The idea of a Neverending Kata - Linking Naifanchi and Sanchin

 I believe it is important to be honest up front.
As a student of Tom Lewis and Charles Murray I have always followed the Isshinryu they taught me. I realize at different times Lewis Sensei taught differing version of our kata. But I did not experience that myself. When I began training with Charles he told me do perform my Ishinryu that I had been taught in Salisbury always that way. and my new kata should be done his way.

I followed that advice for the rest of my life.

When I saw videos of Tatsuo and Angi I realized the versions they were showing might have differenced, however I never considered those videls a reason not to perform as I had been taught. Then at tournaments I ofter saw other ways, eventually on the internet and you tube I sas more. I was interested in those variances, but never used them as a reason to find a new way.

For example i was taught Naifanchi by my senior Dennis Lockwood with the toes facing inward for naifanchi dachi. Nothing others did gave me a reason to change from that.

Now the past discussion.

Considering Nihanchi and Sanchin

 

Tatsuo Naifanchi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48HPCTktT70

 

Tatsuo Sanchn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WunF0nHUvI

In today’s class, while working on Nihanchi kata, some earlier training stuck in my head.

Murray Sensei when training me told me that Nihanchi was the Shorin version of Sanchin.

His explanation was that the lower body (stance)  should be locked in tight (similar to Sanchin stance), but the upper body should be flexible to move cleanly from side to side.

I’m not sure where he picked that up, but its one of the focal points I’ve always considered.

Now as I’m prone to do, I’ve done more than my share of ‘special’ training with Nihancihi.  For strong, energetic late-teenagers, I’ve often taught them Nihanchai with two jumping spinning crescent kicks (a great way to reduce their energies).

But far more appropriately, I’ve used Nihanchi as a never ending kata. When you finish the kata you simply continue to keep doing it again and again.

The long repletion of Nihanchi, besides strengthening the legs and the torso, when repeated endlessly:

1. Allows the instructor  to readily see where the mistakes in the students performance are located.
2. Becomes a great strength in technique drill.  

I find it has a distinctly different flavor than just doing the kata, stopping, doing the kata, stopping and doing the kata, and so forth.

 Today this got me thinking, this ‘never-ending’ Nihanchi has a different link to Sanchin than the one Murray Sensei suggested.

[I especially like Nihanchi because so many people hate it for its unaccustomed lateral movement. I find the best way to guage a students real abilites can be done by their ability to execute Nihanchi, most especially in advanced Black Belt level.]

The histories (based on oral testimony) of Hiagonna teaching, didn’t use Sanchin of a fixed number of steps. Instead they would continue down the space of the dojo (inside or outside) until they couldn’t go further. At that point they’d just turn around and to Sanchin back the way they came. Eventually this turn worked its way into the finished Sanchin kata (expressed through Miyagi’s Goju-ryu).

I understand there are several theories (in tandem or apart?) regarding Miyagi’s Sanchin (without the turns), which later translated into Shimabuku’s Sanchin.  One that Miyagi specifically wanted to work on moving backwards.

But it is the oral history of Hiagonna’s Sanchin, the never ending, go down the floor, turn, go down the floor, turn, go down the floor, etc. also is a never ending kata.  

[Which does not imply that Isshinryu’s Sanchin can’t be done as a never ending kata either).  Thus you can find a common ground  linking these practices together (if you choose to practice this way].

Perhaps this will give those of you who are instructors some interesting class ideas.

Of course this brings up a larger question I posted in May, regarding Nihanchi and Motobou. We never did discuss that adequately (IMO) though there may be no ‘logical’ answer.

A closing comment, in the kata’s never-ending kata version,  the instructor can more readily see the small problems in the student’s execution. If the kata isn’t done very correctly small mistakes begin to build and create a counter-vibration to the kata’s correct execution.

Pondering Isshinryu studies for a change.

Victor