The understanding of a form and (some of) its uses....

I have a penchant for trying to learn kata and forms both for mental stimulation.  I started to try to work out Ho Chien Wat out of curiosity, as I thought it was a beautiful form with definite elements of sharp contrast.   In doing so, I found that I was learning something that was both potentially good for breathing and, for me, good for exercise if performed as close as I can in the manner I originally viewed.

 

Where I am with the latter version of the form now is shown below.

Ho Chien Wat to the Best of my Ability

What I did find in the early stages though, was that although I studied the form many times and wrote down as much details as I could from what I had viewed (Anatomy of a Form: Ho Chien Wat), translating that into a decent approximation of the form.  Then I got a chat from my friend PJ Broomy about doing one of our occasional chats/training sessions.  I had an idea that trying to explain it to someone else from a similar background would help me work things out, so I asked PJ if I could show him what I was up to. 

 

The below videos were made after the video session and can be contrasted with those of the earlier blog.   As to how it worked, I broke the form down into the three elements: Salutation, Mid-Section (repetition) and Final Sequence. Then I showed PJ the movements to each part slowly.  The mid-section, was not as long as it looks here, as I just did the RHS then LHS progression once.   

Ho Chien Wat salutation

Ho Chien Wat middle section

Ho Chien Wat final sequence

Showing and trying to explain what I was doing I found helped my own understanding of the movements involved, and feedback received, helped me to do some fine tuning.   I spent four or five days taking on board the better understood version, and finally felt comfortable in using the form in the same manner I use Tensho, for slow, deep breathing connected to the movements.

 

Ho Chien Wat slow

Given that I sometimes don't have a lot of room to practice in, I had also worked out a static version of Tensho, for specifically just relaxation and clearing the mind.  I have now developed a version incorporating Ho Chien Wat with a part of Tensho.  As this requires more focus to perform than Tensho on its own, I find that this is even better for clearing the mind.  the exercise itself is shown below.

Static Slow Breathing exercise

With more confidence, I found I wanted to use Ho Chien wat more often as exercise, and with that came the quicker articulation of the form as shown in the first video.  I make no claim to understand the form as a tool for fighting, that I acknowledge would take years of work.  However, as a tool for deep breathing, mindfulness and exercise, I believe that there are clear benefits to the form, for me at least.

Hope you enjoyed reading.

Thank you to Russ Smith and PJ Broomy for their support and input.

REY 31/01/2024

SanZhan or Sanchin?

Before I get started, please note I did not learn Sanchin as a part of the core syllabus from my Dojo.  Rather from a friend, PJ Broomhall, who teaches it as a part of his Bu Kai syllabus.   Firstly, I learnt it out of curiosity, as it is labelled as one of the three "core" Kata of Karate (along with Naihanchi and Tensho #1).   I then added it directly to my own repertoire as a part of my CBT/Karate routine (#2) that I use to remain calm and focus.

This routine has three elements, for Mindfulness, Tensioning and Relaxation.  Sanchin, used to develop the "iron body" techniques of Karate, seemed to be the absolutely natural Kata for the Tensioning portion of the routine.   Not done fully in the style that many Goju teachers would approve, but at Firstly, least tensioning the arms and legs to make the arms rigid in the legs "rooted".

My curiosity was piqued about the kata after watching Jesse Enkamp's China series (#3) on YouTube.  There may be some dispute about the veracity of the claim to have found the oldest Kata, but there can be no doubt at all about the genuine nature of the Kung Fu featured.  SanZhan was the Crown Jewel of the series.  It was claimed to be the root of Seisan, which is a possibility.  What is undeniably true is that it is the root form that led to Sanchin (#4).

Sanchin is known mainly for its association with Iron Body an Goju Ryu, but although the Karate kata is simplistic in appearance, its roots tell that there is much more to it.   Although many may use it simply as a body training kata, it embodies fighting techniques as well. I have been lucky enough to listen to many talks and train online with many people that I would probably never have met, but for Covid.  Two of these, Les Bubka and PJ Broomhall, quite happily consider and teach how the Kata can be applied.

