Master Jules

MM.....Sanchin translates to 3 battles or 3 conflicts. It is also known in Chinese as Samchien, or Sambuden. It is a version of the much older iron shirt training, also known as Golden Bell. The original version of Sanchin was done with open hands, and a faster breathing pattern, to cultivate very forceful and deadly strikes. It was this version that Miyagi, the founder of Goju Ryu, learned from Kanryo Higashionna, founder of Naha-Te, and subsequently changed by closing the hands, and slowing the breathing, to cultivate the internal health aspects of the form. Higashionna, BTW, learned the form from Ru Ru Ko, a Chinese White Crane master from the Fukien province in southern China. Sanchin breathing is a form of "standing chi gung", as well as "moving zen". The muscle tensioning is a form of protection against Kyoshu Jitsu (pressure point) strikes. The locking of tandens 1,2, and 3 (lower abdomen, kidneys, and rear neck) provides protection against strikes to vital areas. In regards to katas being changed.....although many will claim they are changed for "aestetic reasons", the changes usually occur because certain techniques in the kata are missinterpreted, or they are simply to hard to perform. An example of this from Goju Ryu, is the kata Sanseiru (36 hands). Although the form doesnt really have any "fancy" moves, early on in the sequence, there is a very difficult double jump kick. Some of the more traditional "kans" still teach it that way, but some dont. The double jump kick has since been replaced with two front kicks, moving forwards. The Jundokan lineage, whos biggest proponent these days is Morio Higoanna, performs two front kicks, and can be seen doing so on his video tapes. Some Shoreikan schools still perform the double jump kick. Either way.....as long as the practicioner realizes what "was", and what "is", and the differences between the two.

Hit the board as hard as you can, grains facing towards you....aim for the floor....dont stop at the board....follow through....and make a tight fist......use a hammerfist if you havent conditioned your knuckles for a punch....shuto (knifehand "chop") makes the break easier by simple physics, but you have to have conditioned hands.....if youre a novice....go with the hammerfist. Good luck !

LOL

DD......I practice Okinawan, Japanese, and American systems.

I do it because its part of Goju Ryu conditioning training.....for some, it may not be practical in todays modern world.....I just enjoy it.

And old aint necessarily bad

DD.....I used to own a dojo. The name of the school was The Bushidokan Dojo of Traditonal Martial Arts. It was in New Rochelle NY. I had a very viscous divorce about 5 years ago, and wound up having to close the dojo as a result of a very vindictive ex mother in law, who saw to it that I lost EVERYTHING I had to my name....no kids though....fortunately.....I still teach privately now, and have hopes of opening another dojo someday.

Why do you think that "simplifying the system" is good ? As for the differences in Sanchin kata, Isshin Ryu practices the breathing WAY to hard, and doesnt perform the punch with a twist, as well as the difference in the middle block, being more linear than circular. Sanchin kata is a form of "standing chi gung", as well as "moving zen"....The kata was designed to facilitate internal health, based on the proper chi gung breathing pattern (something that isnt supposed to be toyed with), as well as cultivate proper muscle tensioning. That proper tensioning cannot be achieved in the forearm area, due to the lack of the "twist" at the end of the punch. Sanchin, also known as "SamChien" or "Sambuden" in Chinese, is a version of "iron shirt" training (also known as Golden Bell).....It is imperative that to achieve the maximum benefit of this form, it must be practiced as it was designed to be practiced.....if changed, the best case scenario is that the practicioner will not get the most out of it....worst case is the possibility of internal damage from improper chi gung training.

DippeDappe.....This past October marks my 31st anniversary......I started in 1973 with Kyokushin, and the rest is history as they say

During makawari training of the knuckles, the second you break the skin, you STOP. Give as much time as needed for the skin to heal and then resume training......NEVER continue hitting until you bleed all over the place......thats detrimental to your training. Makaiwari training for the knuckles has a dual purpose.....the first is to toughen and callous the skin, the second is to cause microfractures in the bones...this will allow the bones to heal by causing calcium deposits, and that is how the knuckles "grow".

I posted a very detailed explanation in the "weightlifting for martial arts" thread.....check it out, as it will be very helpful in answering your question.

The benchpress isnt the most effective way to work the pectoral muscles. Because the benchpress is done with a straight bar, it doesnt afford the ability to "adduct", which is the most effective way of working chest. To adduct, you must start with the hands wide, like the starting position of a normal bench press, but the hands must come together from the start to the finish of the movement. If using a machine, use one that allows this motion, normally called a "dual-axis" bench press, or use dumbells. The pec fly machine is great, because it is an adduction type of movement.

I guess I misinterpreted your post.....It seems we do agree......you dont fight with the actual movements of the katas, but by learning the applications of the kata, AND how to use them, you will wind up with a long list of techniques to draw upon in "real life" scenarios.

