Nabi Su
| File:Nabi Su logo.jpg | |
 Carolyn Campora - Nabi Su Fan Form | |
| Also known as | formerly Yun Mu Kwan Karate Institute |
|---|---|
| Focus | forms, weapons, sparring, zazen |
| Hardness | medium |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Creator | Min Q Pai (1934-2004) |
| Ancestor arts | traditional kung fu • wing chun • hung ga • tai chi • tai kwan do |
| Official website | www.nabisu.com |
| Meaning | butterfy way |
| Martial art | kung fu • tai chi |
Search Nabi Su on Amazon.
Nabi Su is a Chinese style modern hybrid martial art comprising Chinese, Korean, and Japanese elements. Nabi Su was originally known as the Yun Mu Kwan Karate Institute, which was started in 1956 in the West Village area of Lower Manhattan, New York City. Its Greenwich Village location, its mix of Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Tai Kwan Do, Karate and Zazen, as well as its enigmatic creator, Min Q Pai, resulted in a school that generated interest in its continually evolving combination of martial arts practices. In particular, its early intense "karate" style and sparring were the subject of an investigative article in Popular Science,[1] while its later fusion with Tai Chi and Zen meditation was portrayed in detail in Lawrence Shainberg's memoir ″Ambivalent Zen.″[2] The developing combination of Zen with Kung Fu, Tai Chi and Karate was examined by Fairpress reporter Bill Adler, who underwent a demonstration of "Zen healing" by Min Pai.[3] The Nabi Su Martial Arts school has also been a proponent of the physical benefits of martial arts, particularly the focus, coordination[4] and awareness[5] developing aspects of Kung Fu and the relaxing and calming aspects of Tai Chi.[6]
Etymology[edit]
"Nabi" means butterfly in Korean, and "Su" can be translated as way, means, possibility, water, river[7] or move, as in chess.[8] The word "Su" implies not a physical move, such as a hand movement, rather, it is indicative of chess-like strategy, flow or way. Nabi Su can be interpreted as "Butterfly Way" or "Butterfly Strategy."
History[edit]
Developed by Min Q Pai,[9] Nabi Su evolved out of Yun Mu Kwan, a Korean martial art that Pai learned in Korea and later combined with Chinese Kung-Fu (including Wing Chun and T'ai Chi Ch'uan) and Zazen. The resulting Nabi Su martial style came to bear little resemblance to its early beginnings.
Beginnings[edit]
Yun Mu Kwan (sometimes spelled "Yun Moo Kwan" and later called Jidokwan) is a Korean martial art that eventually became part of the modern Korean combat sport of Taekwondo ("Foot Fist Way").[10] Trained in that classical Korean system, Pai began teaching Yun Mu Kwan in the United States in the mid-1950s.
At that time, most strike-based empty-hand fighting arts originating in east Asia were known generically in the United States and in much of the world as "karate," a Japanese term meaning "empty hand" (denoting weaponless combat). This term applied both to fighting systems native to Japan itself (and its dependency, Okinawa, in the Ryukyu Islands) and to those systems transplanted to Korea from Japan by Koreans who had picked up the Japanese martial arts while studying at several Japanese universities during Japan's occupation of Korea before and during World War II.
The Koreans retained the karate training format they had been taught as well as its basic movements (called "kihon"), forms ("kata", practice uniforms (the "gi") and the color belt ranking system (culminating in the black belt or "kuro obi") as well as the Japanese art's general reliance on strikes and kicks. The primary innovation introduced by the Koreans was to place significantly greater emphasis on higher, more extended kicking techniques, making use of larger bodily movements and wider arcs to amplify the body's momentum and power their kicks and strikes.
Following his early training, and the naming conventions of the time, Pai originally named his martial arts school in New York the "Yun Mu Kwan Karate Institute." The early period, when Min Pai's Yun Mu Kwan meant hard techniques and high kicks was documented by Ramon Korff, a staff photographer for El Nuevo Día newspaper in 1964,[11] and later, in 1968, by Robert Gannon, a reporter for Popular Science magazine. In describing his martial art to Gannon in that article, Pai was quoted as saying that "Your hand is an arrow in flight; it has no energy. But when it strikes, then it penetrates. Your body is a whip -- weak in itself but strong when focused."[1]
Changes[edit]
Initially teaching the Korean system he had trained in, Pai began making changes to it as early as the late 1960's, reflecting his contact with the then still secretive Chinese martial arts community in New York City. Chinese martial arts, often called Kung Fu and sometimes WuShu or Ch'uan Fa, are generally believed to have been the main source of the later Okinawan/Japanese traditional karate systems which, in their turn, gave rise to the various Korean karate systems.
