Traditional Karate > Kata > Sanchin

There are many Sanchin Katas, but all are basically the same. Shuri-Te, for eample, has three Sanchin Katas. Sanchin (San-Chin, Sahu-Cheen, San- Chain) are some of the different ways that you may see it spelled.

Sanchin Kata is probably the oldest of all Katas, although some authorities say that Seisan or Chinto are the older Katas. Bodhidharmi (Daruma) is usually credited with originating the principle of the modern Sanchin Kata. Kanryo Higashinouna and Master Chojun Miyagi are usually credited with developing the Sanchin Katas as we know them today. However, in the early days, Sanchin Kata was referred to in Okinawa as "Bodhidharma Ju-Hachi-Rakau Shoukyu". The term indicates the 18 hand techniques used by students in their training to develope intrinsic energy (or inner strength) and abdominal breathing to defeat their opponents.

Sanchin Kata is the most important of all Katas. It has been said that the person who has Sanchin has Karate, because it contains all the secrets (if there are any) of Karate. Without Sanchin, according to some authorities, one does not have Karate. Sanchin teaches muscular control, breath control, and mind control. Kauban Uechi, creator of Uechi_Ryu, felt that Sanchin Kata was so important that he required his students to study Sanchin Kata for three full years before learning any other Kata.