The Way of Controlling Steps.

This Kata still perplexes me, every single time I try to wrap my mind around it something new pops up and a new chapter is written.
Honestly, I could write volumes on what has been revealed to me so far in my many trips down Seipai Lane.

There are a few Kata that entice me, but if I were to answer the old question as to which Kata I would take with me to a desert island, the answer would be two; Seipai and Sanchin.
It is not about what the Kata means, or how the movements 'translate' and whether or not each individual movement is effective or needs to be changed, it is about movement itself, about principles working together, and not necessarily in the order prescribed. Whether or not they 'mirror' what is there is irrelevent; if it does, fine, if it doesn't then are the principles at work?
If the principles are not at work then something was not understood to begin with and, like a sword, or a fine tuned instrunment, the Kata cannot make music, therefor it cannot work when applied.

This not only includes the physical, where most Karateka/Budoka get hung up, but again the mental, which is 90% of the Kata itself.
People forget this and often forget there is a spirit behind what they are doing, and even when they try to grasp what is there they become hung up on 'interpretation' and it becomes a hindrance to actual application, the majority, not all.
There is the hang up on form, form over function, even the form of function itself, but there is meaning behind the movement, though it is more in principle than in solid interpretation, at least in my view.
There is merit in exploring and interpreting as an exercise to unlock the hidden principles according to specific guidelines, guidelines exist for a reason, and form is a gateway to the reason beyond the form itself - as the old Zen saying goes (and the Bruce Lee saying) "don't mistake the finger pointing at the moon for the moon itself."

The fact that many do not understand what Kata actually is, in its' entirety, leads people to disrespect of Kata itself through doubt, which can be a healthy thing in some instances, but can also be harmful.
Caution is recommended when playing with knives and fire, and that is the point. Those who question usefulness must dig deeper, those who have not found usefulness may need to re-evaluate their approach, or drop it altogether and discover the principles another way.

Seipai, to me, is alive, it does speak, like all other Kata, in its' own unique way that seems to resonate deeply.
It may not resonate with other people, and the people it does resonate with may not find the same things I have found, just the same with every other Kata.
That is the importance of form to formlessness, and the importance of not becoming stuck one way or another, Shu-Ha-Ri, a straight path to pathlessness, or the true path to yourself.

In the end there are those that argue in favor of the 'Do' versus the 'Jutsu,' but in my view it does not matter, both imply the way, it is the goal and mindset of each practitioner that determines how they walk the path, or whether they walk the path at all.
Though the Kata translates as '18' or '18 Hands' (Seipai Te), I love the interpretation given on Wuweidao.com (not sure if that is the correct address) of Controlling (Sei) Steps ('Bu/Pu'). It seems to fit on so many levels, but again, speculation is a fun and healthy exercise.