Although Pai retained the "karate" nomenclature and "Yun Mu Kwan" (Korean for "Institute for Martial Study") as the name of his style for some time, he eventually dropped both terms. While his original system had relied on the generally linear, highly aggressive methods of Japanese Shotokan karate, from which Yun Mu Kwan had derived, Pai's own brand of that art had begun to change markedly. By the early 1970's it incorporated a new focus on the circularity of movement (around a central bodily axis) as a way of dissipating and returning an attacker's force, along with reliance on sensitivity in lieu of physical strength while making use of the balancing and rooting methods of t'ai chi ch'uan. At the same time he abandoned the old Korean emphasis on high kicking (still evident today in modern Taekwondo).
Throughout the next decade, Pai continued to refine and transform his Yun Mu Kwan practice through his encounters with various forms of Kung Fu, as well as through engagement with Zazen and T'ai Chi Ch'uan. Pai's later Kung Fu associates included Wing Chun practitioners from the New York area, leading to his incorporation of the classic Wing Chun forms and two-person training drills into the system he was teaching.
Perhaps most importantly, however, Pai studied Yang style T'ai Chi Ch'uan with 4th generation Yang style t'ai chi master Cheng Man-ch'ing.,[12] himself a student of Yang Chengfu,[13] grandson of the founder of Yang style t'ai chi, Yang Lu-chan. Unlike traditional karate, including classic Yun Mu Kwan, T'ai Chi Ch'uan relies on softness and sensitivity while using a method of practice that is generally slow, relaxed and meditative. The t'ai chi principles came to dominate and color all the other elements Pai gradually built into his system, creating, in essence, a new kind of "karate" which Pai finally recognized in the late eighties when he chose a new name for his school and the kind of martial art he was teaching.
Pai sanctioned two of his black belts as Masters, Tom Rivers and Jim Stewart. Tom Rivers is no longer active but Jim Stewart still practices in Stamford, Connecticut with Jason Perri.
Evolution of Nabi Su[edit]
Nabi Su's evolution from Yun Mu Kwan occurred from the late 1960s through the 1980s. By the early 1970s, Pai's assimilation of elements of Kung Fu from nearby Chinatown practitioners and his study of Tai Chi with Cheng Man-ch'ing was starting to change his Yun Mu Kwan Karate into a new Chinese style hybrid martial art. At the same time, Pai's Zazen practice with Eido Tai Shimano Roshi of the New York Zendo Shobo-Ji was coming to fruition. In 1972, Eido Roshi made one of several visits to the Yun Mu Kwan Karate Institute, as documented by photographer Ramon Korff.[14]
Fairpress reporter Bill Adler received a demonstration of the developing martial art, writing "Master Min Pai demonstrates the ancient Zen art of healing, which stems from the disciplines of Kung Fu, Tai Chi and Karate.... Kneeling in perfect silence and stillness... Master Pai achieved the transfer of energy...."[3]
This period of evolution is described in Lawrence Shainberg's 1995 book "Ambivalent Zen," a memoir about the author's exploration of spirituality, particularly Zen meditation. As noted at the book's beginning, Shainberg used pseudonyms for all but the most public figures to protect privacy. Using the pseudonym Chang Wei for Min Pai, Shainberg describes his venture to Pai's dojo as one initially in search of Zazen. When asked if this was an official zendo "Chang points to a wooden plaque, inlaid with Japanese calligraphy, mounted on the wall behind us. 'Eido Roshi made this calligraphy and had it carved for me. We had a consecration ceremony here last year.'" Shainberg later observes the combination of martial arts styles in the developing school. "Between the karate and the tai chi, the former violent, discontinuous, blindingly fast, the latter a sort of slow-motion ballet, it seems as if the entire spectrum of physical activity is unfolding before our eyes. And when zazen is added to the mix, when the spectrum expands to include the spiritual, the dojo seems a kind of laboratory in which the outside limits of human potential are being explored.”[2]
In 1987, Pai developed his unique Nabi Su position and form, and from that modified his martial arts practice into the Nabi Su Kung Fu style. He subsequently renamed his school Nabi Su after the name of his signature form.[15]
Physical Development, Coordination and Focus[edit]
Nabi Su, like most martial arts training, develops physical strength, coordination and focus. Strengthening in Nabi Su is most evident in the core, back and leg muscles. Weight training is not used in this system; rather, strength development is achieved through the practice of kicks, punches and forms. Coordination is increased through foot work, weight shifts, body mechanics and breathing, with particular attention paid to the position of the shoulders, elbows and feet. Focus is developed by copying varying positions and methodically learning forms.
