The last kata, yet to be posted at the UVA website, is described below. I'm interested in noting variations in the way people do the kata and impressions from those who are looking at the instructions from the outside, to see if it makes sense to those that didn't write it. It makes reference to earlier kata descriptions to avoid redundancy--these can be found at http://www.student.virginia.edu/~uechi/style.html
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Sanseiryu
The final kata in the system, and the last of the “Big Three” original forms from China. Most of it is described as if its an amalgam of pieces from many other kata, but of course, the other kata are actually pieced together with material from the big three. Sanseiryu is similar to Kanchin, driving from long stance to long stance, with both powerful and graceful motions, with many changes of tempo which lend it drama—if performed correctly.
Kata description assumes you start facing north. See earlier kata for descriptions of the individual movements; there is only one new movement to learn, at the very end.
1) Open as in Kanshiwa, facing north in heiko dachi.
2) Step into left sanchin doing the “yin-yang” motion just before the final shoken of Kanchin.
3) Slide forward with left wauke, then right shoken, sliding back with hands in shokens, back to back, as in the end of Kanshiwa.
4) Do a 180 degree sanchin turn to face south in right sanchin, keeping hands in shokens as you turn.
5) Left wauke, right lunging eldow (forearm vertical, fist in hiraken, as in Seisan), returning to right sanchin after the elbow.
6) Right wauke, left bushiken, left bushiken, right nukite, also as in Seisan.
7) 180 degree sanchin turn to face north in left sanchin. Then, left wauke and left front kick, followed by slide with wauke and shoken, and slide back with hands crossed in shokens, exactly as in the end of Kanshiwa.
8) This time, turn 45 degrees to your right facing northeast. Open hands sweeping down, palms down, then fire double hirakens out throat high, much as in the first motion of Seiryu, while stepping out with the right foot into right sanchin facing north east.
9) Pivot 90 degrees to the left to face northwest in left sanchin. Do the downward circle and leg lift from seichin, lifting the left leg into cat stance.
10) Turn to face west in left sanchin (right leg will move northwest), emphasizing the sanchin posture.
11) Lengthen your stance by extending the right leg northwest in a right kiba dachi facing northwest striking with double bushikens, then, strike low with the right hand in a shoken above your right knee, then circle with the right hand in a trailing shoken, then “toss” outward. This whole sequence from Kanchin right after the double hirakens.
12) Sanchin turn to face southeast in left sanchin with hands in shokens; draw back your right hand, and strike with a shoken, then drawback while sliding, and strike again, then slide and draw back, and strike a third time.
13) From your left sanchin with hands in shokens, step forward into right kiba dachi with a circling of the right hand above the right knee, “tossing” forward again.
14) Look over your left shoulder to the north, keeping your left foot planted, and drive north into a right kiba dachi with left wauke, right elbow strike (horizontal, striking into your arm), backfist, and shoken. Notice except for some differences of angling, the last few moves were lifted out of this kata into Kanchin, so you already know them.
15) Look over your left shoulder again and drive southwest into a right kiba dachi with a right elbow, but the vertical one, much like the initial elbow in kanchin, except one fewer step to wind up because you start left foot forward, not right foot forward. Just as in Kanchin, circle with your right shoken and toss yet again.
16) Do a more-than-180-degree turn to your left, finishing in left sanchin facing north, again, emphasizing the sanchin posture.
17) Right sanchin strike
18) Step the left foot backwards (south) and turn to face the west in left sanchin; do the leg-lift-and-wauke-like motion repeated four times in Seiryu.
19) 180 degree turn to face east in right sanchin and repeat the wauke and leg lift on the right side.
