diction. When we use the term ShaolinLohan what is actually meant is ShaolinBuddha Style. According to legend,White Crane comes from the FujianShaolin Buddhist Temple in Putian (ofwhich archeological remains werediscovered recently). Interestinglyenough the Bubishi also claims this andeven today Whooping White Crane

Kung Fu has preserved a form calledShaolin Lohan. Shaolin Lohan thereforewould just be an older and more genericname for White Crane, or it may be aname simply referring to one particularform practiced in the White Crane. Thename used was different than that usedby Ryu Ryu Ko because if the dates arecorrect Wai Xianxian was of the samegeneration as Ryu Ryu Kos teacher PanYuba (the actual founder of WhoopingWhite Crane). Therefore, Higaonnasuse of Shorei-ryu may simply be the useof the older name for the style and thename that Wai Xianxian his first teacherused. Also, it cannot be discounted thatRyu Ryu Ko may have been influencedby Pan Yuba after his former teachersdeath and after Higaonnas departurewhich resulted in him being known asa Whooping White Crane master. Hemay have practiced the same style asWai Xianxian, i.e., Lohan beforelearning Whooping White Crane. If WaiXianxian died in 1877 Ryu Ryu Ko(born in 1852) would have been twenty-five years old. At twenty-five years oldhe would have certainly searched foranother teacher, perhaps Wai XianxiansKung Fu brother Pan Yuba. Also RyuRyu Ko would have been 30 years oldwhen Higaonna left to return toOkinawa in 1883 giving him plenty oftime to have met and trained under PanYuba afterwards. Therefore, I proposethat Wai Xianxian was a teacher of thestyle which Whooping White Crane wasbased or created upon and that this stylewas generically referred to as Shorei-ryu in Okinawa. This generationaldifference between Wai Xianxian andRyu Ryu Ko would also account for thedifferences in names and performancebetween Toon-ryu and Goju-ryus katafrom Higaonna and Whooping WhiteCrane system, which may have beentaught first to Okinawans.

Similarities in KataThis proposition is corroborated by afew facts. In 1867 there was a demon-stration to commemorate the occasionwhen Okinawa and China officiallysevered their ties. To commemorate thisevent Masters of Chinese based martialarts were asked to demonstrate their art.One of these demonstrators was AragakiSeisho Higaonnas teacher (Higaonna

According to oral tradition,Higaonna would have traveled toChina in 1873. However, accordingto Ryu Ryu Kos grandsonHigaonna did not start training withRyu Ryu Ko until 1877. Therefore,there are five years in China not ac-counted for.

Later, according to oral tradition,Higaonna would have traveled to Chinain 1873 with the help of his teacher anduncle. However, according to Ryu RyuKos grandson (Xie Weliang) Higaonnadid not start training with Ryu Ryu Kountil 1877. Therefore, there are fiveyears in China not accounted for. Ipropose that Higaonna spent these firstfive years in China studying with hisDai Sensei or Sigung, Aragakis teacherWai Xianxian. Therefore, in all Higa-onna would have spent three years inOkinawa with Aragaki and anotherLohan teacher called Kojo Taite from1867-1870, five years under WaiXianxian from 1873-1877 at the Kojo-Dojo, and another five years under WaiXianxians replacement Ryu Ryu Kofrom 1877-1882, also at the Kojo-Dojo.

What did Higaonna learn?According to all Okinawan records,Higaonnas training consisted solely ofShaolin Lohan since Aragaki and WaiXianxian were both believed to havebeen Lohan teachers. In Okinawa RyuRyu Ko was also believed to have beena Lohan teacher, however this isprobably due to the confusion between

