is a

kata ''Kata'' is a Japanese word ( 型 or 形) meaning "form". It refers to a detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements. It can also be reviewed within groups and in unison when training. It is practiced in Japanese martial arts ...

of apparent Southern Chinese (

Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...

ese) origin that is considered to be the core of several styles, the most well-known being the Okinawan

Karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...

styles of Uechi-Ryū and Gōjū-Ryū, as well as the

Chinese martial arts Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

of Fujian White Crane,

Five Ancestors Five Ancestor Boxing (''Wuzuquan'' or ''Ngo-cho Kun'') is a Southern Chinese martial arts, Chinese martial art that consists of principles and techniques from five styles: * the breathing methods and Iron Shirt, iron body of Bodhidharma (� ...

, Pangai-noon and the Tiger-Crane Combination style associated with Ang Lian-Huat. Tam Hon taught a style that was called simply "Saam Jin" (

Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...

for "Sanchin"). The name ''Sanchin'', meaning "three battles/conflicts/wars" is usually interpreted as the battle to unify the mind, body, and spirit; however, there are other interpretations. Example: Technique, stepping, breathing. Uechi-Ryū practices a form of ''Sanchin'' with "open spear hand" strikes, while the version used by many other styles such as Gōjū-Ryū, Chitō-ryū, Koei-Kan use a closed fist.

General information

''Sanchin'' uses the "''sanchin'' stance" named for the ''kata''. Practice of ''Sanchin'' seeks to develop the muscles and bones of the body to help the practitioner withstand blows from an opponent, while drilling the basic mechanics of a strike that depends on a stable base. ''Sanchin'' is the first ''kata'' learned in Uechi-Ryū, while other styles may introduce it later. In Gōjū-Ryu, there are two ''Sanchin kata.'' The first, "Miyagi's ''Sanchin''" or ''sanchin dai ichi'', was created by Chōjun Miyagi. The second, "Higashionna's ''sanchin''" or ''sanchin dai ni'' was taught with open hands, as in Uechi-Ryū, but later it was also revised to closed fists by Miyagi's co-student Juhatsu Kyoda, founder of Tōon-Ryū, and adopted by Chōjun Miyagi as well. This ''kata'' was adopted by other styles such as the later Okinawan style Isshin-Ryū,

Kyokushin is a style of karate originating in Japan. It is a full-contact style of stand-up fighting and is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline, and hard training. Kyokushin Kaikan is the martial arts organization founded in 1964 ...

, and Koei-Kan.

Some styles use a method of checking strength, posture, hand concentration during the performance of the ''kata'' called . This involves a range of techniques from hard strikes to check the tone of the student's muscles and overall strength to very soft and slow pushes and pulls to test the student's ability to react in order to maintain their position.

References

{{Karate Karate kata

General information

See also

References