20) Pivot to face north in a left sanchin, for the final sequence of the kata, and the first “new” thing. Step into right sanchin while performing a left wauke, and drawing back the right hand, but not as you usually do, just slightly. What follows is not a power move. Take your right hand and reach out (perhaps just a bit farther than “sanchin distance”, that is, where your left hand is) with the fingers pointed forward, then curve them down, so there’s a 90 degree bend at the third knuckles, and the hand finishes out with the third knuckles about collarbone height. Some people do this like a whack, raising the hand quite high then jabbing down. Try this on a bag and see if you can impress yourself with the power. Even if you can, see if you can convince yourself this would be the most powerful thing you could do if you had THAT much time to hit the guy. This works better not as a strike but as a dig. You’re in a tight spot, but you worm your hand through their guard and dig behind their collarbone or into their neck. One ideal place for this: reach into your own neck behind the inside end of your collarbone, to either side of the sternal notch. You’ll find a sensitive bump. Pull forward and down. Call it stomach 11 if that’s your thing.
21) Step back into left sanchin, and as you are doing this, three things happen: move your right hand over your left with the guarding motion from a standard wauke, finishing in the usual sanchin position (not drawing back), simultaneously doing a smaller than usual wauke motion with the left hand. The left also finishes in sanchin position; alternatively, some end with it lower than the right, as in the end of sanchin kata. The last of the three motions is with the left leg, which you raise then lower into cat stance in the usual fashion, such that it touches down just as the hands finish their motions.
22) Draw the left foot back into heiko dachi, pause for a second, then bow.
To ask a related question: after passing a nidan test, a student is ready to learn Kanchin and not ready to learn Sanseiryu. Why?
Sanseiryu, text version
Moderator: Available
Sanseiryu, text version
--Ian
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RACastanet
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Brian MacDonald
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On this step, instead of turning to the North, I go NW. (90 deg turn from SE)14) Look over your left shoulder to the north, keeping your left foot planted, and drive north into a right kiba dachi with left wauke, right elbow strike (horizontal, striking into your arm), backfist, and shoken.
This is the way it was taught to me by my Sensei, and it's how I prefer to do the kata, however when visiting dojo or participating in a group setting I do it the traditional way and turn N at this point.
Brian MacDonald
UMass Boston Dojo
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Bill Glasheen
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Ian
A few comments...
First, nice job.
Not bushiken, but boshiken. Boshi = thumb. ken = fist.
Next...
Next... going through this has got me thinking some. You might consider where next to go on all this once you have all the forms down. I would think in the long run it would be preferable to have a text description that stands alone, separate from the other kata descriptions. Each of these movements should ideally have a name, although even that is something worth debating (see What's in a name?). Ideally in a format like this, you can then hyperlink the names of the moves within the text to one of the following: text descriptions, jpegs, or even mpegs (just like I did above). Then you could be somewhat parsimonius with the descriptions, and they can look quite tidy. The experienced practitioner can use such a parsimonius reference to quickly check a sequence, and the beginner can dig deeper by clicking on the hyperlinks. And these hyperlinks could be used repeatedly, as moves are repeated from one kata to the next. Just an idea... We should talk offline about this some time.
Another thing... Now that I'm farther along in my training and teaching, going back to something like this makes me gag a bit. I have been working sooo much on transitions, seeing as how this is how you set many of the moves up. And yet...here we have a form that is the king of Uechi ryu transitions, with no text on how to do them. Hmmm.... We should talk. This is good for a start, but somehow one should know how to go from one direction to the next, as vital information there often dictates how the next movement is to be done (with which arm, where the attack is coming from, etc.). This is another future project.
BTW, I disabled the smile faces to keep the suglasses from happening when putting an eight and a right parenthesis together. That's my edit...
Now to your question.
It isn't yet time to teach you the "secret" kata. I need to milk a few more years tuition out of you so you won't leave (yet) and take your knowledge with you. Here's another form to keep you busy...
Thoughtful answer
1) There are new moves in Kanchin that aren't in Sanseiryu. In my opinion, Kanchin has some stuff in it that Kanbun taught to the inner circle that wasn't in The Big Three TM. These moves (and others elsewhere in the other five) look suspiciously like stuff in my Fuzhou Suparinpei. Thus Kanchin stands alone in a way.
2) Sanseiryu's footwork (directionality) is more complex than Kanchin, even though the individual movements are basically the same (with one exception). Footwork and directionality is where all the really neat applications spring out at you. Some folks study martial arts for an entire lifetime and never see this. So there is more depth to Sanseiryu than first meets the eye.
