SANCHIN

Sanchin Kata may be the oldest kata whose origins are believed to go all the way back to Bodhidharma (Buddah) and the exercises he taught ChineseBuddhist monks at the Shaolin Temple. Kanryo Higaonna, founder of Naha-Te, brought Sanchin Kata from China to Okinawa. Higaonna taught the kata to Chojun Miyagi, who then taught the kata to Tatsuo Shimabuku. Miyagi modified the kata by replacing the open hands Chinese version with closed fists to emphasize the hard aspects of Goju Ryu. Sanchin means three battles or conflicts and is supposed to produce a unity of mind, body, and spirit.      The kata is performed very slowly and emphasizes dramatic deep breathing with dynamic tension or isometric muscular contractions. The forced breathing acts as a respiratory excercise and was added to the kata by Miyagi. The dynamic tension provides power training to improve the physique, stamina, and energy of the practitioner. The tension also produces an overall body hardening effect enhancing a resistance to blows. The level of dynamic tension may be tested by applying blows to the body while performing the kata.      The kata uses only one stance, the sanchin stance, which is done like a front stance but with the feet turned inward, the pelvis tilted up and the toes gripping the floor. The correct breathing technique taught by the kata is diaphragm breathing, versus chest breathing, and exhaling while tensing the body and delivering the strike. Sanchin kata is the only open hand Isshinryu kata with no kias and no kicks. Traditionally, this kata is performed with the top of the gi off so that you can see the tension in the upper body.

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