Sōchin (壯鎭) (Japanese: "Tranquil Force", or "Preserve the Peace") is a
kata
''Kata'' is a Japanese word ( 型 or 形) meaning "form". It refers to a detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements made to be practised alone. It can also be reviewed within groups and in unison when training. It is practised ...
practiced in several styles of
karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
. It may have derived from
Dragon style kung fu, and was taught in the
Naha-te
Okinawan martial arts refers to the martial arts, such as karate, tegumi and Okinawan kobudō, which originated among the indigenous people of Okinawa Island. Due to its central location, Okinawa was influenced by various cultures with a long hist ...
school in
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
by
Seisho Arakaki. It was then passed down to
Shitō-ryū
is a form of karate that was founded in 1934 by . Shitō-ryū is synthesis of the Okinawan Shuri-te and Naha-te schools of karate and today is considered one of the four main styles of the art.
History
Kenwa Mabuni (Mabuni Kenwa 摩文仁 ...
. Later, a variation of it was introduced into the
Shotokan
is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin Funakoshi was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing "karate do" throu ...
style by
Gichin Funakoshi
was a japanese martial artist who is regarded as the founder of Shotakan karate, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is known as a "father of modern karate". Following the teachings of Anko Itosu and Anko Asato,Funakoshi, Gichi ...
's son,
Yoshitaka.
[Redmond, Rob, Kata: The Folk Dances of Shotokan, 2006 ()] Some branches of
Tang Soo Do
Tang Soo Do (Hangul: 당수도, Hanja: 唐手道 ) refers to a Korean martial art
based on Karate and may include fighting principles from subak (as described in the Kwon Bup Chong Do), as well as northern Chinese martial arts. Before the Ni ...
have added it to their curriculum under the name "Sojin".
The rhythm of the kata is dynamic, characterized by slow, deliberate movements interspersed with explosive bursts of speed. In the Shotokan version of the kata, the dominant stance is ''sōchin-dachi'' aka ''fudo-dachi'' (rooted stance). In the Shitō-ryū version, it employs several stances including ''nekoashi-dachi'' (cat stance) and ''zenkutsu dachi'' (front stance). Rhythm is important in its execution. This kata has been said to develop chi/ki energy.
Sōchin is practiced in Shuri Style Karate, not from Naha Style.
References
External links
"Bushido-dai" Shito-ryu club page, including Sochin description
Karate kata
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