Sanchin Kata

[Nidan Melbourne]

To me it is an extremely important kata as it teaches you a lot about karate in itself.

My sensei says it is one of the most important. We don't personally practice the bunkai for it though.

I accept that it is extremely important but i have been encouraged to find my own interpretation of the kata and find the importance of every single kata in my style.

[neoravencroft]

Some karate styles don't even do Sanchin unfortunately. When I use to take Shorin-Ryu in my younger years, I never even heard of a Sanchin kata. Now that I take Uechi-Ryu, I understand why karateka say it's an important kata as it does indeed train all three of those traits of mind, body, and spirit.

[Wastelander]

Some karate styles don't even do Sanchin unfortunately. When I use to take Shorin-Ryu in my younger years, I never even heard of a Sanchin kata. Now that I take Uechi-Ryu, I understand why karateka say it's an important kata as it does indeed train all three of those traits of mind, body, and spirit.

Most Shorin-Ryu systems do not practice Sanchin, with the exception of systems influenced by Motobu-Ryu, which practices what they call "Shuri Sanchin." My Sensei and I practice Sanchin, but we learned it outside of Shorin-Ryu, and while we occasionally teach it, we don't require our students to learn it. From our perspective, Naihanchi is the root of our system, rather than Sanchin. Conversely, Sanchin is the root of Naha-Te systems.

[Maybetrue]

.............I've never had a teacher do any of this to me while performing it. I heard mention of "we used to get hit with a shinai" from my teachers, but that's about as far in detail as they went with saying it. I feel ripped off in a way. I feel like I've been practicing it the wrong way, or for no real good reason other than an empty "it's the most important kata.".........................

Dont blame your instructor. Blame the lawyers and the current generation of "no one left behind" .......

If i taught how i really want or how i was trained, i get sued,complaints and have to shut down the dojo.

[Bulltahr]

I see Okinawan teachers using a shinai, open and closed fists, and kicks on their students to condition them. They're constantly pushing and striking them from different angles and directions to check their posture. The student is supposed to be in tension at the right moments, and relaxation at the right moments. The ibuki breathing is supposed to coincide with the strikes they're receiving.

This and using dumb bells is common here....................

perhaps it's an individual CI thing or maybe ask some one at Honbu for clarification.

[bushido_man96]

I don't know the kata, but I've done some study on it. A couple of guys named Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder did a whole book on that kata alone....

[Nidan Melbourne]

I don't know the kata, but I've done some study on it. A couple of guys named Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder did a whole book on that kata alone....

It is interesting for such a short kata in itself, you could easily do several books, but still not get everything that it teaches in itself.

My sensei says 10 years of learning a kata you scratch the surface, 20 years you get a little better at understanding the kata and slowly get deeper so on and so forth.

[GojuRyu Bahrain]

I do not subscribe to Bunkai for Sanchin Kata in the sense of practical self defense applications, but the Kata sets the foundation for Naha-lineage Karate in terms of posture, breathing, and basic movement.

Furthermore, if performed with full power at slow speed, Sanchin Kata is an excellent addition to dynamic/isotonic strength training through the contained isometric exercises.

As mentioned earlier in this thread, Chris Wilder's book "The Way of Sanchin Kata" is a very good resource on the subject with several excellent instructions on how to test the structural alignment taught in this form (Shime). I went through the book in a few iterations and highly recommend it to any sincere Goju student.

[Hawkmoon]

Sanchin kata teaches the practitioner three of the traits of a warrior: mind, body, and spirit.

The use of sticks and punches and so on is what develops this.

Kyokushin used to use the shinai to strike a body part as the kata was done, the idea was to prove a focused mind a strong body and a firm spirit to not stop to push on and to complete the kata.

Is it an important kata?

Yes, without doubt.

Is it the most important kata?

That is a ryu and I'd offer a personal decision for yourself to make.

We don't use a shinai anymore, we do punch and kick a student as they perform the kata, but, and so why I say a personal decision, the kata is performed, to demonstrate a knowledge of the movement, its not tested as to see if you have learnt anymore, an important difference many I feel miss when it comes to sanchin.

In my opinion, Sanchin is a test not a performance.

To do Sanchin to to finish the kata utterly exhausted to be sweating buckets and breathing deeply to regain composure.

By your demeanor show that put everything you have into each and every movement as its your last or your life depended upon it!

A test of mind, body and spirit to endure and come out the other side the victor!

[JR 137]

Sanchin kata teaches the practitioner three of the traits of a warrior: mind, body, and spirit.

The use of sticks and punches and so on is what develops this.

Kyokushin used to use the shinai to strike a body part as the kata was done, the idea was to prove a focused mind a strong body and a firm spirit to not stop to push on and to complete the kata.

Is it an important kata?

Yes, without doubt.

Is it the most important kata?

That is a ryu and I'd offer a personal decision for yourself to make.

We don't use a shinai anymore, we do punch and kick a student as they perform the kata, but, and so why I say a personal decision, the kata is performed, to demonstrate a knowledge of the movement, its not tested as to see if you have learnt anymore, an important difference many I feel miss when it comes to sanchin.

In my opinion, Sanchin is a test not a performance.

To do Sanchin to to finish the kata utterly exhausted to be sweating buckets and breathing deeply to regain composure.

By your demeanor show that put everything you have into each and every movement as its your last or your life depended upon it!

A test of mind, body and spirit to endure and come out the other side the victor!

Thank you for that post. Solid. Especially where you say it's a test, not a performance. You hit the nail in the head for me.