Sanchin is a kata of Southern Chinese origin that is core to the Okinawan Karate styles of Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu, as well as other karate styles and various Chinese martial arts. The Goju-Ryu style, which is almost certainly the predecessor to the kata practised in the Wilkes FMA syllabus, was developed by founder Chōjun Miyagi and uses a very strong, tense closed fist. In Uechi Ryu and some other styles the practice of Sanchin is closer to the Chinese version with fast spear hand strikes.
The Sanchin kata is performed entirely in “bear stance”, referred to as Sanchin stance (Sanchin-dachi) in traditional karate styles. When in Sanchin-dachi, the practitioner’s feet should be hip width apart, (front foot turned in) with toes spread and “gripping” the floor. The spine should be straight, chest open, shoulders should not be lifted and gluteus maximus, leg muscles, deltoids and abdominals must all be tight. The chin should be drawn slightly to the chest with the eyes fixed firmly forward, as if gazing at a distant object. When stepping forward or backward in Sanchin, the feet do not leave the floor, the movement is of a circular, sliding nature, maintaining full foot contact with the floor and full muscle tension through the body.
Controlled breathing is an important part of the kata with Inhalation and exhalation performed in unison with the various blocking and striking movements. The origins of Sanchin relate it back to stationary breathing exercises performed by Buddhist monks at an original Shaolin monastery. These breathing exercises are believed to have been developed and introduced by an Indian monk, Bodhidharma, with the Shaolin monks expanding the breathing exercises into a method of defensive, empty-handed combat. Sanchin is believed to have been introduced to Okinawan Karate, in the late 1870’s, by Kanryo Higaonna after his Gung Fu studies in Southern China.
The name Sanchin, meaning three battles, is interpreted as the battle to unify the body, mind and spirit or, in other words, “the student learns to overcome the imbalances between his/her physical, psychological and spiritual traits. This is done by developing a forceful external breathing process that is designed to purify the practitioner and bring about balance. The idea is that this breathing technique builds intrinsic force that can be channelled through the body by the mind when required. Such energy is said to be devastating when brought into union with the appropriate martial attitude (spirit). The student first develops body through exercise and kata practice before developing the mind through understanding of history and bunkai. Mastering the precise body movement of Sanchin is only part of a student’s developmental journey, with understanding and integration of the deep, clear minded concentration (mushin) and specialised breathing completing the picture. Finally, for the karate practitioner, after many years of training, the posture, tension and breathing become harmonious, working together to create a state of enlightenment.
Sanchin kata is introduced to the Wilkes FMA syllabus at Pro Brown belt level with an expectation that Sanchin (and other kata) are continued to be developed during the black belt ranks. Those of us who wish to develop advanced karate and kata skills through higher black belt levels may be well served by acknowledging the important part Sanchin can play in such development.
Footwork is very important for this kata as it sets a strong base for all the hand movements. Feel your heels pull into the ground and set your position like a tree with deep roots in the ground. Movements between the stances (when not set) should be fairly quick in comparison to the rest of the kata as that is one of the only times you feel vulnerable without a steady base.
Consistency is key to succeed in any of the senior katas, however this is more evident than any other kata due to Sanchin’s simplicity. Hands must keep at the same level in line with the shoulders when set in the ‘guard position’ and feet must equal distance apart for every transition of the bear stances.
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