Kakei - Stick hands.

Discussions on the Hokkien (Minnan) language.
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Shida
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2010 5:23 pm

Kakei - Stick hands.

Post by Shida »

Hi All!

I am researching the Hokkien term pronounced as 'kakei' on the island of Okinawa. It is a term preserved within the karate style of Goju Ryu - and is said to mean 'sticky hands'. It is believed to have originated from Fujian White Crane (Bak Hok).

I have been told that 'kah' means 'hand', and am wondering therefore, if 'kei' means 'stick'? Some people say it is the Hokkien way of saying 黐手 or chi sao, but it seems to be the other way around - hand stick.

Unfortunately, none of the English books on the subject of Goju Ryu use Chinese characters, but just phonetic English translations.

Thank you
xng
Posts: 386
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 2:19 pm

Re: Kakei - Stick hands.

Post by xng »

Shida wrote:Hi All!

I am researching the Hokkien term pronounced as 'kakei' on the island of Okinawa. It is a term preserved within the karate style of Goju Ryu - and is said to mean 'sticky hands'. It is believed to have originated from Fujian White Crane (Bak Hok).

I have been told that 'kah' means 'hand', and am wondering therefore, if 'kei' means 'stick'? Some people say it is the Hokkien way of saying 黐手 or chi sao, but it seems to be the other way around - hand stick.

Unfortunately, none of the English books on the subject of Goju Ryu use Chinese characters, but just phonetic English translations.

Thank you

The closest K'ah means 'leg' rather than hand. 'Stick' is pronounced as Niam.

It doesn't seem to ring any bell to a non martial artist like me.
Shida
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2010 5:23 pm

Re: Kakei - Stick hands.

Post by Shida »

Hi Xng!

Thank you for your reply - it is all useful. By the way, as a matter of interest, how is 黐手 pronounced in Hokkien?

Thank you.
Last edited by Shida on Thu Mar 25, 2010 9:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
xng
Posts: 386
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 2:19 pm

Re: Kakei - Stick hands.

Post by xng »

Shida wrote:Hi Xing!

Thank you for your reply - it is all useful. By the way, as a matter of interest, how is 黐手 pronounced in Hokkien?

Thank you.
Hokkien uses 粘手(Niam C'iu) rather than 黐手 (T'i C'iu).

But both doesn't sound anything like Kakei.
Shida
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2010 5:23 pm

Re: Kakei - Stick hands.

Post by Shida »

Dear Xng

Thank you for your excellent help! And thank you for your informative repky. You are correct of course, nian c'iu sounds nothing like kakei - and yet the Goju men insist that it originally meant 'sticky hands', and was a Hokkien term. Obvioulsy there is missing envidence. What you have done is drawn a clear line between chi sao and kakei, as I had read on one or two forums that they were the same, but could find no concrete evidence for this statement.

Thank you Xing, I shall endeavour to try and find a reference for the Chinese (or Japanese) ideograms for kakei.
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