- Bill
A few comments...
First, nice job.
Not bushiken, but boshiken. Boshi = thumb. ken = fist.
Next...
This is precisely a 225-degree turn. I have an application that I'd love to show you some time. I've been teaching it in my black belt class. Neat stuff.16) Do a more-than-180-degree turn to your left, finishing in left sanchin facing north, again, emphasizing the sanchin posture.
Next... going through this has got me thinking some. You might consider where next to go on all this once you have all the forms down. I would think in the long run it would be preferable to have a text description that stands alone, separate from the other kata descriptions. Each of these movements should ideally have a name, although even that is something worth debating (see What's in a name?). Ideally in a format like this, you can then hyperlink the names of the moves within the text to one of the following: text descriptions, jpegs, or even mpegs (just like I did above). Then you could be somewhat parsimonius with the descriptions, and they can look quite tidy. The experienced practitioner can use such a parsimonius reference to quickly check a sequence, and the beginner can dig deeper by clicking on the hyperlinks. And these hyperlinks could be used repeatedly, as moves are repeated from one kata to the next. Just an idea... We should talk offline about this some time.
Another thing... Now that I'm farther along in my training and teaching, going back to something like this makes me gag a bit. I have been working sooo much on transitions, seeing as how this is how you set many of the moves up. And yet...here we have a form that is the king of Uechi ryu transitions, with no text on how to do them. Hmmm.... We should talk. This is good for a start, but somehow one should know how to go from one direction to the next, as vital information there often dictates how the next movement is to be done (with which arm, where the attack is coming from, etc.). This is another future project.
BTW, I disabled the smile faces to keep the suglasses from happening when putting an eight and a right parenthesis together. That's my edit...
Now to your question.
Cynical answerafter passing a nidan test, a student is ready to learn Kanchin and not ready to learn Sanseiryu. Why?
It isn't yet time to teach you the "secret" kata. I need to milk a few more years tuition out of you so you won't leave (yet) and take your knowledge with you. Here's another form to keep you busy...
Thoughtful answer
1) There are new moves in Kanchin that aren't in Sanseiryu. In my opinion, Kanchin has some stuff in it that Kanbun taught to the inner circle that wasn't in The Big Three TM. These moves (and others elsewhere in the other five) look suspiciously like stuff in my Fuzhou Suparinpei. Thus Kanchin stands alone in a way.
2) Sanseiryu's footwork (directionality) is more complex than Kanchin, even though the individual movements are basically the same (with one exception). Footwork and directionality is where all the really neat applications spring out at you. Some folks study martial arts for an entire lifetime and never see this. So there is more depth to Sanseiryu than first meets the eye.
- Bill
Thanks guys. I agree that text descriptions aren't the best for conveying the real fun of uechi, or the real magic in the form. Everything has to be broken down for teaching the way we count hojo undo in such a way that it would be of no practical utility on the street. This kind of limitation is why the kata description section has a disclaimer ( http://www.student.virginia.edu/~uechi/kata.html ) at the top of the list.
I like the hyperlink concept a lot... unfortunately, I don't have access to the uva uechi account at the moment, and when I did, Tim still did 98% of the programming. What I need to do is get in touch with the current UVA peeps (Mike, you listening??) to arrange such a resource. Right now a sanseiryu text review isn't exactly faciliatated by having the text make so many references... (see below).
I dig the Suparempi reference as well, with some note made of the incorporation of 108-derived steps in the intro to the written Kanshiwa--there making note of the boshiken sequence.
