Sochin stance & sochin kata

[aefibird]

We were practicing Sochin (sp?) kata tonight at my dojo and it got me thinking - how many of you practice Sochin stance regularly? We hardly ever practice the stance outside of the kata - maybe once every couple of months or so we might do some work on Sochin stance away from the kata, but we practice other stances much more regularly, such as shikodachi, neko ashi dachi etc etc.

 

I know a couple of people on here have mentioned before that they don't do much work on Sochin stance - is this mainly a Shotokan thing or does it apply to other karate styles?

[kotegashiNeo]

Sanchin stance you mean ?

[Gyte]

Sanchin stance you mean ?

No, he means Sochin Dachi. This is a very different stance than the Sanchin Dachi. Sochin Dachi is also called Fudo Dachi in Shotokan. This stance is usually not known in other styles of Karate and is very unique to Shotokan.

 

I practise Shotokan and I must agree with aefibird that we also don't very much use the Sochin Dachi outside the kata. Shiko Dachi and Neko Ashi Dachi aren't practised much also. For these last two stances this isn't strange, because they are not typical Shotokan stances, but for the Sochin Dachi this shouldn't be so off course. Sochin Dachi is a very good and strong stance.

 

 

 

Master Taiji Kase has a strong preference for the Sochin Dachi over the Zenkutsu Dachi. According to Taiji Kase the Sochin Dachi is more flexible. In Zenkutsu Dachi the rear leg is streched, so with the rear leg you can't make a movement anymore. In Sochin Dachi the rear leg is bent, so you have more reserve. The Sochin Dachi is also better for the body, because your muscles act like shock absorbers. It is also better for the joints and the cartilages.

[Ripper]

I think you use it a lot more than you think. When I'm sparring or doing a drill with someone else I always stand in fudo dachi. It's not a deep stance as in Sochin, but when I'm sparring in a left stance my right knee will be bent to the outside (fudo dachi). My knee isn't facing the front as in a zenkutsu dachi. I'm guessing you do the same.....

[Pacificshore]

No, he means Sochin Dachi.

 

Just FYI, aefibird is a lady .....unless of course you knew that, and the "he" was meant to be a "she", and it was a simple type-o

[G95champ]

Yeah the Sochin stance has another name sometimes called inmovable stance. Im not good with the Japanese so someone else can add it.

 

I think the Sochin stance is one we use a lot just don't realize it. Such as when doing freestyle sparring. Some of us are up higher but we are NOT in a front stance as we practice basics. Both legs are bent and spaced so we can move. I think the Sochin stance is just the evolution of the front stance to teach us how to stand up and spar. Just as the Cat stance is to the Back stance.

 

FYI I love Sochin kata.

[aefibird]

Yes, I personally use Sochin stance a lot when freestyle sparring - what I was meaning was do you ever 'officially' practice and work on Sochin Dachi (eg in drills) or is it just used in sparring and the Sochin kata?

 

Champ, I love Sochin kata too. It's a great example of a Shotokan kata IMO.

[ramymensa]

In our dojo, Fudo Dachi is by far the most used stance

 

Aefibird, didn't know you are a girl, as well. I'll punish myself doing 482396576 push-ups

[G95champ]

When we work one step sparring or semi free sparring and work our shifts to the side of attacks I find myself in Sochin.

 

But like you said going up and down the floor we hardly ever work it. Unless we are going to work that kata then we may make a point of doing it but its not practiced that way. Same is true for Hangetsu stance, and Cat stance.

[renketsu]

We use it in basics in the same way it is used in kata wankan (and others), shifting from sochin to zenkutsu as it is a good way to empasise the use of the hips and straightening of the back leg when making a reverse punch.

 

We don't have a completly straight back leg in zenkutsu dachi, it is slightly bent by releasing the tension in the leg but not forced to be bent like in sochin, so the same method works when making reverse punch as noted above.

 

I know some groups dont have any bend in the back leg when in zenkutsu dachi so I guess for them, using sochin in kihon as above would be pretty much useless!

 

Andy.