https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqLpatzpwjk
I was a brown belt I remember Charles Murray (who was then training me) telling me "Your first 20 years your karate is your instructor(s). But after 20 years your karate is yours."
Now aged and much disabled (something many will face) my Sanchin practice remains. I do what I can, that is all anyone can do. This is part of my journey.
It was 1987 when I was taught Sanchin kata by Charles Murray. Since I began studying with him, he had taught me Kusanku, Tokumeni No Kon, Kusanku Sai and Sunsu prior to that. He taught at a very fast pace, no likely to have someone else to practice with.
I remember removing my Gi top when I performed Sanchin for my black belt test.
Then in an instant I was on my own, Charles returned to the USAF to resume his career in the US Airforce. I had no local instructor in Isshinryu and I had to direct my own training. When possible, I made long drives to train with Tom Lewis, and regularly also trained with Reese Rigby, but never was Sanchin training part of what I underwent with the two of them.
I began to study Yang Tai Chi Chaun with Ernest Rothrock, quickly I felt a huge difference between working on Sanchin and Tai Chi.
What I experienced was a conflict between the different energy flows between the two very different forms. Having on one to discuss this with and really wanting to learn the Yang form, after much reflection I discontinued hard Sanchin practice and just performed the kata lightly. While I trained with many, none of those places performed Sanchin, thus I had no one to ask.
After 2 years I had learned the entire Yang form (And that too would require a lifetime of further work). Yet at that time I discovered I could differentiate between both styles of training and resumed hard Snachin training for myself. I was able to keep those two practices separate for me.
In 1985 I moved to New Hampshire, one of the instructors I regularly trained with, Tristan Sutrisno, began to make regular trips to see me, train me and give clinics on aspects of his vast art to my students. One visit in 1988 he brought a group of his students to train there too. In all it was a fun weekend. That Saturday he decided to test me according to his associations standards. Once that was finished, we began a long bull session on various martial issues.
In time we got around to Sanchin kata (which was not part of his systems training). But Tris had a great deal of experience with many people. He explained that for him Sanchin was not for fighting, instead he felt its only purpose was for strength development. Having trained with quite a few myself, I explained to me the only purpose of Sanchin kata was another way to drop an opponent. Tris took exception to my thought insisting he was correct. Then we went back and forth with our discussion. Eventually we turned to other matters.
However, my opinion stayed with me. I lingered on that concept.
That was about the time I began my own study of what Isshinryu kata could do against many attacks. The study did not begin step by step with one kata. Rather I shot gunned over many kata techniques discovering ways they could be used. Eventually I worked out how Sanchin could be used by me.
What follows is a brief paper I wrote on those experiences,
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Sanchin Revisited - Energy Rising and Falling
The further I explore the marvelous energies utilized in my Sanchin kata practice the more I remain convinced Sanchin (concentrating on my Bushi No Te Isshinryu version) is an incredible answer for complete self-defense.
No matter what attack springs out at us Sanchin forms a correct response.
Step forward with the left foot in a crescent step forming a left Sanchin stance, and at the same time bring both arms up in from of the chest in front rotating the forearms outward into a double "blocking" position.
Most attacks, grabs, strikes, multiple strikes are coming into your body and/or arms.
Utilization of Sanchin stepping draws your energy of movement into your centerline and allows you to explode outward and forward from there. Your interception of their attack will be before they have reached the full focus of their technique.
Most of the time we are standing with our arms hanging down. Sanchin allows us to move into the attack and use the rising motion of the arm, without chambering, to drive into the opponent and attack simultaneously. And at the same time, you're striking upward from below, with two rising and turning arms and fists.
People are more likely to harden themselves to take a strike when they perceive it coming straight into their body.
But Sanchin is moving into their attack and stirring with a rising motion. Where they're focusing on getting to you, instead you're striking into them from a direction they're not following.
One arm might be simultaneously striking into a leg or arm or chest with a rising rotating strike, either with the fist, or the forearm. This can wedge the attack outward. The other strike can be into the ribs, or the solar plexus, or the jaw.
Furthermore, both the act of stepping into the attack with Sanchin stepping, further torso rotation from knee rotation and dropping your center as you strike upward, allows maximum energy transfer.
It really is a marvelous use of energy, very akin to Chinto's rising "X" strike on the kata's opening. or steeping into the t'ai chi world, the step up to the seven start (borrowing Cheng Man-Ch'ing's answer from "Advanced T'ai Chi Form Instruction".
IMVHO, the crucial element is the rising energy driving into the opponents' limbs and/or body.
In and of itself, this use of Sanchin should be sufficient to shake most attackers.
Yet, if that hasn't proven enough the chambering right hand that follows allows even a more damaging response, that of the slashing chambering hand.
Those strikes can be most punishing. Again, the chambering hand retracts and slashed on ankles the attacker isn't expecting to receive. The back of the hand's knuckles, or even he little knuckle itself, which can slash across the neck, sides of the chest or an open limb with great response.
That there can still be a following reverse strike i almost unnecessary.
The manner of stepping alone can also be used to immobilize the attackers lead foot by stepping on it or by hooking the foot being their lead foot to then become a shin press only increases the force being generated by the arms and the hands.
Full utilization of Sanchin is the goal.
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Then over the subsequent decades I realized more and more, of course what I described is often enough to conclude any attack,
About 25 years into my own study, where I was also working on the Uechi Sanchin kata (whichTom Chan had taught me), I realized more. The faster performed Uechi version offered what I found as a cleaner energy release of Sanchin energy. That an I came to see more value in using the vertical strike with the edge of my knuckles to strike with. I also felt the Ueichi use of Natural Breathing (not forced breathing as I had originally been taught) also allowed a more natural release for energy into the attacker.
While I never ceased having my students perform Sanchin the manner in which I was taught, for myself I took a new direction. 'I began to work a softer, faster Sanchin kata with vertical strikes. For myself I found a better way to destroy all attacks by using my Sanchin kata.'
Of course, ageing, surgeries and developing several disabilities made a difference in my art. In 2014 when Charles visited me in Derry, I performed my Sanchin alongside his Sanchin, showing my differences.
I also gave him control of my students Sanchin, for my efforts were just that mine alone.
Then my disabilities increased, among them lack of balance, general weakness even to affect my speech. I still practiced kata but much slower. Much, much shower.
The only one that remains close to how I was taught is my Sanchin kata. I practice my original version, the Uechi version and my own version.
I still have Sanchin, leaving me my Isshinryu.
It is not where you begin,
it is where you finish those matters.
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My students with Charles Murray, They are performing the Sanchin I always taught them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knjojRTbVm8
Charles and I performing our Sanchin kata, Mine is what I developed as my personal understanding of what Sanchin could be. (This was only for my own practice.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXAxUg169-o
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