Here are the shoken-circle-catch-toss thing and the yin-yang motion as described in the Kanchin text (circa AD 2000?):
A motion derived from the wauke: with your right arm, hand in shoken (and always trailing, leading with wrist), drop your right hand down (keeping elbow in), across your body to the left, and up somewhat, all in a smooth "J" arc with elbows in. Your right hand should be palm up and ulnar deviated--that is, your wrist cocked somewhat to the pinkie side, and not just centered, but over to your left a bit. As you do this, your left hand makes a smaller, scooping motion closer to your body than the right hand, also ending palm up ulnar deviated, about 2 inches from your right forearm. You may shift to your rear foot a little as you do this--distance from a kick you're catching. Now, rocking forward and slightly up from your stance, thrust with both arms--up and out. Master Uechi did not focus this motion, just snapped it back to where it started, having never fully extended the arms. Others complete the full thrust, turning both hands over, hitting with extended arms and two shokens, right higher than left. This sequence is most easily used as a front kick catch, grab, and throw (or double shoken to body).
The next motion is complicated but graceful and impressive. Drop your right hand down as if to begin a wauke; then, complete the wauke circle motion with the right hand and drop your left hand straight down, much as in the first movement of this kata. Turn both palms to face upwards. Draw your right hand across your midline (but still away from your body) in a motion a bit like a shuto, and bring your left hand across your midline as well so it passes above the right hand. Your right hand should continue past your center line with palm up, then flip palm out and move back to its usual position in sanchin. Your left hand does much the same motion, perhaps with a little more circular feel to it, to your left. It's acceptable, even desirable, to finish with hands staggered, right a bit lower than left. This motion is perhaps the most fluid and soft of any in the system, and while this description must break it down, you should move like water, or a crane's wings, while performing it. This, even more than the Seiryu wauke motions, and the Seichin downward circle motions, is hurt rather than helped by being too muscular in kata performance. It sets Uechi-Ryu far apart from standard hard karate. As it is so involved, many applications can be read into it. One is defense against a double punch-right inside wauke a left punch, and hurriedly block a following right punch with your right "shutoish" motion, and finally grab onto both arms. Or outside block a right punch, then use the shutoish motion to block a following left punch and finish by circling around it and grabbing it with your left hand (the second punch is blocked as in a standard two handed wauke except the "guard" hand is under rather than over the circle arm-a modification that may suit taller students. Attacking motions might be: strike down on the radial nerve of a right punching arm with your left arm; circle up to strike into the head or neck with the right hand-the next motions can be used as further strikes or to prepare for further strikes by turning the head or exposing the throat. Or one could strike down on a right punch and right inside wauke a left punch, stepping forward to enable a right shuto into the neck; with the left hand perhaps lifting the chin for a right strike at the throat. Explore these with a partner. Note: Right hand carves out first the circle, then the inner detail of a yin yang symbol; this "yin yang motion" serves as a fine reminder of the blended but separate elements in Uechi-Ryu, mostly obviously hard and soft.
I like the hyperlink concept a lot... unfortunately, I don't have access to the uva uechi account at the moment, and when I did, Tim still did 98% of the programming. What I need to do is get in touch with the current UVA peeps (Mike, you listening??) to arrange such a resource. Right now a sanseiryu text review isn't exactly faciliatated by having the text make so many references... (see below).
I dig the Suparempi reference as well, with some note made of the incorporation of 108-derived steps in the intro to the written Kanshiwa--there making note of the boshiken sequence.
Here are the shoken-circle-catch-toss thing and the yin-yang motion as described in the Kanchin text (circa AD 2000?):
A motion derived from the wauke: with your right arm, hand in shoken (and always trailing, leading with wrist), drop your right hand down (keeping elbow in), across your body to the left, and up somewhat, all in a smooth "J" arc with elbows in. Your right hand should be palm up and ulnar deviated--that is, your wrist cocked somewhat to the pinkie side, and not just centered, but over to your left a bit. As you do this, your left hand makes a smaller, scooping motion closer to your body than the right hand, also ending palm up ulnar deviated, about 2 inches from your right forearm. You may shift to your rear foot a little as you do this--distance from a kick you're catching. Now, rocking forward and slightly up from your stance, thrust with both arms--up and out. Master Uechi did not focus this motion, just snapped it back to where it started, having never fully extended the arms. Others complete the full thrust, turning both hands over, hitting with extended arms and two shokens, right higher than left. This sequence is most easily used as a front kick catch, grab, and throw (or double shoken to body).
