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In the Buddhist context, 公案 is a Zen question for meditation.
From the Buddhist dictionary, this is:
Problems set by Zen masters, upon which thought is concentrated as a means to attain inner unity and illumination.
The secular meaning of this word can mean a judge's desk, a complex legal case, a contentious issue, a dossier, a case record, public laws, regulations, or case law.
Courageous Energy
勇氣 is one of several ways to express bravery and courage in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
This version is the most spiritual. This is the essence of bravery from deep within your being. This is the mental state of being brave versus actual brave behavior. You'd more likely use this to say, “He is very courageous,” rather than “He fought courageously in the battle.”
The first character also means bravery or courage when it's seen alone. With the second character added, an element of energy or spirit is added. The second character is the same “chi” or “qi” energy that Kung Fu masters focus on when they strike. For this reason, you could say this means “spirit of courage” or “brave spirit.”
This is certainly a stronger word than just the first character alone.
Beyond bravery or courage, dictionaries also translate this word as valor/valour, nerve, audacity, daring, pluck, plucky, gallantry, guts, gutsy, and boldness.
This is also one of the 8 key concepts of tang soo do.
While the version shown to the left is commonly used in Chinese and Korean Hanja (and ancient Japanese Kanji), please note that the second character is written with slightly fewer strokes in modern Japanese. If you want the modern Japanese version, please click on the character to the right. Both styles would be understood by native Chinese, Japanese, and many (but not all) Korean people. You should make your selection based on the intended audience for your calligraphy artwork. Or pick the single-character form of bravery/courage which is universal.
拳法 is a form of martial arts that can be translated in several ways.
Some will call it “fist principles,” “the way of the fist,” or even “law of the fist.” The first character literally means fist. The second can mean law, method, way, principle, or Buddhist teaching.
Kempo is really a potluck of martial arts. Often a combination of Chinese martial arts such as Shaolin Kung Fu with Japanese martial arts such as Karate, Jujutsu (Jujitsu), Aikido, and others. You may see the term “Kempo Karate,” which basically means Karate with other disciplines added. In this way, Kempo becomes an adjective rather than a title or school of martial arts.
These facts will long be argued by various masters and students of Kempo. Even the argument as to whether it should be spelled “kenpo” or “Kempo” ensues at dojos around the world (the correct Romaji should actually be “kenpou” if you precisely follow the rules).
The benefit of Kempo is that the techniques are easier to learn and master than pure Kung Fu (wu shu). Students are often taught basic Karate moves, kicks, and punches before augmenting the basic skills with complex Kung Fu techniques. This allows students of Kempo to achieve a level where they can defend themselves or fight in a relatively short amount of time (a few years rather than a decade or more).
Because the definition of this word is so fluid, I should make some notes here:
1. Purists in Okinawa will claim that “Okinawa Kenpo” or “Ryukyu Hon Kenpo” is the original and true version of this martial art from the old kingdom. It is actually little or no connection between Okinawa Kenpo and the way the word is used elsewhere.
2. In Chinese, where these characters are pronounced “quan fa” (sometimes Romanized as “chuan fa” because the Chinese-pinyin “q” actually sounds like an English “ch” sound), these characters do not hold the connotation of being a mixed martial art. It is simply defined as “the law of the fist.”
3. My Japanese dictionary oddly defines Kenpo as the “Chinese art of self-defense.” I personally don't feel this is the most common way that people perceive the word but just something you should know.
This can be translated literally as “Praying Mantis Fist.”
螳螂拳 is sometimes called Shandong Praying Mantis after its place of origin. It was created by Wang Lang and was named after the praying mantis, an insect, the aggressiveness of which inspired the style.
Shaolin records document that Wang Lang was one of the 18 masters gathered by the Shaolin Abbot Fu Ju, which dates him and Northern Praying Mantis style to the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.).
The fact that the word “Northern” is used in the English title has more to do with where this style came from (Shandong is in northern China), but “north” is absent from this Chinese title.
Note: 螳螂拳 is also a title in Japanese - however, only a Japanese person who practices or is familiar with the “Praying Mantis Fist” style would recognize it.
老師 directly translates as “old teacher,” “old master,” or “old sage.”
Together, they are understood as “teacher.” When you think about that, also realize that with age comes respect in Asian cultures. So calling someone old is a term of respect (not like the way we mean it in English). You could replace “old” with “respected” and be closer to how this is meant in Chinese.
Teachers, in general, are more respected by their students and the population in China. When I was a teacher in China, I certainly felt that.
This term is also used for masters of certain fields. For instance, a master calligrapher would respectfully be addressed as a “teacher.” In this case, “master” and “teacher” are synonymous.
Other artists (especially those who are famous or accomplished) should be addressed with this term. Also, some martial arts schools use this term of respect for their masters/teachers/instructors.