8


would have been about 14 or 15). Atthis demonstration both Seisan andSuparinpei were performed. Also a katacalled Chekudin (possibly Shisochinwas also performed). Therefore, it isclear that elements of the style existedin Okinawa before Higaonna left forChina (Charles Swift, 2003, p.10).These elements were referred to asLohan or Rakanken in Okinawa.The fact that it was a style as opposedto an eclectic mix of forms can be seenby the similarities in all of Higaonnaskata. As Sensei Hing-Poon Chan haspointed out all of the kata exemplify theFujian martial arts by starting with theSanchin guard position. Seisan,Suparinpei, Sanseru and Shisochin allstart with a similar opening, the fist heldout with palms facing in held at shoulderheight, elbows close to the sides.Shisochin only differs because it startswith the hands open. Also all of theHigaonna kata are symetrical and alltechniques are done only on the rightside (Charles Swift, 2003, p.11). Theother kata in the Goju-ryu system(Kururunfa, Sepai, Seiunchin) do not dothis, which is strong evidence to believethat they are from another source.Therefore, a genealogy of Goju-ryukarate linking it to the pre-WhoopingWhite Crane style might look some-thing like this:Shaolin TempleFang Wei ShiFangChee Niang (Creatress of WhiteCrane)?????Lin ShixianWaiXianxianAragaki Sheisho +KojoTaite + Xie Zhong Xiang (Yu Yu Jay/Ryu Ryu Ko, would also have studiedwith Pan Yuba)Higaonna KanryoMiyagi ChojunDai Sensei YagiMeitoku. In any case what is clear is

(kata), mentioned here with alternativenames and Cantonese transliterations:

1. Happoren/Pah Pu Lian (Paipuren),2. Nepai (Naipaipo),3. Doonquan/Huah Pah Pu (Jusen- poren4. Roujin/Lohan (Jusen)5. Qijing/Chung Chien (7 brocades, Shichikei).

Now before Miyagi Chojun changed hisstyle the following kata were taught byHigaonna:

1. Sanchin2. Seisan3. Sanseru4. Pechurin5. Neipai

We know this because they still surviveintact in Goju-ryus sister style calledToon-ryu. Now all we need to do iscompare these five forms to the FiveToon-ryu kata. I propose the followingcorrespondences between WhoopingWhite Crane forms and Toon-ryu kata:

1. Pah Pu Lian (Pechurin in Toon-ryu)2. Lohan (Monk Fist) (Seisan ?????)3. Hua Pah Pu (Sanseru in Toon-ryu)4. Chung Chien (????)5. Neipai (Neipai in Toon-ryu, thoughin Toon-ryu this kata comes throughGokenki and not Higaonna, so it is notthe original form)

Of course without the original Chinesecharacters for all of these forms it isimpossible to know, but a potential threeout of five is not bad. Perhaps McCarthywas too quick to assume that the initial

that there is a strong link between Goju-ryu and some form of White Crane.Given that Whooping White Cranewould be the closest to it let us compareGoju-ryu in its earliest form andWhooping White Crane.

Comparing Goju Ryu and WhiteCraneAccording to Patrick McCarthy modernGoju-ryus Fujian (Fukien) Kung Fuheritage is not as simple as saying thatHigaonnas kata found in Goju-ryu area form of second generation WhoopingWhite Crane (McCarthy, 1995, p.38).But McCarthy seems to be making anassumption that Goju-ryu has to be veryclose to Higaonnas Shorei-ryu (Naha-Te) style. It is my opinion that the largedifferences between Goju-ryu and itsrelated Chinese style Whooping WhiteCrane today are due mostly to additionsand changes made by Miyagi and not,as Patrick McCarthy believes, byHigaonnas eclectic Shaolin based cur-riculum. Given all accounts Higaonnahad trained in the same style but withfour different teachers and it seems clear(according to McKenna and Swift) thatthis eclecticism is not reflected in Goju-ryus sister style Toon-ryu (more on thislater). In fact as we have seen above

Dai Sensei Meitoku Yagi

Fortunatly, we know the exactcomposition of the style of Whoop-ing White Crane today, so it is pos-sible to know how closelyHigaonnas style resembles it, andhow far Goju-ryu differs from it

