AOKK Seiunchin Kata by Series:
When practicing any strike or block, emotion must be removed from the equation, Anger or fear impedes your movement. These two emotions must be controlled in fighting. The mind cannot focus on two things at once. If you’re angry or afraid, you’ve placed the brakes on your defense. Anger slows you down. When executing any block or strike, the body must be relaxed until the moment of contact. Hip rotation and every movement must be timed to stop at the same moment for maximum transfer of power. This is true of the mind as well. Your mind must remain in a relaxed state to minimize resistance to performing any strike or block. As the old adage goes, “Be like water” or flow and adapt to any situation.
The AOKK version of this kata includes dynamic tension. This is a deviation from the original version is due to influences of prominent American instructors. Their insights have slightly altered this form, but at its core it remains true to the kata taught by Tatsuo Shimabuku. The changes to this form were not made on a whip, but through research and advanced instructors input.
This form comes from the Goju-ryu system. The Goju or Miyagi Chojun’s version differs greatly from the Isshin-ryu or Shimabukuro Tatsuo’s version. Tatsuo sensei trained with Miyagi sensei
SERIES-1:
1.Bow
2.Salutation:[ Musubi Dachi]
The fist hidden inside the open hand, during the salutation, is a reminder to the karateka that karate is your secret weapon. Do not disclose that you are trained in karate. Let it be your special surprise. It is also a self-defense move. This move is discussed in the Seiuchin bunkai. [Volume 3 .Hanto Kata & Bunkai]
3.After the bow the feet straighten, and remain shoulder width apart.
4.The fists cross and rotate slightly past the sides of you body.
Basic Bunkai: Attacker has grabbed your lapels. Drive both forearms downwards to remove his/her grasp and wedge the opponent’s arms outside your trunk. From this position the attacker is open and you can launch your attack.
SERIES-2:
5.Step out with the right foot sideways pivoting on the left foot into Seiuchin stance.
6,Execute Double shuto Middle Outside Block [Wedge Block].
7.Stay in right foot forward Seiunchin-dachi.[Shiko-dachi]
8.Execute Lower Spread Block or Lower Double Hammer fist Block
Note: The initial placement of the hands by the AOKK is in front of the body. Shimabuku sensei starts with the hands on the outside of the legs sweeping in towards the center of the body. Many other American Isshin-ryu schools also start with the hands over the thighs. Allen Wheeler sensei in his book “Isshinryu The One Heart-One Mind Method” starts with the hands over the thighs position. Most Okinawan Isshin-ryu instructors have the hands slightly outside the thighs before sweeping upwards. In the Goju-ryu version the hands never go past the middle of the thighs. My linage is through Nagle sensei and I was taught hands over the thighs, and after reviewing old films of Don Nagle it is easy to see why my instructors thought the hands were in front of the thighs. His hand position is in the middle between either extreme. This is true of Angi Uezu as well. The AOKK will continue to place the hands in front of the thighs to begin this form.
Your elbows should be a fist and a thumb away for the rib cage. The palms of your hands should face you on a 45˚ angle. Both hands are in the spear finger striking form, and fingers should be straight with the thumbs tucked. Do not bend the wrists forward or backwards. The hands are perfectly in line with the wrists. This wedge block technique is executed slowly. There are different cadences or speeds in this kata. This technique is slow with power.
The Seiuchin stance or shiko-dachi is very similar to the kiba-dachi or horse stance found in Japanese karate, but the feet are turned out on forty-five degree angles. The back and spine are straight. Do not lean forward or backwards, but set down into the stance by bending your knees. Tighten the muscles of the stomach, upper body, and buttocks. Your chin is up and you’re facing forward. Some systems do this kata on an angle facing forward, but Isshin-ryu turns the body perpendicular to the beginning or ready stance.
Press your feet firmly against the ground slightly gripping the floor with your toes. Do not grip too tightly with the toes or the bottom of the foot will lose contact with the floor.
