Animal Symbolism in Society and Martial Arts, Cosmological Numerology the Kata of UechiRyu

This book combines two complete works: a study of animal symbolism in society and martial arts, and an examination of the cosmological numerology found in several UechiRyu forms. The animal symbolism section explores how cultures use animals to communicate ideas that are easier to understand through imagery than through abstract explanation. The cosmological numerology section looks at the numerical names of Sanchin, Seisan, Sandairyu, and other forms, and what those numbers may have meant in the cultural environment of southern China. It considers how symbolic structure, directional theory, and traditional cosmology may have influenced naming conventions. Presented together, these two subjects contribute to an increasingly clearer understanding of how UechiRyu inherited concepts from the world in which it was born. They provide context that may help readers understand why forms were named as they were, and how cultural symbolism shaped their development.