Sanchin Kata (Video)

Sanchin Kata: Three Conflicts from Miyagi’s Goju–ryu.

The origin of this kata is China. The name refers to three conflicts, and in several instances, the technique is performed three times. It is arguably the oldest known kata taught in Isshin-ryu. There are many versions of this form. This form comes to Isshin-ryu through Chojun Miyagi. Miyagi sensei learned this form from Kanyro Higashionna. Higashionna sensei was taught the kata while studying martial arts in China under the tutelage of Ryu Ryu Ko pronounced in the Japanese or Liu Long Gong pronounced in the Chinese. This information comes from Filip Konjokrad’s book Goju-Ryu Toudi Jutsu Nyumon. Each version of Sanchin uses the hourglass stance, but some styles move in different directions. Miyagi sensei modified the kata from its original version. The kata today is more Okinawan than Chinese, but at its core you can see its Chinese roots.

According to high a ranking Shobayashi Shorin-ryu black belt I spoke with, that trained in Okinawa, the Sanchin exercise was designed to move forward as long as the instructor desired. Originally there were no turns. Students would move forwards and backwards in a straight line performing these basic Sanchin techniques. The turns in the kata were added to accommodate the limited space inside the dojo. The Sanchin done in Isshin Ryu does not turn around but goes forward and backwards. When Miyagi was elderly, he could not move around freely, so he sat at the head of the class. It is improper to turn your back to the Sensei, so out of respect for Miyagi the kata never turns around but is executed forward and backwards.

Sanchin was more than self-defense. It became a means of body conditioning via isometric exercise. The kata also became a right-of-passage as the student moves from kyu rank to dan rank. During the black belt dan promotion, the student is subjected to punches and kicks to test muscle tightness. Originally, this kata was not isometric. It flowed with quick movement with open hands. Miyagi sensei closed the fists and added the heavy breathing. This kata should be taught from white belt thru black belt to strengthen the student. It takes two lifetimes to master this form, so training cannot begin too soon. The physical testing at black belt teaches the karateka that in combat, no matter what his/her skill level may be, they can still be hit and must not lose concentration after the impact.

This kata is from the Naha region of Okinawa and was part of Naha-te. Many karateka teach that this kata was used to fight off the bow of a fishing boat, but others believe it could have been used in Shuri castle to defend the king against a mob of attackers. There is no record that any Naha-te kata were used by the palace guards, but this would be ideal for defending a small hallway through which the Okinawan king would retreat when threatened. The rooting of this form and body conditioning could have made it a useful tool to insure king’s safe escape through the Shuri castle’s passages.

Sanchin on the surface appears to be the shortest and simplest kata taught in AOKK Isshin Ryu. It is however the most complex. There are literally dozens of adjustments that the karateka must mentally and physically perform as the kata progresses. Sanchin is the one kata that no one can truly ever master. I laugh when I hear one student attack another student’s performance of this kata because no matter how well they believe they’re performing the kata they’re still making small mistakes.  No two styles of karate perform this form exactly the same. Lead foot rotation in one version may be deeper than another. There can be rotation of the back foot or no rotation depending upon the system teaching the form. Hands can be open or closed. This kata, in most versions, can contain turns while in others it simply moves forwards and backwards.

AOKK teaches this kata as the student’s first kata because it takes years to develop all the aspects of the form. A beginner will simply learn the moves and focus on the Sanchin (Hourglass) stance. More advanced students will work on rooting and isometrics. The brown-belt student will develop the special breathing technique used in Sanchin. Lastly the student is physically tested as all facets of the kata come together. Teaching this kata starting at san-kyu (first brown-belt) is too late for it to be fully developed, so it has become the first kata taught to beginners of many Okinawan karate schools.

You must teach Sanchin kata in steps. It is like watching a tree grow. Training starts with the feet. The feet are like the roots of a tree. The stronger the root the more wind a tree can withstand. Next the trunk grows, or the student develops isometric tensing of the legs, chest and abdomen muscle groups until the body becomes like a rock. Each year a tree grows another ring, and the trunk becomes stronger, so it is also with Sanchin kata. A strong tree grows straight. In this phase, or Sanchin training keeping the spine straight and chin up must be mastered. At the mature phase of a tree’s growth, it blooms, and its’ leaves appear. The tree takes in carbon-dioxide and expels oxygen. The karateka takes in oxygen and expels carbon-dioxide. You can go many days with food or water, but you can only exist a few minutes without oxygen. Sanchin grows from the ground up.

Some students are surprised to see the similarities between the techniques of Sanchin kata and techniques of Yoga. The Sanchin rooting concept, so I’m told, is a Yoga concept. Sanchin uses this rooting to slow an adversary’s charge by stabilizing their foundation while Yoga uses it to strengthen the muscles around the spine, and to relive the pressure on the disks. To maintain good spinal health, you should straighten the spin daily to take pressure off the disks. Rooting stabilizes the back and can prevent some back pain when the karateka gets older. Sadly, if a karateka’s back is damaged before learning Sanchin, they will never be able to fully master Sanchin, nor will they ever reap its therapeutic benefit.