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Old 08-16-2001, 08:38 AM   #4
Greg Jennings
Dojo: S&G BJJ
Location: Springboro, OH
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,132
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Re: Re: Re: What "waza" means?

Quote:
Originally posted by andrea anzalone

thanks Greg,
i know that the question is quite obvious, hovever i pose it why some giapanese (i don't remember who he was) told me that occidental people translate waza by technique while the right (he said) translation should be something like "form". If this would be true the optic of our practic could change a lot.
thanks in advance for your opinion.
andrea
Translations are always less than perfect.

In many uses "technique" and "form" could be interchangeable. In some, not.

Just so you know where I'm coming from, I'm a rather abstract kind of person. I'm not very interested in the word "technique" in the meaning of "this is the exact method for doing this thing".

I'm much more interested in the broader meaning that you might label "form".

"Kata" meaning "form" or "shape" might be the better Nihongo phrase for my personal take on matters.

Not that I'm any Japanese language expert. You'd be better off talking to Jun, Michael Hacker or Chris Li.

Best Regards,

Greg Jennings
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