Higaonnas kata are very consistentwhen compared to each other. Also,many Kung Fu styles from southernChina only consist of a few forms. Sotheir few number is not a reason tobelieve that they are from an eclecticbackground. Fortunately, we know theexact composition of the style ofWhooping White Crane today in largepart because of Patrick McCarthysresearch, so it is possible to know howclosely Higaonnas style resembles it,and how far Goju-ryu differs from it.According to Jin Jingfu (a lateWhooping White Crane Grand Master)at the time of Ryu Ryu Ko WhoopingWhite Crane consisted of five forms

Toon-ryu founder Juhatsu Kiyoda

9


DisclaimerThis article represents the opinions and speculationsof the author and in no way should be taken as areflection of the historical opinions of the AllAmerican Goju Ryu Meibukan Academy or of itsbranches. It is designed to incite discussion andthought on the Chinese origins of Goju Ryu Karate.To this end the author invites all who would like tocordially discuss such historical matters to contacthim at the following email address: [email protected].

Mathieu G. Ravignat B.A,M.A. PI. Sci. is one of

Sensei Hing-Poon Chanssenior students and is a

student at the AllAmerican Goju-ryuMeibukan Academy-

Canadian Headquarters.He is also the founder ofthe Stonelion Traditional

Chinese Martial ArtsAssociation, founded in

1993.

BibliographyCo, Alexander L., Five Ancestor Fist Kung-Fu, Tuttle, 1996.Higaonna, Morio, The History of Karate:Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate, Dragon Books,1996.Hokama, Tetshiro, History and Traditions ofOkinawan Karate, Master Publications,1993.McCarthy, Patrick, Bubishi: The Bible ofKarate, Tuttle, 1995.McCarthy, Patrick, Ancient OkinawanMartial Arts: Koryu Uchinadi, Vol.2, Tuttle,1999.McKenna, Mario and Swift, Joe, Etymologyof Goju Ryu Kata. Dragon Times Vol. 21,2001, p.12, 13, 35.McKenna, Mario, Web document Wholearned what in Higashionna KaryuosNahate, downloaded 16:30 January 22, 2003,nhate.freewebsites.com/higashionnastudents.html.Miyagi, Chojun, An Outline of Karate Do(translation. McCarthy), IRKS, 1993.Nagamine, Shoshin, Tales of OkinawasGreat Masters (transl. McCarthy), Tuttle,2000.Ohtsuka, Tadahiro, Bubishi, BaseballMagazine 1991.Swift, Charles J., The Kenpo of Kume Village.Dragon Times Vol. 23, 2003, p.10,11, 12 and34.Yagi, Meitoku, The Life Drama of the Man,Meitoku, 2000 , p. 172-174 translated byMario Mckenna 2001, posted on Goju.net)Yagi, Wheeler, Vickerson, Okinawan Karate-Do Gojyu Ryu Meibukan, Action Press, 1998.

connection was weak. Note that KiyodaJuhatsu Toon-ryu founder did not learnNeipai from Higaonna but completedthe Ryu Ryu Ko system by learning theNeipai kata from Gokenki. It is not thesame version. But the fact that Kiyodaattempted to imitate the original styleby crowning it with Neipai is indicativeof what we could call his preservationmentality.Today these four kata: Suparinpei,Seisan, Sanchin and Sanseru all existin Goju-ryu but in changed forms. It isalso interesting to note that Miyagi didlearn the Neipai kata from Higaonna butthat it was later dropped for no apparentreason.

In support of this theory, it is interestingto note that in the fifties Dai Sensei YagiMeitoku visited Kiyoda Juhatsu Grandmaster of Toon-ryu and asked him tobecome Chairman of the Goju-ryu stylein Okinawa, to which he replied no,implying that he didnt care about Gojuwhile also implying that he did not likewhat Miyagi had done to Higaonnasteachings. This indicates that a large gaphad been created between both stylesby Miyagis later research (Yagi, 2000,p.172-174, translated by MarioMckenna).

