First, I anticipate no change
to our Seuchchin kata, however I am personally interested in how our version differentiates
from many Isshinryu performances.
It was early in 1975 when I
learned the form and simultaneously was trained with a yellow belt
demonstration team in the form by Mr. Lewis. It was perhaps the only form he
taught us individually. We were aware that many variations of the Isshinryu
kata were taught by the varied seniors, not that any one version was correct,
We were taught all of them were correct and what was valued most was the
strongest performance of what you were shown.
The Seiunchin I was taught
was a blend of slow and tension, versus fast yet hard strikes. As a team Mr.
Lewis drilled us in this form, and it was done to the music of “ the Hustle”.
To this day I hear this when I train the form.
Later I moved to Scranton and
had to train in Tang So Do as that was all that was available there. A year
later I returned to Salisbury when I had a vacation. Having to continue to
practice my Isshinryu I focused on learning Chinto kata. That Labor Day I
received a call from Charles Murray and shortly thereafter we began training
together.
As I had kata, mostly from
the Salisbury dojo through Chinto, Charles was content to allow me to continue
the versions I had and from Kusanku onward learn his versions. I realized he
was using different versions from me, but as we were training together I didn’t
focus on his variations but worked on what I had. When the time came for my
Black Belt examination I did Seiunchin as I was originally shown.
I kept to that standard when
I began teaching in 1979 in Scranton. Also I continued to have the kids use Seiunchin
as a team drill. I continued the same
after moving to Derry in 1985.
Around 1990, after training
youth for over 10 years I made several small changes, the first in the
execution of the archers block, to a stronger variation from my studies in application.
Also the youth didn’t use the Uppercut, Backfist, Low blocks sections strong
enough for me, so I added a reverse punch before the low strike to make that
strike stronger, but that is all I did. The longer we taught it that way the
stronger I was satisfied with that way.
This is Young Lee performing Seiunchin the way I first learned the form.
Here are Victor Michael and I performing the newer version.
And in contrast the version done by Charles Murray in early 1990 filmed in West Germany has Charles performing Seiunchin .
The next Seiunchin event was
the last time I saw Sherman Harrill, at Cherster Houlbacki’s clinic with Sherman,
I asked him about the hard and tense
slow breathing during Seiunchin on Okinawa, as many in Isshinryu don’t use it.
He replied something likc this. “On Okinawa the kata was not performed with
hard, slow breathing. He thought that came about where the instructors were
emphasizing breathing for those training by being louder so each person in the
class could hear it.” Of course this made me wonder where Sensei came up with
this version.
Perhaps this would be an appropriate time to look at the 1966 Seiuchin of Shimabuku Tatsuo
Then here is the Uezu Angi version starting at 1 ;20 on.
Sherman Harrill is here with his version from 1:19 to 2:08
Still after observing many
Isshinryu variations, including one young man using crescent kicks in the kata,
I didn’t question further.
Then about 2 years ago Charles found and copied some old movies from years ago including his time on Okinawa. Among the clips was this of Sensei performing Seiuchin Kata.
This was NOT the way he taught me.
I’m not questioning the worth
of this version, just the possible genesis.
Then I found this AJ
Advincula performance. AJA Seiuchin with Chinkuchi Remarkably close to
what I was taught. The most (11-3-14) close to what I was taught.
A most recent
post by AJA on Shimabuku training with Kyan goes further into this.
“Shimabuku Shinsho (Ciso)
said, my father walked to train with Kyan Chotoku to Kadena (Yomitan). After
training, he was tired and Kyan Chotoku told Tatsuo to just dip himself in the
Hija river on his way home and perform Sanchin (Seisan). Na...kazato Joen and
Tatsuo both taught Seisan kata with sanchin. Shorinji-ryu (Nakazato Joen) teach
and use Seisan to check shime. Since we use the Goju-ryu Sanchin kata for
shime, we as a rule do not use Seisan kata for shime. But both Nakazato
Joen and Shimabuku Tatsuo taught seisan using sanchin techniques. I also asked
Nakazato Joen if Kyan taught him to breath using the controlled breathing
(ibuki breathing). Nakazato said yes. We in Isshin-ryu
karate, as taught by Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei used a harder ibuki in Seisan,
Seiunchin and Sanchin kata.”
According to Andy Sloane, he said ED Johnson and also Harold Mitchum said they
did not learn to perform Isshin-ryu Seiunchin kata with tension. This is probly
true as Ed Johnsonn was only on Okinawa about 13 months and Harold Mitchum was
training with Kinjo Chinsaku who taught the Shorin-ryu kata without shime. We
all did not learn the same.
For sure, Shorinji-ryu and Isshin-ryu have more in common then Seibukan which
looks more like Japanese karate, Shotokan when they stand in the lower
Zenkutsu-dachi (前屈立)
forward stance.See More
Nakazato Joen Student
checking shime. Seisan kata. This video clip was taken at the Okinawa World
Pre-tournament 1997 The Okinawa Karate Kobudo World Pre-Tournament
And it makes this easier to
understand, observe the student performance of Seiaan before Nakazato in the 2nd
clip on the page at
Seisan with Shime
As I said I am not planning
on making changes, just deciding how much of it applies to my Seiunchin Kata.
Isshin-ryu Seiunchin kata
Isshin-ryu Seiunchin kata power base comes from Chinkuchi (チンクチ). Often I hear that power comes from the use oof the
hip but as we can see, there is very little use of the hip. Because of the use
of Seiunchin dachi, look at the locking of the arms and joints.
The upper cut used in Seiunchin kata is one of the most devastating punches
used as the power of the punch drives up. The reinforced punch and block along
with this lower stable Seiunnchin dachi makes this one powerhouse kata.
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