Goju Ryu Sanchin Kata Sequence, Technical Detail, and Breathing

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Which kata would you like us to analyse next?

[@seancohen7966]

Sanseru!

[@anonymousanonyme5905]

i'm trying to figure out entierely, what sanchin is, i think about including this in my practice, the problem is i've heard it will give me a high blood pressure, also heard that many karatekas are dying "young" , in their 70s,of heart attack ... it actually makes sense imo ... any information about this? and please dont let your love for karate influence your answer.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

@@anonymousanonyme5905 Hi, a good question. If you watch the video, we do say that training sanchin with full intensity is not advised for older students, but there is still value in the kata. Also, some of those karate-ka could have underlying heart issues that were not diagnosed, or they are smokers (it happens!) and its not really that likely that sanchin kata gave them a heart attack. Exercise is proven to reduce the risk of a heart attack, so please work with your doctor and your sensei to fine-tune your karate to suit your health and needs. Karate can, and should be, flexible that way! Good luck, and thank you for taking the time to view :)

[@anonymousanonyme5905]

@@GojuRyuKarateCentre thx for taking the time to answer me ,i think i will start to practice and see ,as time goes . Great channal btw ,u deserve way more subs and you will get them for sure ! osu

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

@@anonymousanonyme5905 Thank you so much! We are slowly growing, and as long as we enjoy making content, we will keep putting it up! Thank you for taking the time to watch, and please share your journey with us as you go!

[@BradYaeger]

No matter what style you practice , learning this kata and practicing it constantly will make you a better martial artist. I had the good fortune to meet a man that dedicated his life to it basically. Behind his apartment was a small indentation in the ground where he practiced it daily. He would occasionally enter tournaments and always lose because where we were at the time, none of the judges knew what they were looking at. They were used to flashy jumping and shouting . When they saw this shirtless old guy moving weird and making strange sounds they didn't know what to do. He even showed me how to make a proper springy makiwara board . I know next to nothing about Goju Ryu and I'm likely not very good at Sanchin but it's still been a huge positive influence on my overall practice

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thanks Yes kata is very important We focus on it a lot as well as a basic Bunkai Che

[@michaeljeter251]

I am a retired mechanical engineer and I really enjoy the technical explanations you give related to the body. I also appreciate your medical warnings given for the Sanchin kata. Your story of the 82 year old yellow belt tells me I am not alone in my endeavor. I started Karate training at the age of 68 just under 1.5 years ago. Two years ago, I had open heart surgery to repair a value issue. I have a Blue belt and I know now to be careful with this kata. The understandings I gain from your videos are the reason I enjoy studying Karate. Thank you.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Dear Michael, We are so grateful to be a part of your martial journey - students like you inspire us every day. Anyone with a strong body and talent can do karate, and after decades of teaching, we've learned that these aren't the people who stick it out. Students like you make a dojo great - your ability to be teachable and to endure makes you truly special to your dojo. I'm sure your Sensei feels the same! Thank you so much for watching and commenting 🙇🏻‍♀️

[@spaight711]

I sure wish this video were around when I was struggling to understand Sanchin 30 years ago. It just frustrated me and I stopped training. Thank you, Sensei.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

We're happy this video found you at the right time to learn again 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 thank you so much for watching and commenting 🙇🏻‍♀️

[@divyap3474]

Thank you sir 2 days later I have my belt test, Helped me a lot!!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Ah, that's wonderful to hear! Congratulations on the new belt - your hard work surely paid off 🥋🥋

[@divyap3474]

@@GojuRyuKarateCentre Thanks sir, also congrats on 1k subscribers you deserve it!!😊

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

@@divyap3474 Thank you so much! We are really enjoying the feedback we get from fellow karate friends - thank you so much for your supoport!

[@_.jxedvn._]

I have mines tmrw

[@elrickmckinney9738]

Excellent explanation on the Kata Sanchin, this good for beginners and excellent for advanced students to get a better understanding of Sanchin.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

This is our hope for our videos - to be accessible and useful to all who share our art with us! Thank you so much for this lovely comment, and for watching!

[@hamadalrowaie6882]

My favorite kata !! 🥰❤

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

The cornerstone upon which Goju Ryu rests! Thank you for watching and commenting 🤗

[@nigelsmall65]

Thank you for that I haven't done that Kata in 26 yrs.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

I'm sure it was like riding a bicycle - Sanchin has a way of staying with us, no matter how long. Thank you so much for commenting and watching!