This title is recognized in Japanese as "roushi" with the same meaning but it’s rarely used in Japan.
Below are some entries from our dictionary that may match your masters search...
Characters If shown, 2nd row is Simp. Chinese |
Pronunciation Romanization |
Simple Dictionary Definition |
公案 see styles |
gōng àn gong1 an4 kung an kouan / koan こうあん |
More info & calligraphy: Koan{Buddh} koan; kōan; Zen question for meditation (e.g. the sound of one hand clapping) J. kōan; 因緣 A dossier, or case-record; a cause; public laws, regulations; case-law. Problems set by Zen masters, upon which thought is concentrated as a means to attain inner unity and illumination. |
五斗米道 see styles |
wǔ dǒu mǐ dào wu3 dou3 mi3 dao4 wu tou mi tao gotobeidou / gotobedo ごとべいどう |
More info & calligraphy: The Way of Five Pecks of Rice(hist) (See 天師道) Way of the Five Pecks of Rice (ancient Chinese Daoist movement later known as The Way of the Celestial Masters) |
三岐 see styles |
sān qí san1 qi2 san ch`i san chi mitsuki みつき |
(surname) Mitsuki three masters of Qi |
二君 see styles |
nikun にくん |
two masters |
五師 五师 see styles |
wǔ shī wu3 shi1 wu shih goshi ごし |
(surname) Goshi The five masters or teachers, i. e. respectively of the sutras, the vinaya, the śāstras, the abhidharma, and meditation. A further division is made of 異世五師 and 同世五師. The first, i. e. of different periods, are Mahākāśyapa, Ānanda, Madhyāntika, Śāṇavāsa, and Upagupta; another group connected with the Vinaya is Upāli, Dāsaka, Sonaka, Siggava, and Moggaliputra Tissva. The 同世 or five of the same period are variously stated: the Sarvāstivādins say they were the five immediate disciples of Upagupta, i. e. Dharmagupta, etc.; see 五部. |
修論 see styles |
shuuron / shuron しゅうろん |
(abbreviation) (See 修士論文) masters thesis |
兩家 两家 see styles |
liǎng jiā liang3 jia1 liang chia ryōke |
both masters |
外道 see styles |
wài dào wai4 dao4 wai tao gedou / gedo げどう |
(1) {Buddh} (See 内道) tirthika; non-Buddhist teachings; non-Buddhist; (2) heterodoxy; unorthodoxy; heresy; heretic; (3) (oft. used as a pejorative) demon; devil; fiend; brute; wretch; (4) type of fish one did not intend to catch; (person) Gedō Outside doctrines; non-Buddhist; heresy, heretics; the Tīrthyas or Tīrthikas; there are many groups of these: that of the 二天三仙 two devas and three sages, i. e. the Viṣṇuites, the Maheśvarites (or Śivaites), and the followers of Kapila, Ulūka, and Ṛṣabha. Another group of four is given as Kapila, Ulūka, Nirgrantha-putra (Jainas), and Jñātṛ (Jainas). A group of six, known as the外道六師 six heretical masters, is Pūraṇa-Kāśyapa, Maskari-Gośālīputra, Sañjaya-Vairāṭīputra, Ajita-Keśakambala, Kakuda-Kātyāyana, and Nirgrantha-Jñātṛputra; there are also two other groupings of six, one of them indicative of their various forms of asceticism and self-torture. There are also groups of 13, 1, 20, 30, 95, and 96 heretics, or forms of non-Buddhist doctrine, the 95 being divided into 11 classes, beginning with the Saṃkhyā philosophy and ending with that of no-cause, or existence as accidental. |
法帖 see styles |
houjou / hojo ほうじょう |
copybook printed from the works of old masters of calligraphy |
王粲 see styles |
wáng càn wang2 can4 wang ts`an wang tsan |
Wang Can (177-217), poet, generally regarded as the most brilliant of "the seven masters of Jian'an" 建安[Jian4 an1] |
莊老 庄老 see styles |
zhuāng lǎo zhuang1 lao3 chuang lao |
Zhuangzi and Laozi, the Daoist masters |
餘師 see styles |
yú shī yu2 shi1 yü shih |
other masters |
一門会 see styles |
ichimonkai いちもんかい |
(1) {sumo} meeting or association of stable masters belonging to the same grouping; (2) meeting or association of followers of a famous performer (in rakugo, etc.) |
十論匠 十论匠 see styles |
shí lùn jiàng shi2 lun4 jiang4 shih lun chiang jū ronshō |
ten masters [of the Indian Yogâcāra school] |
南無師 南无师 see styles |
nán wú shī nan2 wu2 shi1 nan wu shih namu shi |
Masters of namaḥ, i.e. Buddhist or Taoist priests and sorcerers. |
地論師 地论师 see styles |
dì lùn shī di4 lun4 shi1 ti lun shih Jiron shi |
masters of the Ten Stages school |
天師道 see styles |
tenshidou / tenshido てんしどう |
(hist) (See 五斗米道) Way of the Celestial Masters (ancient Chinese Daoist movement orig. known as The Way of the Five Pecks of Rice) |
