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Sanchin Kata performed by Higaonna Sensei

The motion is not merely slow but controlled - all areas interplay to create a constant state of tension. However, the head and neck are essentially still and motionless.  To achieve this and avoid unnecessary movement, the shoulders, by contrast, should be relatively relaxed. When the heels are drawn slightly in before stepping forward, the balls of the feet remain "stuck" to the floor, creating additional torque and tension. Movement both forward and (especially)  backward is led by the trunk or hips, not by the legs or arms.

Sanchin Kata - Key Points

Here are some of the key points to bear in mind when practicing Sanchin kata as outlined by Masaji Taira Sensei. Taira Sensei is a student of the late Eiichi Miyazato, the founder of Jundokan, the head dojo of Gojuryu Karatedo Yoyogi Ryushinkan. 

Renshukai Update

Members of Gojuryu Karatedo Yoyogi Ryushinkan train together as "Renshukai" at the newly refurbished Shinjuku Sports Center, with Aragaki Kancho supervising early evening sessions as his schedule permits. At the center's budojo, various styles of martial arts are practiced by students of all ages.

Ryushinkan Sanchin Kata

This is Sanchin Kata as practiced at Gojuryu Karatedo Yoyogi Ryushinkan. Sanchin is the foundation for all other kata, and is generally considered to be the most important one to master. Only the Sanchin Dachi stance is used throughout. The lower half of the body is solidly rooted to the ground, while the punches draw their power from the earth through the legs and hips, enabling the strength of the whole body to be channeled and focused into one punch.

When properly executing Sanchin, all the muscles are flexed and tensed throughout the kata. Most styles of martial arts employ a version of Sanchin that follows the "hard" style of karate.  In Gojuryu, however, the idea is to remain soft until a hard motion is executed, and then tense briefly at the right moment. This allows for better overall movement since continuous tensing is not conducive to easy or speedy movement. 

Sanchin Kata

Sanchin (三戦) means "three battles," and has been described as a sort of moving meditation, whose purpose is to unify the mind, body and spirit. The techniques are performed very slowly and with intensity, so that the student masters precise movement, breathing, stance, posture, internal strength, and stability of both mind and body. 

Sanchin is a kata of Southern Chinese origin that is found in the Chinese martial arts of Fujian White Crane, Five Ancestors, Pangai-noon and the Tiger-Crane Combination style associated with Ang Lian-Huat. One interpretation of the name is that it refers to the “internal” battle to unify the physical, mental and spiritual.