The next motion is complicated but graceful and impressive. Drop your right hand down as if to begin a wauke; then, complete the wauke circle motion with the right hand and drop your left hand straight down, much as in the first movement of this kata. Turn both palms to face upwards. Draw your right hand across your midline (but still away from your body) in a motion a bit like a shuto, and bring your left hand across your midline as well so it passes above the right hand. Your right hand should continue past your center line with palm up, then flip palm out and move back to its usual position in sanchin. Your left hand does much the same motion, perhaps with a little more circular feel to it, to your left. It's acceptable, even desirable, to finish with hands staggered, right a bit lower than left. This motion is perhaps the most fluid and soft of any in the system, and while this description must break it down, you should move like water, or a crane's wings, while performing it. This, even more than the Seiryu wauke motions, and the Seichin downward circle motions, is hurt rather than helped by being too muscular in kata performance. It sets Uechi-Ryu far apart from standard hard karate. As it is so involved, many applications can be read into it. One is defense against a double punch-right inside wauke a left punch, and hurriedly block a following right punch with your right "shutoish" motion, and finally grab onto both arms. Or outside block a right punch, then use the shutoish motion to block a following left punch and finish by circling around it and grabbing it with your left hand (the second punch is blocked as in a standard two handed wauke except the "guard" hand is under rather than over the circle arm-a modification that may suit taller students. Attacking motions might be: strike down on the radial nerve of a right punching arm with your left arm; circle up to strike into the head or neck with the right hand-the next motions can be used as further strikes or to prepare for further strikes by turning the head or exposing the throat. Or one could strike down on a right punch and right inside wauke a left punch, stepping forward to enable a right shuto into the neck; with the left hand perhaps lifting the chin for a right strike at the throat. Explore these with a partner. Note: Right hand carves out first the circle, then the inner detail of a yin yang symbol; this "yin yang motion" serves as a fine reminder of the blended but separate elements in Uechi-Ryu, mostly obviously hard and soft.
--Ian
Ian,
Yep, I'm here, playing fly on the wall as usual.
I'm planning on adding some stuff to the website sometime soon. It's on my list of things to do in the spare time that none of us have...
Research at the med school has become a near 60 hr/week job (almost feel like an intern already... just gotta fit another 20 hrs in there somehow 
).
-Mike
Yep, I'm here, playing fly on the wall as usual.
I'm planning on adding some stuff to the website sometime soon. It's on my list of things to do in the spare time that none of us have...
Research at the med school has become a near 60 hr/week job (almost feel like an intern already... just gotta fit another 20 hrs in there somehow ). -Mike
Mike, good to hear from you. How's the club? What're you working on adding? Think there's any time for Bill's hyperlink section? Think you can hook me up with long distance uechi site access so I can add the sanseiryu? ijenkins@bidmc.harvard.edu if you can.
--Ian
Hi Ian,
It goes well. We have a solid core group (~12), and the beginner class is maxed out as always.
I was planning on adding a few pages, such as some thoughts on groundwork, conditioning, etc... I don't know when I'll have time for this; I'm pretty darn busy right now setting up for the Arnis seminar next weekend, not to mention filling out financial forms for next year. In a month or so, I should have some time.
How goes things with you?
-Mike
It goes well. We have a solid core group (~12), and the beginner class is maxed out as always.
I was planning on adding a few pages, such as some thoughts on groundwork, conditioning, etc... I don't know when I'll have time for this; I'm pretty darn busy right now setting up for the Arnis seminar next weekend, not to mention filling out financial forms for next year. In a month or so, I should have some time.
How goes things with you?
-Mike
Same old, same old... Suffering through a clinical rotation I'm not interested in, maintaining a whiff of a social life in the face of fellowship interviews, feigning interest in research, and most importantly, fooling aroud with my kata, some escrima sticks and my bokken in my living room. It's still tundra outside. If you want to write me privately about working on the page, it's ijenkins at bidmc dot harvard dot edu--would love to hear from you. And the page is dusty.
--Ian