Again, I have to humbly disagree.....If you learn the two man forms that accompany the katas, you will see that they are VERY relevant to actual combat. The katas themselves were designed to hide the actual techniques you would fight with, that is true, but learning the applications of kata is the most important thing you can do. From personal experience, I can tell you that my study of the Kaisai, Bunkai, and Oyo of the katas has been very helpful in "real life" application.

Im a little leary of anything that was created because someone had a "dream"......It really is the basics of Shorin Ryu and Goju Ryu combined.....I kinda look at it this way.....two 6th grade educations dont give you a high school diploma......Isshin Ryu started receiving lots of popularity because back in the 60's many of the US serviceman began training the Okinawan styles when they were over there.....Guys like Don Nagle made it seem like a very hard core fighting system because in all the competitions, it came down to the Goju guys VS the Isshin Ryu guys......what people forget is that these guys were hardcore fighters in there own right, from their military training......The blocks are very basic, as is the vertical punch....the rotational punch is a much stronger punch, and the circular blocking of Goju is much more advanced than the linear, "basic" blocking method of Isshin Ryu......the difference in the performance of Sanchin kata alone should be a clue that something is drastically missing from the system. Compare the system of Goju and Isshin ryu side by side, and youll see that Goju is much more advanced......good luck and enjoy whichever way you go.

Good post PAL.....I definetely agree with you. MM makes a very good point as well. And BTW......welcome to Master Dave....good to have you here.

Go for it !!......Do your thing and be proud of it....I have a few myself.....On each arm, I have a band of thorns, with kanji within the bands. The thorns and the red in the tattoo represent the blood and pain of the training Ive been through. On my left arm, the kanji for "Goju Ryu"...chose the left arm for that one cause its closest to my heart. On my right arm, the kanji within the band are "Bushido", cause I try to live my life by that code, and Ive been told that my right reverse punch is a killer....lol.....Those kanji are in Japanese.....On my neck are the Chinese kanji for "Master Kung Fu Killer".....they drop down vertically between a huge double dragon on my upper back. These days, tats can be removed, but get what you want, and keep it......it represents who you are at a certain time in your life.......Like I said before.....Do your thing.....and be proud of it.

Thanks guys......just tryin' to help.

I appreciate the paradox of training relentlessly to achieve a perfection that can never be attained.

Other way around Little Dragon.....lol......but that would be a heck of a trick.

Good post Shorin Ryuu.....very good points made.

Weightlifting can produce a variety of effects. Your muscles work on 3 consecutively used fuel sources. The first fuel is the most explosive, and takes you up to roughly 8 reps. It is this type of very heavy weight, low rep workout that cultivates explosive strength, a practical example of this would be a football player who plays on the line, and has to exert maximum explosive strength for a very short time period, say 5-10 seconds. At about 8 reps, your secondary fuel source kicks in. It is still a powerful fuel, but not quite as explosive as the first. This roughly lasts from 8-15 reps. It is this type of heavy weight 8-15 rep workout that produces strength, and muscular growth. It is at about 15 reps that your muscles switch over to their third fuel source, which is your glycogen (body fat) stores. Glycogen is more of a "sluggish" fuel....not very explosive, but long lasting. Workouts that consist of 15 or more reps are geared more towards fat burning and endurance. One of the major keys to these workout programs is the amount of rest between sets. The first program, a strength program, requires a minimum of 3 minutes rest between sets, so your muscles have enough time to recover, and regenerate that first explosive fuel. The second program, the promotion of muscular growth, also requires about 2 minutes of rest, again, so the muscles can recover and regenerate those first two fuels. The third program, a fat burning/endurance workout requires rest of NO MORE THAN 30 SECONDS between sets. The idea behind the minimal rest is so that your body DOESNT regenerate those first two fuels, and your muscles STAY in glycogen as their fuel source. The way the body is "layered" is skin, fat, muscle.....so to see "definition", and visible muscular separation, the layer of fat that resides between the skin and the muscle has to be minimized, or removed altogether, and the effect is the appearance of lean, toned muscle. Stretching is also very important, because weightlifting tends to "shorten and bulk" the muscle, and during the resting/recovery period, the muscle tightens up. Martial art training leans more towards the lengthening and toning of the muscle, and generally speaking, produces results contrary to that of weightlifting. The "power" that you are looking for in martial arts comes from the perfection of techniques, not the ability to lift heavy weight. Sure, weightlifting will help you to cultivate strength, size, endurance, or a combination of the three, but when it comes to the ability to generate "power", perfection of techniques is what you should strive for. Always remember.....there is, and never will be, any substitute for proper technique.

I can roll over and play dead, catch a frisbee in my mouth, and walk on my hind legs.

Goju Ryu is all about "in close".....theres actually much more grappling in Goju then many people realize, due to its incorporation of Shaolin Chin Na