An increase in focus has also been noted in children. Nabi Su Kung Fu and Nabi Su Adaptive Kung Fu can be taught to children with attention disorders and physical disabilities. New York Times reporter Susan Saulny reported on the perceived benefits of martial arts training with children with attention disorders by interviewing doctors and parents. One interviewee, Dr. John J. Ratey, an associate professor of clinical psychology at Harvard Medical School, said "The martial arts demand a kind of concentration that forces coordination of the attention centers in the brain: the frontal cortex, the cerebellum and the limbic system. That coordination skill is erratic when individuals have attention disorders. The martial arts, which are repetitive, slow, structured and individualistic, facilitate a learning of the coordination skill that is digestible for those with attention disorders." Quoting a parent, Saulny writes, "'It's sort of a known fact in communities with people who have these issues,' said Lynne-Ann Walsh, whose son Christopher, 8, has an attention disorder. He studies kung fu at Nabi Su martial arts school in SoHo to help him focus on coordination, concentration and to overcome fidgeting." Saulny continues that "[parents] said that the benefits of martial arts study were manifold, augmenting medical treatment by specifically focusing on the aspects of personality that A.D.D. affects -- most importantly, the ability to concentrate."[4]
Focus, coordination and relaxation are also developed by Tai Chi, which is an intrinsic part of Nabi Su practice, and a requirement for all Black Belts. Appearing on Veria Living's "Workout From Within," Jeff Halevy's cable TV program featuring alternative fitness strategies, Nabi Su's Carolyn Campora demonstrated Tai Chi's opening moves. After copying the moves, Halevy said "It's pretty amazing, there's something about this motion that's so calming, it's incredible... What's fascinating is just the opening move made me feel incredibly relaxed, unlike I've ever felt before. The only thing that's come close like that before for me has been meditation." [6]
Self Defense[edit]
All beginners in the Nabi Su style learn basic blocks, punches and kicks that are useful self defense techniques. The system's core self defense principles are awareness and response, awareness of one's surroundings, awareness of one's own instincts, and awareness of common sense, with the ability to act immediately using that awareness. The style relies more on precision than on strength and is equally suitable for women and men. In 1996, after a spate of attacks against women in New York City, Olga Alvarez, reporter for Spanish Language News Channel "Noticias 41," visited Nabi Su for a news segment on women's self defense. Quoting Nabi Su's Carolyn Campora, Alvarez said (translated from the Spanish), "Women should be hard, rude and not afraid to defend themselves. Do not be afraid of being foolish, and believe in your intuitions and feelings....With simple movements, any woman that is being attacked...should be able to distract and defend herself from the attacker."[5]
Forms[edit]
In addition to the Nabi Su form itself, the style incorporates forms based on the classic Shaolin Five Animals (Dragon, Crane, Snake, Tiger, and Leopard) plus Flower and Iron Palm forms. Traditional Wing Chun and Hung Ga forms are also practiced. Empty-hand forms are supplemented by a range of forms involving weapons, including bo (six foot staff), jo (Japanese short staff), escrima sticks, sai, spear, fan, lightning saber and butterfly knives. Black belts learn T'ai Chi as well, bringing the double-edged sword and saber into play. Two person practice includes sparring, Shadow Hands, Sticking Hands, Pushing Hands, Two Person Tai Chi and Two Person Yun Mu Kwan forms.
Uniforms and Ranking[edit]
Nabi Su practitioners wear a white karate style uniform known as a "gi." The gi is plain without logos or insignia. The master of the school may wear a black gi. Belt colors signify rank and follow the original four level standard of white, green, brown and black. For children, there is an additional belt, which is yellow. There are several ranks within each belt color. The ranks are named for the form the student is learning. The rank names are White Belt: Nabi Su, Flower; Green Belt: Dragon, Crane, Snake; Brown Belt: Iron Palm, Tiger, Leopard. Black Belt begins with First Degree. Black Belt rankings above First Degree are given by the school's Master based upon continuing martial arts development.
Derivative Style: Budongchan Li[edit]
Bùdòngchan Lì, created in 2009 by Jason Perri, has its roots in the teachings of Min Pai and incorporates forms and techniques from both Yun Mu Kwan and Nabi Su.
Bùdòngchǎn Li reflects the array of methods and styles which Min Pai practiced and combined over the years. Its focus is on sensitivity of motion rather than the muscle building and body hardening of typical karate styles—on the theory that sensitivity overcomes power and is accessible to people of all sizes and body types, thereby eliminating the physical advantages which size, weight and strength can provide an attacker. The self-defense methods involve learning to understand the movements of those around one through one's own bodily awareness in order to receive, deflect, neutralize and, when necessary, return an opponent’s attack. If learned correctly the sensitivity enables a practitioner to make even the most innocuous of bodily movements into a useful means of controlling and defeating an assailant. Perri continues to evolve the system with the help of Jim Stewart and some of Pai's advanced Black Belts (several with roots in earlier stages of the style's development, when it was still known as Yun Mu Kwan).