Conclusion to Part IIt is very likely that Goju-ryus directancestor is the system which was at thebasis of Whooping White Crane andthat Higaonnas first master was RyuRyu Kos and Aragakis teacher WaiXianxian. Secondly, there is onecommon element linking all of thesepeople: they were all aristocrats of thewarrior classes. Thirdly, there seems tobe a clear relationship between theWhooping White Crane style and Goju-ryu in its earliest form as exemplifiedby Toon-ryu.In conclusion to our comparison withWhooping White Crane we may saySuparinpei, Sanchin, Sanseru andSeisan are clearly of the same WhiteCrane origin if only in the similarity intheir names. This leaves us with Saifa,Seiunchin, Kururunfa and Shisochin toexplain. We will attempt to explain thepresence and Chinese origin of thesekata through Miyagis martial artscareer in part two of the article.

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Examples of reacting naturally to an attackIn general, any attack can change in thousands of ways and there are tens of thousands of methods (qi bian wan

fa). The essence of self-defense is to trust in your training and your ability to react naturally to any attack.

Applications of Basic Kung Fu Techniques

1. Attacker (in black) rushes in with a neck grab and proceeds to attack with a right knee strike to the abdomen.2. Sifu Lee (in white) uses the left hand to block the neck grab and ready the right hand.3. Sifu Lee (in white) uses the right arm to deflect the attacking knee and at the same time lock the attackers arm with his left arm.4. Sifu Lee continues the technique by holding the attackers right leg and pushing the opponent down with his left hand. At the same time, Sifu Lee is shifting

his weight forward to control his opponents center of gravity.5. Sifu Lee then rotates his waist while holding the attacker. The attacker is easily thrown to the ground.

1. Attacker steps in with a left punch and Sifu Lee dodges the direct attack but establishes contact with the opponents wrist and elbow.2. Sifu Lee proceeds to deflect the opponents arm and is ready to counter with chin-na.3. The opponent counters the chin-na attempt by attacking with his elbow and at the same time, he steps in with his right leg to control Sifu Lees stance by

locking Sifu Lees right leg.4. Sifu Lee shifts his weight to close the gap between his opponent at the same time he uses his right hand to lock his opponents attacking arm against Sifu Lees

back.5. Sifu Lee shifts his weight to close the gap between him and his opponent. At the same time, Sifu Lee uses his right hand to lock his opponents attacking arm

by pinning the arm against his chest.

1. Attacker (in black) closes the gap with a right back fist to the face and at the same time a slanting kick with the back right leg to Sifu Lees front right leg.2. Sifu Lee recognized the attack and deflects the back fist with his two arms and at the same time shifts his front leg back to avoid the opponents right kick.3. Sifu Lee continues to deflect the opponents arm down, reaches forward and grabs the opponents neck.4. Sifu Lee moves in close to the attacker but continues to exert pressure on the opponents neck.5. Sifu Lee continues to drive the opponents body to the ground by hitting the opponent with his knee.

1 2 3 4 5

Courtesy of Sifu Kiem Hoo Lee. Photos taken by Chun-Ming Tam (video-camera shots). Performers Sifu Kiem Hoo Lee with students Chun-Ming Tam and Mario Eljamal.

1. Attacker controls both of Sifu Lees arms.2. Attacker dives into the waist of Sifu Lee to try to take him down.3. Sifu Lee counters the rush by stepping back and at the same time uses his right arm to trap the attackers head between his arm and chest.4. Sifu Lee counters the rush by stepping back with his left leg and at the same time uses his right arm to trap the attackers head between his right arm and chest.5. Sifu Lee attacks with his right knee.

1 2 3 4 5

2 31 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

11


What happens when one receives a blow to the head? And how do brain functions react to damage?The science of neuropsychology studies the relation between the brain and human behaviour. In

this article, neuropsychologist Harriet Paus explains the risks of taking a beating.

- By Harriet Paus -

ConcussionConsequences of Brain Damage

A while ago, an article appeared in aDutch newspaper concerning sportsrelated neuropsychology. In this articlea neuropsychologist was interviewedabout the consequences of brain damageresulting from sports such as boxing.The consequences named are prettysevere: the most important ranging frommemory defects to concentration diffi-culties. The article strongly states thatboxing involves health risks.This paper was written to give an ideaof what exactly it is that neuropsy-chology entails. It starts with a shortdescription of the construction of thehuman brain and its most commonfunctions, and follows with the differenttypes of brain damage and their con-sequences.