Therefore, I was both amused and saddened by a member of the Karate world saying that Sanchin is only intended for and should only be used for, body training and conditioning.   It seems that some of the extended family still live in denial of the roots of Karate and that any kata derived from Kung Fu are not just going to be "training" kata. (An example of a Chinese training form would be the likes of "8 brocades", which would never be translated into karate #5).

I have the pleasure of slowly learning some aspects of Five Ancestors Boxing from online lessons with Russ Smith, and some of the material seemed directly aligned with Sanchin, though less stylised.  The material in question is in no way intended as body training and has an explicit direct follow on from the deflecting aspect of the crossing arms in a double outward worlds block.

To show what I mean, this is a video of my amended version of Sanchin, showing the more attacking potential I can see hidden in the movements:

Sanchin modified to incorporate Five Ancestors techniques: 

1) Turns half front, half back, followed by leg sweep. 
2) Outward crossing of arms open handed, then bringing down as hooking hand to trap the opponent's arms. 
3) In place of a punch, back hand hook turns into a ridge hand “bump" to the trapped arm, followed by a finger strike up the line of the arm into the throat.

Whilst this is strictly speaking neither SanZhan or Sanchin, I don't think that most people would deny the Sanchin base, or argue too much with the intent of the Five Ancestors added techniques.  Of course, apart from our doctrinally blinkered brethren.  So maybe to let them live happily in the belief that Sanchin is solely a training/conditioning kata, by referring to anything derived with purposeful intent as SanZhan? 

REY 22/10/2023

#1 The Birth of Karate

#2 Kata and CBT

#3 Karate Nerd In China (Ep 5)

#4 SanZhan, Sanchin and Seisan

#5 Eight Brocades

A Nerd post, SanZhan, Sanchin and Seisan

This isn't a historical post, let's make this clear; rather it's a train of thought based upon observations I have made, in part based on some presented material I have been exposed to.   The link between Seisan and SanZhan I looked at in one of my previous blogs:

Seisan as nerd and for health

However, I wanted to have another look at SanZhan and the route started again with"Karate Nerd in China"  Jesse had somebody named Will helping him on the journey, so I decided to look him up.  This turned out tp be Will Wain-Williams, who has his own YouTube channel, "Monkey Steals Peach", and there, sure enough, was even more material from the Jesse Enkamp trip, including the full form of SanZhan Jesse had referred to.

Also, there was under a Subsection, "Monkey offers Peach". a whole archive of the different forms of SanZhan that Will had come across in his travels:

Monkey gives Peach - SanZhan Archive (no longer available)

The interesting thing was, Will identified the kata associated with it as Sanchin, not Seisan.  In truth, that ties in with the various names I seem to have heard for both Kata, SanZhan and Sanchin both refer to the number three, one of the popular names for the form and kata being the "three battles".  Seisan apparently refers to the number 13.  There is is a large amount of reference material which refers to Sanchin being specifically brought over to Okinawa from China, but not a great deal stated about Seisan.

However, apart from Jesse's video, there are other reference points that cite Seisan being linked to SanZhan, so this set a seed that both Seisan and Sanchin are related and derived from the same Chinese form, SanZhan. Sanchin seems to concentrate on the similar opening elements found in each of the different forms of SanZhan, while the diverse forms of Seisan, reflect the many variations of SanZhan found in China. Sanchin concentrates on very specific core techniques taught in the styles of karate where it is used as the base kata, whilst Seisan incorporates the diverse techniques used in fighting.

I decided to ask Will about this, and whilst he was knowledgeable about the Sanchin relationship to SanZhan, he referred me to an interview he did with Russ Smith (author of  "Principle-Driven Skill Development: for Traditional Martial arts"), for further insight.

Russ Smith - SanZhan, Sanchin and Seisan

Russ Smith in the interview gives his theory, having studied both Five Ancestors Boxing and Goju Ryu, Seisan is a four directional version of SanZhan.  So, SanZhan could be the root form of both Sanchin and Seisan.  Sanchin being the core and Seisan adding in the other elements.

For the sake of completeness, I have added a link to the forms of Seisan I found in my search for the first blog.

YouTube Playlists (Seisan)

I would be interested to hear what other people think.