Perri comments that "When you have two opposing energies, like an immovable object and an irresistible force, then, if they were to theoretically meet, there would be an endless transfer of energy. The unstoppable force would have an infinite energy and the immovable object would be able to absorb infinite energy. Balanced and in harmony like the yin and yang, it would become an immovable force - Bùdòngchan Li."[16]
Perri holds a 5th Degree Black Belt in Budongchan Li and a 4th Degree Black Belt in Nabi Su. He also teaches a modified Yang style Tai Chi Chuan and Push Hands, which he learned from Min Pai. Perri competed in an international push hands competition in Boston, MA in 2011 and won two Gold medals and a Silver in three separate weight classes.
Nabi Su Style Today[edit]
The Nabi Su style contains in-fighting techniques similar to elements of Wing Chun, as well as kicks and expansive strikes suited to fighting at a greater distance from the opponent. All of these movements are anchored in the signature Nabi Su hand, arm and posture alignment. The Nabi Su style as a whole stresses maintaining one's center in relation to the opponent, the close interrelation of blocking and striking, and the inherent strength that arises from Nabi Su's precise techniques and body mechanics.
Teaching and training include elemental drills, shadow hands, sticking hands, forms, and sparring, all of which occur in regular classes and intensive seminars. At every stage of development, students are encouraged to work from a fundamental principle of self defense, awareness and response.
Having worked with Pai since 1973, long-time student Carolyn Campora assumed leadership of the school in New York City in 1992.[17] Pai, founder of Wellspring Zen Monastery in Pound Ridge, New York, moved full-time to his monastery and eventually separated himself from the school in New York City. Carolyn Campora, a 5th Degree Black Belt under Min Pai, is Master of the Nabi Su school in New York City, where she continues to teach and develop the school.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gannon, Robert (March 1968). "Karate! How I Became a Deadly Walking Weapon". Popular Science. Popular Science Publishing, Co., Inc. 192 (3): 76–79, 200. Retrieved 12/08/2009. Check date values in:
|accessdate=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Shainberg, Lawrence (1995). Ambivalent Zen: A Memoir (First ed.). Pantheon, Knopf Doubleday, a Division of Random House. pp. 187–188, 192. ISBN 0-679-44116-6. Search this book on
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Adler, Bill; Perry Ruben, Photographer. Fairpress (Fairfield County, CT, weekly newspaper, now defunct, a division of Gannett). Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 Saulny, Susan (December 2, 2000). "Turning Fidgets Into Karate Kicks; Some Find That Martial Arts Ease Attention Disorders". The New York Times. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Alvarez, Olga (December 1996). "Women's Self Defense". Noticias 41, Univision WXTV Channel 41 (Television News Clip) (in Spanish). Retrieved Feb 27, 2014.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Halevy, Jeff (May 23, 2013). "Workout From Within: Season 1, Episode 9, "Chillout Workout"". Veria Living, Asia TV USA (Cable TV Program). New Jersey.
- ↑ "Korean Etymology". Wiktionary. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ↑ Pocket Korean Dictionary. Langenscheidt. 2001. ISBN 1585730564. Search this book on
- ↑ David Bernhardt (2009). "Xiu Yun Wu School: Lineage" (web). Grand Master Min Pai. David Bernhardt, Xiu Yun Wu School. Unknown parameter
|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ↑ Soo, Kim Pyung (February 2001). "State of Taekwando: History of Korean Karate, Part 3". Black Belt Magazine. Black Belt Communications Inc. 39 (2): 22. ISSN 0277-3066. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
- ↑ Korff, Ramon (2009). "The Master Pai Years: 1960s through 1980, Yun Mu Kwan". Photos from 1964 retrieved from Archives of "El DIa". p. Yun Mu Kwan 1964 & 1972. Retrieved from APServer April 11, 2000.
1964 New York 75 8 Ave Yun Mu Kwan Master Pai.
Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG2MhTEjIcM
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVHwDNo2LB8
- ↑ Korff, Ramon (2009). "The Master Pai Years: 1960s through 1980s, Eido Shimano Roshi". Ramon Korff Photography. p. Master Pai and Eido Shimano Roshi.
- ↑ Campora, Carolyn (2004). "About Nabi Su". Nabi Su Tai Chi, Kung Fu & Wellness. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ↑ Perri, Jason (2012). "Budongchan Li".
- ↑ Mish, Risa. Guthrie, Mary, ed. "Carolyn Campora '89". Cornell Enterprise. Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University. 18, No. 1 (Spring 2003): 57. ISSN 0741-6989.
This article "Nabi Su" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
