by Sean Wong
January 8th, 2012
Sanchin (三戦) has been considered by many as the foundation of Gojyu-Ryu Karate. It’s roots from China is said to be an interpretation of old Qigong breathing exercises witnessed and possibly studied by Kanryo Higaonna during his visit to the Fukien province of China. Kanryo Higaonna is one of the great forefathers of Okinawa Karate who taught and practised in the Naha City, Okinawa. Although very well-known in the world of Gojyu-Ryu, Sanchin is also practiced in the style of Uechi-Ryu. Both Uechi-Ryu and Gojyu-Ryu fall within the regional category of Naha-te Karate and the old Okinawan classification of Shorei.
Much have been written about Sanchin and a lot of information, in my opinion, seems to be conceptually based. It’s been written that it means mind, body, spirit or man vs man/nature/himself or even physical, spiritual, meta-physical. Perhaps this ambiguity is caused by the characters that make up the name San (三) Chin (戦) which opens the door wide for interpretations. San (三) means the number 3 and Chin (戦) means to battle. Hence, the western interpretations of the classic 3 battles. Yet, if you ask Master Yagi Meitetsu (President of the Meibukan Hombu Dojo) what those 3 battles are, he will tell you that this is not what Dai Sensei has taught him. According Master Yagi Meitetsu, Dai Sensei’s personal journal reveals clearly that the practice of Sanchin is primarily for Ki o Neru (氣を練) or training for internal energy. This purpose also mirrors the Qigong breathing exercises of China. It is said that the aggressive breathing massages the inner organs and the isometric muscle tension strengthens the entire musculature including connective tissue. This is probably why Master Yagi Meitetsu says that doing Sanchin everyday is good for ones health – even better than an apple a day. Unlike today’s Qigong forms however both Okinawa Gojyu-Ryu and Uechi-Ryu utilize a regimen of vigorous cuffing applied to the body of the performer. Those who practice this ritual will immediately recognize an immediate improvement when compared to Sanchin practised without cuffing. I am not sure when cuffing took place or who introduced it, but it truly adds a necessary layer to training in Karate for budo purposes. Since Qigong has been associated with Shaolin Temple, perhaps cuffing is reminiscent of developing it’s famous “Iron Shirt”. We will never really know since there is no smoking gun evidence in writing. If Sanchin is not related to the western notion of the 3 conflicts, what is the meaning of its name? Does it come from the fact that we take 3 steps forward before turning? Is it because Sanchin Dachi makes 3 points of a triangle? It is after all the only stance named after a Kata in the Gojyu-Ryu system. I am currently working on my own theory. If we were to follow Dai Sensei’s notes and adopt the edict that Sanchin has more to do with building internal energy than dealing with 3 conflicts perhaps we can focus on where our personal Ki brews – in our tanden (丹田). According to Chinese Qigong theory there are 3 areas where a tanden is identified. These are lower, middle, and upper. Lower is commonly known as below the navel. Middle is the area of the heart and organs. Upper is inside the brain to develop deep consciousness. If we practice Sanchin along with the cuffing of our bodies, we definitely use all 3 levels of tanden. Sanchin Dachi does help with isolating the lower tanden. Aggressive ibuki breathing massages the internal organs, and cuffing (shime) of the performer creates a deep consciousness of technique. Although, this is a unique analysis, I thought that I would share it with my peers who have an interest in Karate history and research. I see it as a valuable point of view to add to any intellectual discussion since this unique point of view directly influenced by the teachings one of Chojun Miyagi’s most senior student and important figure of Okinawa Karate, Dai Sensei Yagi Meitoku. Copyrights © 2012 Sean Wong | All Rights Reserved
