Sanchin uses the "
sanchin stance" named for the
kata. Practice of
Sanchin seeks to develop the muscles and bones of the body to help the practitioner withstand blows from an opponent, while drilling the basic mechanics of a strike that depends on a stable base.
Sanchin is the first
kata learned in Uechi-Ryū, while other styles may introduce it later. In Gōjū-Ryu, there are two
Sanchin kata. The first, "Miyagi's
Sanchin" or
sanchin dai ichi, was created by
Chōjun Miyagi. The second, "Higashionna's
sanchin" or
sanchin dai ni was taught with open hands, as in Uechi-Ryū, but later it was also revised to closed fists by Miyagi's co-student Juhatsu Kyoda, founder of
Tōon-Ryū, and adopted by Chōjun Miyagi as well. This
kata was adopted by other styles such as the later Okinawan style
Isshin-Ryū,
Kyokushin, and
Koei-Kan. ====== Some styles use a method of checking strength, posture, hand concentration during the performance of the
kata called . This involves a range of techniques from hard strikes to check the tone of the student's muscles and overall strength to very soft and slow pushes and pulls to test the student's ability to react in order to maintain their position. ==See also==