孔叢子 孔丛子 see styles |
kǒng cóng zǐ kong3 cong2 zi3 k`ung ts`ung tzu kung tsung tzu |
the K'ung family Masters' anthology, collection of dialogues between Confucius and his disciples, possibly forged in third century by Wang Su 王肅|王肃[Wang2 Su4] |
成論師 成论师 see styles |
chéng lùn shī cheng2 lun4 shi1 ch`eng lun shih cheng lun shih jōron shi |
Satyasiddhiśāstra masters |
攝論師 摄论师 see styles |
shè lùn shī she4 lun4 shi1 she lun shih Shōron shi |
masters of the Mahāyāna-saṃgraha |
有餘師 有余师 see styles |
yǒu yú shī you3 yu2 shi1 yu yü shih uyo shi |
Masters, or exponents, in addition to the chief or recognized authorities; also spoken of as 有餘; 餘師; 有諸師; 有人; hence 有餘師說 refers to other than the recognized, or orthodox, explanations. |
餘師說 see styles |
yú shī shuō yu2 shi1 shuo1 yü shih shuo |
explained by other masters |
デュエマ see styles |
deuema デュエマ |
(product) Duel Masters Trading Card Game (abbreviation); (product name) Duel Masters Trading Card Game (abbreviation) |
三大和尚 see styles |
sān dà hé shàng san1 da4 he2 shang4 san ta ho shang san dai washō |
three great masters |
五種法師 五种法师 see styles |
wǔ zhǒng fǎ shī wu3 zhong3 fa3 shi1 wu chung fa shih goshu hosshi |
The five kinds of masters of the Law, v. Lotus Sutra, 法師品— one who receives and keeps; reads; recites; expounds; and copies the sutra. |
六師外道 六师外道 see styles |
liù shī wài dào liu4 shi1 wai4 dao4 liu shih wai tao rokushi gedō |
six non-Buddhist masters |
十大論師 十大论师 see styles |
shí dà lùn shī shi2 da4 lun4 shi1 shih ta lun shih jū dai ronji |
ten masters [of the Indian Yogâcāra school] |
大学院卒 see styles |
daigakuinsotsu だいがくいんそつ |
postgraduate degree holder; holder of masters degree or doctorate |
弘經大士 弘经大士 see styles |
hóng jīng dà shì hong2 jing1 da4 shi4 hung ching ta shih kō kyō daishi |
great masters who spread the teachings |
渡り奉公 see styles |
watariboukou / watariboko わたりぼうこう |
working as a servant for a series of masters |
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Koan | 公案 | kouan / koan | gōng àn / gong1 an4 / gong an / gongan | kung an / kungan |
Bravery Courage | 勇氣 勇气 / 勇気 | yuuki / yuki | yǒng qì / yong3 qi4 / yong qi / yongqi | yung ch`i / yungchi / yung chi |
Kenpo Kempo Quan Fa Chuan Fa | 拳法 | kenpou / kenpo | quán fǎ / quan2 fa3 / quan fa / quanfa | ch`üan fa / chüanfa / chüan fa |
Northern Praying Mantis | 螳螂拳 | tou rou ken tourouken to ro ken | táng láng quán tang2 lang2 quan2 tang lang quan tanglangquan | t`ang lang ch`üan tanglangchüan tang lang chüan |
Teacher Master Old Sage | 老師 老师 | lǎo shī / lao3 shi1 / lao shi / laoshi | lao shih / laoshih | |
The Way of Five Pecks of Rice | 五斗米道 | gotobeidou / gotobeido | wǔ dǒu mǐ dào wu3 dou3 mi3 dao4 wu dou mi dao wudoumidao | wu tou mi tao wutoumitao |
In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line. In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese. |
Successful Chinese Character and Japanese Kanji calligraphy searches within the last few hours...
All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.
When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.
Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!
When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.
The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"
single-character wall scroll.
We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.
Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.
There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form
of art alive.
Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.
The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.
Check out my lists of Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls and Old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.
Some people may refer to this entry as Masters Kanji, Masters Characters, Masters in Mandarin Chinese, Masters Characters, Masters in Chinese Writing, Masters in Japanese Writing, Masters in Asian Writing, Masters Ideograms, Chinese Masters symbols, Masters Hieroglyphics, Masters Glyphs, Masters in Chinese Letters, Masters Hanzi, Masters in Japanese Kanji, Masters Pictograms, Masters in the Chinese Written-Language, or Masters in the Japanese Written-Language.
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