Note: In the AOKK version the first three movements are done slowly. Master Robert Trias made this nuance know to my first Isshin-ryu instructor around 1987. Trias sensei is considered the father of American karate. We changed the form from free flowing to dynamic tension for the first three movements and then returned to the rapid movements during the palm-up spear-finger strike, and again slowed down during the trap and spear-finger strike.
Note: Many times technique that incorporates dynamic tension like San-chin kata indicate via bunkai that this is a muscle move or body strength is required to make the movement effective, so isometrics were incorporated in the kata to strengthen the needed muscles. In San-chin kata these muscles are struck to insure they are in a tension state.
Note: This is the second cadence in this kata. Fighting is never one speed, so why should kata be one monotonous speed?
9.Stay in right foot forward Seiunchin-dachi.
10.Execute a (RH) Middle Ridge-hand Block.
11.The (LH) rear or chambered hand is open palm up.
Note: Quickly turn the head to the right. Always look in the direction you are going before moving in that direction.
Note: The Parry block and Middle Ridge-hand Block combination was not in the original Shimabuku version. Master Harold Mitchum was wholly against adding hidden technique to Master Shimabuku’s kata, but this has happened often and can be seen if you watch the same kata performed in different regions of America. The parry block portion is hidden technique, and was incorporated into the kata in the seventies. This is movement is done quickly in the original version and only looks like a single ridge-hand block. Chamber the L-H on the obi.
12.Stay in right foot forward Seiunchin-dachi.[Shiko-dachi]
13.Execute a soft tissue strike with rear hand.
Note: This move is done quickly and with fluidity unlike the first three movements.
SERIES-3:
14. Turn CW forward 180˚ and step into shiko-dachi or Seiunchin-dachi.
15. Step out with the left foot sideways pivoting on the right foot into Seiunchin stance.
16.Execute Double shuto Middle Outside Block [Wedge Block].
17.Stay in left foot forward (LFF) Seiunchin-dachi.[Shiko-dachi]
18.Execute Lower Spread Block or Lower Double Hammer fist Block
19.Stay in left foot forward (LFF) Seiunchin-dachi.
20.Execute a (LH) Middle Ridge-hand Block.
21.The (RH) rear or chambered hand is open.
SERIES-4:
22.Turn forward again180˚.
23.Step out with the right foot sideways pivoting on the left foot into Seiunchin stance.
24.Execute Double shuto Middle Outside Block [Wedge Block].
25.Stay in right foot forward Seiunchin-dachi.[Shiko-dachi]
26.Execute Lower Spread Block or Lower Double Hammer fist Block
27.Stay in right foot forward Seiunchin-dachi.
28.Execute a (RH) Middle Ridge-hand Block.
29.The (LH) rear or chambered hand is open palm up.
SERIES-5:
30.Step into a right foot forward (RFF) Cat Stance,
31.Back knuckle (RH) into the palm of your (LH).
32.Roll the hand over with the (LH) on top of the right fist.
33.Shuffle forward into (RFF) [Seisan-dachi], or forward walking stance.
34.Execute what looks like a Reinforced punch. [This is in reality a wrist-lock.]
Note: There is no reinforced punch, but we use this description to reference this technique. See the bunkai section on Seiuchin kata. [Volume 3 Hanto Kata & Bunkai]
35.Shuffle forward into a right leg forward stance.[Seisan-dachi].
36.Grasp the back of the attacker’s head and right elbow strike into the L-H.
SERIES-6:
37.Turn into a (RFF) right foot forward Cat Stance on a 45˚ angle. [Nikoashi-dachi]
38.Chamber the hands on left side of the obi.
39.Step out into a (RFF) forward walking stance.[Seisan-dachi]
40.Execute what appears to be a (RH) high reinforced block.
Note: The left thumb wraps around the right wrist.
Note: There is no reinforced punch, but we use this description to reference this technique. See the bunkai section on Seiuchin kata. [Volume 3 Hanto Kata & Bunkai]
41.Step forward into Left leg forward stance [Seiunchin/Shiko-dachi].