[@karthikeyankarthikeyan8819]

You are a precious asset to okinawan karate god bless you

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

This is one of the nicest comments we've received since we started our channel

[@jwkungfu]

I love your whole approach to Karate (and Goju in particular). Many many thanks for your videos!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you so much, John! We're so glad you enjoy them, and we hope you will enjoy each new one we bring out :)

[@danielcardone9489]

Hi Sensei, I really like these videos, very clear and great insights too. I am a Wing Chun practitioner, almost 20 yrs now, and found many similarities between Goju - ryu and what we do: the sanchin stance is almost the same, locking knees and energy from the ground, also the way you chamber your fist close to the ribs and not on the hips, also the work of the elbow when you launch a punch without loosing contact with the body. The breathing aspect is what I'm most curious about, will definitely try this kata. Thanks so much for these videos! Warm hug from Argentina! Respect! Oss.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Ah, Wing Chun is truly one of the most beautiful arts! Would love to attend a gashuku with a serious practitioner to explore the overlap. With Goju Ryu having its roots in White Crane and Monk Fist, there is much to be shared with our martial family in Kung Fu. Thank you so much for the lovely comment and for taking the time to watch 🙇🏻‍♀️

[@dlbonanno64]

Nice thorough and straight forward explanation of the kata...

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you so much! A deceptively simple Kata in sequence, but it takes a lifetime to master 🥋

[@madjarov42]

I just found this channel and I couldn't be happier. I started Goju at the Windhoek dojo this year; we focused on Sanchin yesterday and this video (and the previous one) is so helpful in solidifying the lesson. Love the details and in-depth info. Top notch everything (camera problems notwithstanding). Please keep posting!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Wow, thank you so much for these wonderful words! We are so glad our channel is helpful, and we promise we'll do our best to keep posting! Thank you for watching and commenting 🙇‍♀️ 🙇‍♀️

[@miqvPL]

trying to learn this kata for kyokushin and your explanations were great, thank you

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

You're very welcome! Always love to hear from our karate cousins in Kyokushin!

[@miqvPL]

@@GojuRyuKarateCentre in Poland this kata is pretty neglected. People do it mostly for their green belt exam and it's one of the few exceptions where it's not required to do Sanchin for the black belt exam. I don't understand why, it's one of if not the most important kata in karate. I was a shotokan karateka as a kid and disliked a lot about the style, the fact that we didn't spar and a lot of training was boring as hell, doing the first 3 kata over and over for ~15 months. They also had insane time requirement for kids to progress through ranks so after like 3 years of training karate I was still a yellow belt, while for adults now you need like 4-6 months to get to that rank in most dojos. Very strict dojo, punishing all kids with pushups if even one student was talking, which is insane for kids ages 7-11. I got my belt taken away by sensei for talking or crying (I don't remember) and I never came back. It made me hate martial arts for all of my teen life and only now at age 30+ after trying and falling in love in boxing I'm doing martial arts again. Kyokushin is very fun, sparring is hard, training is extreme and kata are done in a much more "relaxed" fashion, executed more naturally as if you're actually fighting someone. Shotokan way is good for training dynamic movement and antagonist muscles, but if I were trying to block a kick with shotokan-like gedan barai I would probably hurt myself more than my opponent.

[@clarencedenoven8113]

Osu Sensei - my style is Kyokushin - but I'm so glad i found your channel - so clearly explained - will definitely use it to improve my own understanding. Thank you so much.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thanks for commenting Keep training OssU

[@terrysanders2817]

Well done. Watching your videos keep me humble. Terry.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you kindly, Sensei! It is just a little video, but we are grateful that we can contribute to the understanding and improvement of this enormously difficult but important kata 🙇

[@IntuitiveWarrior2024]

Thankyou. Wonderful information on Sanchin incorporated into one video thankyou Sensei. Useful for all practitioners :-)

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Ah, such a lovely comment! You are so welcome! Thank you for supporting our channel, we really appreciate it 🙇🏻‍♀️

[@soremolni]

So much valuable information. Thank you

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Glad it was helpful! We hope to expand on our Sanchin series in the future 🙏🏻

[@JorgeAlvaro67]

Thank you for your intruccions and informative videos. I watch them a lot and every time I have a question. The videos helps me to both remind thinks I forgot and learn new thinks. Keep the good work. Thank you very much. Regards from Stockholm, Sweden Jorge Barrera Östberga Karateklubb Okinawa Goju Ryu.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Jorge, thank you so, so much for this generous super thanks you have dropped on our old video! We would love to thank you by inviting you to our Zoom seminar this Saturday. Please send us an email at [e-mail] so that we can send you the details :)

[@oldschoolkarate-5o]

i subscribed to your channel because of this awesome Sanchin lesson, I’m planning to perform Sanchin on my youtube channel it was my favorite kata when i trained in GojuKai 20 yrs ago.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thanks for the sub! Sanchin really is a rewarding, demanding and beautiful kata. Please do send us the link when your video is up!

