The Myth & Legend of The Busaganashi (Alternate Translation - Busaganishi):
This is not a buddah! The Busaganashi is used as a symbol for Goju-Ryu Karate.
Busaganashi means "my dear respected kung-fu warrior".
Legend has it that in ancient China, a young single woman gave birth to a baby boy. With no father to take care of the baby, the woman's family decided to abandon the baby in a nearby bamboo forest. After a few days, the baby's family began to have a change of heart. They returned to the bamboo forest to see whether or not the baby was still alive. To their amazement they found that the baby had been cared for by the forest itself. The plants grew over the baby for shelter and animals of the forest provided food for the baby to survive. The family took the baby home and cared for it.
China, at the time, had a strict caste system in which it was very rare for an individual to escalate to a higher social class. However, every year there was an aptitude test that gave individuals a chance for social mobility. As a teenager, the Busaganashi scored remarkably high on the test, which gave him an opportunity to join the military. While in the military, Busaganashi perfected his martial arts skills. One day, when Busaganashi was about twenty years old, one of the large towers caught on fire. The fire was too big for the city to put out with their meager resources. Seeing this, Busaganashi, using the dynamic breathing, which he had perfected, was able to put out the fire with a powerful exhale. Busaganashi was then given the title of which he is now referred. Busaganashi then became a symbol of martial arts.
Pictures of Busaganashi were put everywhere. Not only in kung fu schools, but in restaurants and the market place as well. It is said that Chojun Miyagi, on one of his trips to China, heard the story of Busaganashi and purchased a picture.
However in the Okinawan air raid during world war two, many of Miyagi's posessions were destroyed including his picture of the Busaganashi. Sensing his teachers sadness, one of his students, who had previously made a sketch of the Busaganashi, journeyed to the philipines to have a three dimensional statue made of Busaganashi.
The student, who was fearful that Miyagi would be upset at him for having the statue made without permission, presented the statue to Miyagi. Apparently, the gesture was so overwhelming that it brought the karate master to tears.
Busaganashi means "my dear respected kung-fu warrior".
Legend has it that in ancient China, a young single woman gave birth to a baby boy. With no father to take care of the baby, the woman's family decided to abandon the baby in a nearby bamboo forest. After a few days, the baby's family began to have a change of heart. They returned to the bamboo forest to see whether or not the baby was still alive. To their amazement they found that the baby had been cared for by the forest itself. The plants grew over the baby for shelter and animals of the forest provided food for the baby to survive. The family took the baby home and cared for it.
Pictures of Busaganashi were put everywhere. Not only in kung fu schools, but in restaurants and the market place as well. It is said that Chojun Miyagi, on one of his trips to China, heard the story of Busaganashi and purchased a picture.
However in the Okinawan air raid during world war two, many of Miyagi's posessions were destroyed including his picture of the Busaganashi. Sensing his teachers sadness, one of his students, who had previously made a sketch of the Busaganashi, journeyed to the philipines to have a three dimensional statue made of Busaganashi.
The student, who was fearful that Miyagi would be upset at him for having the statue made without permission, presented the statue to Miyagi. Apparently, the gesture was so overwhelming that it brought the karate master to tears.