NeuropsychologyNeuropsychology is a relatively youngscience. Only in the 1980s did it developinto an organised science. It studies thebrain functions, or in other words, therelation between ones brains and onesbehaviour. On the one hand, a neuro-psychologist will study brain functionssuch as memory, attention span andlanguage in order to locate the indivi-dual brain systems and how these work.On the other hand, investigation istargeted on diagnosing and treatingpeople with brain damage. For example,what can be expected when the left sideof ones head has been injured asopposed to the right side?

The Brain and its FunctionsThe brain consists of two seeminglyidentical halves or hemispheres. Thesehalves lead to the spinal cord. The brainand the spinal cord form the centralnervous system. The central nervous

system is responsible for movement,awareness of pain and sense, learning,memory, attention, language and therealisation of emotion. Every bodilyfunction is controlled by the brain.The brain is protected by a hard cerebralmembrane (dura mater) and two softercerebral membranes (arachnoidea mater

and pia mater). Blood is transported toand from the brain by four main arteriesfrom which countless others veinsspring. Each hemisphere is divided intofour separate areas, which each havetheir own specific function. Roughlyspeaking it can be said that the rear ofthe brain is responsible for sight, theside for hearing, verbal memory andlanguage. The upper centre section isresponsible for language skills, the

At birth, a person starts his or her lifewith a certain amount of brain cells.During ones life, this number drasti-cally decreases. In no case does theamount of brain cells increase. Forexample when drinking alcohol, a largenumber of cells cease to function.Although this might sound somewhatdramatic, one should take into accountthat the average human brain hasapproximately 180 trillion brain cells.Even so, long term drinking combinedwith lack of food can result in braindamage such as Korsakoff syndrome, acondition in which the memory functionsare severely impaired resulting in a lossof awareness of time and place.

Bruising does not necessarily meanpermanent damage. However, of allthe cells in the human body, brain cellsare the only irreplaceable ones.

Effects of damageBack to being hit on the head: whathappens when one receives a blow tothe head? In the first place, a blow tothe head can cause immediate damageto the brain cells, resulting in loss ofcertain functions.The blood flow can be temporarilyblocked, which can cause further damageto surrounding brain cells. A cerebralhaemorrhage can increase the pressurewithin the head between the cerebralmembranes to such an extent that other

This picture clearly depicts the two halves thatform the human brain (hemispheres).

Every bodily function is controlledby the brain.

ability to recognize objects by touch andthe ability to perform tasks. Finally, thefront section of the brain specializes inmotor skills, personal spatial orien-tation, verbal fluency and the ability tostop certain actions.

Irreplaceable cellsBeing hit on the head has more or lessthe same effect as getting a kick to the

shin: the recipient of the blow developsbruising on the point of impact. Bruisingdoes not necessarily mean permanentdamage. However, of all the cells in thehuman body, brain cells are the onlyirreplaceable ones.

12


areas of the brain become cut off andsubsequently damaged. Finally, an openhead wound can lead to infections thatcan lead to all sorts of complications.Immediately following the head trauma,the injured subject usually suffers fromamnesia. The recovery period fromamnesia varies strongly per subject.One subject will recover within the yearwhereas the other will still show relatedsymptoms after several years, yetanother may never recover.

other words, he had lost the ability toform new memories. This loss waspermanent. To this day, each passingmoment disappears from his memoryleaving him stranded in the present withno memory of how he got here. He doesnot remember what year it is or whichday of the week nor does he knowwhether he has had breakfast. Hecannot remember what he reads andrereads articles repeatedly. New namesand faces fade into oblivion and nomatter how much time one would spendwith him, the next meeting would againbe as if with a stranger. He cannotrecollect the death of a loved one andevery time he is told of their passing,he experiences the shock and sorrowanew. Despite his normal intelligence,he is confined to the monotonous workof a mentally handicapped. Over aperiod of more than forty years patientH.M. has been immortalized as anobject of intensive study in medicalliterature.

mation of a possible concussion and, ifnecessary, referral to a hospital forfurther examination. To be on the safeside a scan is often made to ensure thereare no tears in the skull bone or damageto the brain tissue. The best remedy fora concussion remains to rest in bed forseveral days until you feel better.