[@oldschoolkarate-5o]

@Goju Ryu Karate Centre , thanks for the great content 🙏🏽

[@chazzaca]

Thank you so much - fantastic video and explains what is really a difficult kata so well. At our dojo, we learn 13 Goju Ryu katas as we also do Sanchin dai Ni so if you could an explanation of it that'd be great. Out of interest do you only teach Goju Ryu katas at your dojo or do some Shotokan ones as well?

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Glad it was helpful! We are actually doing some filming today, so I will put Sanchin Dai Ni on our list :) Just because of the sheer detail of the kata, we only focus on Goju Ryu katas, but if we had more time in our syllabus, it would be amazing to do one or two Shotokan kata. Anan is one of my favourites to watch, as well as Unsu. Thank you so much for taking the time to watch and comment!

[@re-peteafter-me2008]

As sensei used to say back in the day regarding any punch: "I don' wanna see any sunshine between your arm and the gi". Elbow in.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

I love that, going to use it with the kids 👏👏 Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment 🙇🏻‍♀️

[@joesmith6199]

v ery interesting. I learned the shuri ryu version a long time ago, but it is slightly different and ssad to say i don 't remember it exactly. so thank you!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Only a pleasure! We're glad to help you dust off old karate muscle memory 🥋 Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@GMAUK8DENTOH]

Great charity as usual. Domoarigato gozaimasu 🙏🏾

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you so much for these kind words!

[@traceykisten8968]

Thank you soo much for clear explanations. Are the teikoku katas part of your tutorials.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Hi, Tracey! Thank you for the lovely comment! Unfortunately the Teikoku katas aren't part of our syllabus at all, so we're not really qualified to do videos on them. But hopefully there are channels out there that have done them justice :)

[@lerinjaify]

Very very helpful ! And very very good description. Do you even show Saifa?

[@lerinjaify]

I found "your" Saifa!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Yay! We have about 4 or 5 videos on Saifa and its bunkai - hope you find them useful :D

[@13Ambro]

This was one of the best sanchin tutorials I’ve seen. I was wondering what you thought of the chi / strength paths for sanchin. Does performing the kata assist with this or is the benefit mostly from dynamic tension/ zen breathing?

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

I'm so sorry I'm only spotting this now! The dynamic tension, breathing and focus go a long way to developing power, regardless of one's size or ability. Perhaps one could draw a line to the paths? They are mentioned in the Bubishi, after all. Thank you again for taking the time to watch and comment - we appreciate it!

[@markfisher2683]

Hello Sensei- very informative content, per usual! Thank you for sharing your knowledge freely. I am a 50 year old (trapped in a 40 year old body, of course;) 10 year practitioner of Goju Ryu Karate. I truly enjoy the practice of Sanchin Kata, and all the mysteries of it still left to explore. I'm so happy your reiterated the fact that Sanchin is a LIFETIME study/undertaking, and not to compare ourselves, regarding our Sanchin practice, to those who are ahead of us on the Way Path. I was hoping you could explain a little bit more as to why , if we are otherwise very healthy, that our intensity in the practice of Sanchin Kata should lessen, as we get older? And is that the purpose of having Tensho Kata , as an "alternative" kata to train with, as we age? Domo Arigatogozaimas, Sensei. Continued success;).

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Well, as Sensei Jagger says - you're only as old as your spine! Thank you so much for this thoughtful comment and interesting question. Tensho is indeed the softer side of Goju, and perhaps is Miyagi Sensei's greatest gift to us. But it definitely isn't as demanding as Sanchin can be! The demands of Sanchin remain the same, even though our bodies change, so we must adapt the kata to our bodies, rather than try match an imagined ideal of a hardcore "perfect" Sanchin regardless of our age and ability. Two separate lines in the dojo kun are there to ensure that we train safely within our abilities. That being said - if you are in excellent health, and have the oversight of a good doctor and the supervision of your instructor, then there's no reason you can't perform Sanchin to your physical maximum past your 40s, 50s, or even 60s. In Okinawa there are older practitioners performing the kata at impressive levels, but they have also been doing it their whole lives. We are hoping to have our resident dojo doctor do a video with us to discuss the real medicine and anatomy behind kata, so please do watch this space! Thank you as always for the very kind words, and for the wishes for our success! We are humbled by the response to our very small channel.

[@markfisher2683]

@@GojuRyuKarateCentre And thank you, as always, for your quick and informative response! I do look forward to all your videos, though the the study of the benefits of kata are the most intriguing to me at this stage;). As for your burgeoning channel, the substance and straight forward approach to what you're sharing, as well as your openness, and willingness to keep learning, will certainly continue to buoy your success! geez- THAT was a mouthful! ha! Take care!