42.Execute a L-H Low Block
43.Step back into Right leg forward stance [Seiunchin/Shiko-dachi].
44.Execute a R-H Low Block
SERIES-7:
Note: [Repeat steps 10 and 11 on the opposite side. You’re still on a 45˚ angle.]
45.Turn into a Left foot forward Cat Stance on a 45˚ angle.
46.Chamber the hands on obi.
47.Step out into a Left leg forward stance.[Seisan-dachi]
48.Execute a L-H high reinforced block.
Note: The left thumb wraps around the right wrist
49.Step forward into Right leg forward stance [Seiunchin/Shiko-dachi].
50.Execute a R-H Low Block
51.Step back into Left leg forward Seiunchin/Shiko-dachi.
52.Execute a L-H Low Block
SERIES-8:
53.Step backwards into a right leg forward Seiunchin-dachi. [Shiko-dachi]
54.Double shuto strike Right Hi/ Left Lo [Archers]
55.Step backwards into a left leg forward Seiunchin-dachi.[Shiko-dachi]
56.Double shuto strike Left Hi/ Right Lo [Archers]
SERIES-9:
57.Step forward into right foot forward stance [Seisan-dachi]
58.Right Hammer fist into palm L-H [Seisan-dachi]
59.Thrust Hammer fist and palm upwards.
SERIES-10:
60.Pivot on the right foot and turn 65° CCW into a Seisan-dachi or forward walking stance (LFF).
61.Execute a Double Block or Scissor Block.
62.Pull your lead leg back for a knee block and then Shuffle forwards in Seisan-dachi (LFF).
63.Execute an uppercut (LH) with the lead hand and cover your solar-plexus with a parry block (RH). [Seisan-dachi on the oblique]
64.Pivot into a Seiunchin or Shiko-dachi and back-knuckle with the lead hand (LH) that delivered the uppercut. Chamber hand on hip (RH).
Note: Your elbow remains in the same position after the uppercut while the forearm rotates to deliver the back-knuckle
65.Remain in Shiko-dachi and low block (LH).
66.Pivot on your right foot and turn CCW 180 ° stepping backwards into Shiko-dachi and low block (RH).
.
SERIES-11:
67.Turn 90° degrees CCW remain on a 45º degree angle and step into (LFF) [Seisan-dachi]
68.Execute a Double Block or Scissor Block
69.Step forwards into a (RFF) Seisan-dachi [Seisan-dachi on the oblique].
70.Execute an uppercut (RH) with the lead hand and cover your solar-plexus with a parry block (LH).
71.Pivot into a Seiuchin or Shiko-dachi and back-knuckle with the lead hand (RH) that delivered the uppercut. Chamber hand on hip (LH).
Note: Your elbow remains in the same position after the uppercut while the forearm rotates to deliver the back-knuckle
72.Remain in Shiko-dachi and low block (RH).
73.Pivot on your right foot and turn CCW 180 ° stepping backwards into Shiko-dachi and low block (LH).
SERIES-12:
74.Step back into a [Cat Stance, Nekoashi-Dachi]
75.Elbow strike right [Cat Stance, Nekoashi-Dachi]
76.Step back into a [Cat Stance, Nekoashi-Dachi]
77.Elbow Strike left [Cat Stance, Nekoashi-Dachi]
[Tiger Boxing]
78.Twist into, left [Seisan-Dachi]
79.Grab and Low Twist Punch, [Seisan-Dachi]
80.Step forward into, right foot forward [Seisan-Dachi]
81.Grab and Back knuckle [Seisan-dachi]
Note: The fist is under the elbow.
SERIES-13:
82.Pull back into Cat Stance right leg forward (RFF).
83.Circle over and down with the left elbow.
84.Circle over and down with the right elbow.
85.Drive forearms down together and push out with elbows [Cat Stance]
Note: The hands should form a triangle.