Types of injuryOne of the key factors in the effects ofdamage to the brain is the type of injury.There are two types of head injury;open head injury and closed head injury.Open head injury involves an objectpenetrating through the skull into thebrain, causing an open wound. Theoutcome of such an injury is usuallyquite specific and dependant on thelocation of the injury. For example,following such an injury one might notbe able to remember written words buthave no trouble at all rememberingpictures. The opposite is also possible.Closed head injury occurs when thebrain is damaged, yet the skull remainsintact. The tissue damage occurs due torotational forces driving the brain tissueagainst the inside of the skull. Theresulting symptoms are usually vagueand therefore not specific. They mayinclude difficulty concentrating,forgetfulness, headaches among others.

ConcussionHow does one recognize a concussion?After sustaining a concussion, one feelsdizzy, disorientated, confused andnauseous. One often experiences head-aches or is sick. If this is the case it isadvisable to consult a doctor for confir-

Patient H.M.To provide an example of the devastatingeffects that brain damage can inflict onthe functioning of a human being, thefollowing case has been included: Thecase of patient H.M.. This is a case wellknown to most neurophysiologists.Much knowledge of the working andstructure of the human brain (andmemory) is based on neuropsycholo-gical and medical information.

In the summer of 1953 in the Hartfordhospital in Connecticut an operatingteam lead by Dr. William Scovilleperformed experimental brain surgeryon a 29-year-old male suffering fromsevere untreatable epilepsy. Thesurgeons removed several parts of thebrain including a large part of thehippocampus from both sides of hisbrain (a large structure between thethalamus and the cerebral cortex). Suchoperations had been performed beforebut never to such an extent. Followingthis extensive operation, the epilepticseizures did indeed decrease in theirintensity. However, long after thepatient should have recovered heappeared unable to recognize his nursesor remember where he was, let alonefind his way to the bathroom. His in-telligence seemed undiminished, hispersonality unchanged, he recognizedhis family and was able to rememberthe events that had occurred up toapproximately three years prior to thesurgery. It turned out the operation hadcaused severe anterograde amnesia. In

Harriet Paus is neuro-psychologist. In writingthis paper, she consultedseveral medical manuals,among which the books Geheugenstoornissen

(Memory Defects)by Helga Aalders and

Paul Eling, andFundamentals of

Human Neuro-psychology by Bryan

Kolb and Ian Q. Whisaw.

Damaging the skull or haemorrhaging cancause great pressure on the brain. This can

be diagnosed by unequal pupil size.

Approximately one out of every twohundred people with a concussion willexperience a small haemorrhage in thecerebral membrane located between thebrain and the skull. Those suffering fromsuch bleeding often get very groggy,confused and slur their speech. Becausesuch bleeding can occur several hoursafter the accident, it is most importantto observe the patient closely for thefirst twenty-four hours checking for anyirregularities. If in doubt, always consulta physician.Those suffering from a concussion canbe troubled by tiredness, headaches,dizziness, memory problems and a badmood for a few weeks. These are normalsymptoms; the nervous system is stillsensitive to any type of burden. Althoughyou may not need to spend all your timein bed, it is required to take it easy.

To this day, each passing momentdisappears from the patients memoryleaving him stranded in the presentwith no memory of how he got here.

13

This article was translated fromDutch by Matthew Jones.

COVERCONTENT Content page Mission statement Format Production Submissions Copyright Column Interview with Master Kiem Hoo Lee Review Tales of Okinawa's Great Masters Review Shotokan - A Precise History The History of Goju-ryu Karate Part One Applications of Basic Kung Fu Techniques Concussion

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