[@mathews1888]

Wonderfully explained

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you so much! We appreciate the watch and comment 🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

[@donwashabaugh2969]

Well done! Hit all the right notes.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Ah, thank you for this lovely comment, and for taking the time to watch, Don! Much appreciated 🙇🏻‍♀️

[@GiC7]

Thank you sir, love the explanation

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

You are welcome! More on Sanchin coming soon ;)

[@MaxStLouis-fz7wt]

Thank you for teaching me, OSS!!!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Any time! We are happy to have you here on our channel

[@domingogutierrezramos7977]

Excelent explanation. The next tensho

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you for watching! We have done a shorter video on how to teach Tensho, but we will definitely return to the kata in greater depth soon!

[@seancohen7966]

Great video! I really enjoy your instructions. Why do some styles do a version of sanchin where they turn around and repeat the process going the other way? I’m having a hard time recognizing which styles do sanchin that way VS the way you did it in this video. Thank you!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

All Goju styles should teach both versions, at a higher level eventually, as the original version had the reverse in directions. However, as Sensei Miyagi got ill, the one way version was adopted as he no longer got up from his chair to do corrections. Younger students from that time in his life might have only learnt the one direction one, and that is why we see it more often. Most of this is anecdotal, but it seems to be the most sensible answer we can find. Definitely worth doing a video on the original one! Thank you for the interesting question!

[@bobstraub5524]

@@GojuRyuKarateCentre I would think that what sanchin teaches is not dependent on reversing direction.

[@laojiayilu6771]

Thank you very much! So helpful!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Only a pleasure! Thank you so much for watching!

[@nickyjohnson3618]

Very informative. Thank you Sensei!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

You're welcome, Sensei Nicky!

[@amonzandy6359]

thx so much, very detailed & really helpful

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you so much for these kind words! We really appreciate it 💛

[@alekseiborsenkodev]

Awesome! Clear and simple!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

That's what we aim for! Thank you so much for these kind words, and for watching our video 🙇🏻‍♀️

[@ClumpyWoods]

I have my shodan black belt grading today (slightly terrified but i'll work it out /lh) and im doing last minute practice

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Exciting! Such a special milestone in this karate journey. Please let us know how it went :)

[@ClumpyWoods]

@@GojuRyuKarateCentre it went well I got my shodan

[@chazzaca]

Excellent video. I belong to a Gojo Ryu dojo here in Canada and if you ever visit our shores would love to go to your seminars. BTW how do you pronounce your name? Is it like Shay Jagger (like Mick Jagger) or like Yager?

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Ah, thank you so much! We might offer a Zoom seminar in the future, so watch this space! I would love to visit Canada, and I did meet some great OGKK instructors from fair Canada when last in Okinawa. It's Jagger like Mick Jagger, but have traced part of the family tree to German Yagers/Jagers :)

[@khabirnooristani9159]

I read in the Jundokan webpage of 1, 2 until five breathing.... Can you clarify this please? I also see that there might be differences between your version of sanchin and Mr. Morio Higoana's sanchin techniques, right? Tnx.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Hello! I dug around the Jundokan website but couldn't find any mention of breathing - could you perhaps send the link to us? Ché speaks in more details of the 5 kinds of breathing in our other Sanchin video on the anatomy - I hope this will give you a better answer than I can here in text 🙏🏻

[@khabirnooristani9159]

@@GojuRyuKarateCentre I found the site a wgile ago but now I have forgotten its link, sorry...! Thanks for your kind comment... :)

[@katarinanastos2353]

Thank you very much

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

You are most welcome! 🪷

[@ad846]

Super !!! Thanks !!!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Our pleasure!

[@anggamokalu93]

Nice explain thats breath n techniq

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting, Angga!

[@mamilroepolila3184]

Thanks for video

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

You are so welcome! Thank you for watching and commenting 🤗

[@angelinadamatta2670]

Thank you sensei!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you for watching ❤️

[@gabrielmorag5142]

Thanks you

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you too!

[@chaneelwarnakulasooriya9598]

Good

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you!

[@Данил-ц2з7й]

What kind of karate style

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Goju Ryu

[@ThievNWalrus]

This is cool. You seem like a cool guy. I'd love to train with you.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you! If you are ever visiting Johannesburg, we would love to have you come train with us 🥋

[@Kampfschwimmer392]

👍👍👍

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you!

[@neildesaldanha1806]

Hello sensei I think I'm not coming today I'll come on Monday bye

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Okay, champ, see you Monday

[@Данил-ц2з7й]

gozo ryu mixed karate with hand to hand combat

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Yes indeed!

[@JohnHWChong]

👍👍😅

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

🤣🤣

[@neildesaldanha1806]

And its ilan

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Hi Ilan!