Exploring Mawashi Uke: A Circular Block with Hidden Depth

In our dojo, the students were recently set a simple but valuable challenge: research a different uke technique and demonstrate it in class. I chose to explore Mawashi Uke — the circular-style block often associated with Goju Ryu — and to look at how it can be applied in practical self‑defence. My son helped me demonstrate the variations in the accompanying video.

Although Mawashi Uke isn’t native to my own style, Shorin Ryu, it appears in several Okinawan systems. In Goju Ryu it forms part of the foundational kata Sanchin, while in our Shorin Ryu kata Naihanchi it is often interpreted as an outside block followed by a double block. But when you look more closely at the mechanics, the movement reveals a much richer application.

To show how deeply the technique is embedded within Goju‑ryu, it can be found from Sanchin, through Tensho, Saifa, Seiyunchin, Seipai, Kururunfa, all the way to the most advanced kata, Suparinpei.

Beyond Blocking: The “Parry Pass” Concept

Rather than thinking of Mawashi Uke as a static block, it becomes far more effective when viewed as a “parry–pass” sequence:

·         The first hand parries the incoming strike.

·         The second hand passes or sweeps the attacking arm outward, taking control of it.

This two‑stage motion redirects energy, disrupts balance, and creates immediate openings. When combined with a quarter turn of the body, the technique extends the aggressor’s arm and exposes their back — a position that offers multiple follow‑ups.

Specific Techniques Demonstrated

The specific techniques I demonstrated were variations on this parry–pass and quarter‑turn principle. These included: a Pass Parry with a quarter turn into an arm bar applied by the parrying arm, followed by a kick to the head and a drag‑rotate motion on the arm to perform a drag‑down; a Pass Parry and quarter turn into an arm bar or shoulder control, followed by a stomping kick to the rear of the knee; and finally, a Parry Pass with a quarter turn into arm extension and shoulder control, stepping in front with the leg closest to the opponent before pushing down on the back of the head and dragging the arm to execute a throw over that leg.

See the Technique in Action

For those who prefer to see the movements demonstrated, the full video is available here:

Mawashi Uke - Circular Block

The video follows the same structure as this article, showing the Sanchin and Naihanchi interpretations, the parry–pass mechanism, and the three applied examples.

Why This Exploration Matters

Cross‑training concepts like Mawashi Uke helps deepen our understanding of kata, body mechanics, and the shared roots of Okinawan karate. Even when a technique isn’t central to our own style, studying it expands our options and sharpens our ability to interpret movement under pressure.

Thank you for reading.

REY 25/02/2026

Well it started out as Sanchin

 Of my original introduction to Karate through Shorin Ryu never included Sanchin, but through my interest in the history of Karate, I always had a hankering to have a look at that kata and Tensho.  I learnt Naihanchi as the fundamental kata of my style, but there were three kata named as fundamental to Karate in the first official meeting of Masters in 1936: A nerd blog, the birth of Karate

First came Tensho; when I asked for a Mentor to show me how to use Karate as a form of breathing exercise, Noah Legel offered to help using that kata.  I didn't learn the sharp breathing normally used with Tensho, and indeed Sanchin, rather slow, deep in through the nose, out from the mouth breathing to accompany the "draw in" and "push out" elements of the hand movements.  This was to help me cope with COPD, and I still use in any kata I have picked up since based on the Goju style. Tensho and Breathing Kata

Then Covid hit, I had been lucky to chat with PJ Broomy before that, due to us both having heart issues.  Covid gave us the chance to train together through some formal online lesson, and then develop on a more personal basis.  PJ kindly agreed to show me his style of Sanchin (Bukai, not strictly Goju), which I happily took on board.  My latest video of this kata is shown below.

Bu Kai Sanchin

Post Covid, I still have strong fears of going into crowded places due to my co-morbidities, COPD and hereditary heart problems.   As a result, I decided to ask Russ Smith if I could study some of his Five Ancestors lessons (very much a precursor to Karate).   Some of the basic moves there suggested something similar to Sanchin but different. (The double outward block. followed by a strike particularly).  So I used the Sanchin embusen to practice these.

5 Ancestors basics on the Sanchin Embusen

I suppose the next development was inevitable, in practising, I merged the two together. Sanchin embusen, final arm positions and punches, with 5 ancestors turns and arm crossings (traps rather than blocks, which resulted in the below hybrid version.

5 Ancestors basics / Sanchin Hybrid

Probably of no practical value other than to keep me practising, but isn't that the same goal for us all? Whether it be for competition, body mechanics, self discipline or health, we all have to have our motivation. Health is mine.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for Ben and Alison (my first Sensei), Noah, PJ and Russel for getting me this far.

REY 09/06/2024

Muutudii and Sanchin - by and shared with permission of Motobu Naoki

 

(Translated to French by Jean-Charles Juster, to English from French by Robert Young, Shared with Permission of Motobu Naoki)

https://medium.com/@motobu715/muutudii-et-sanchin-c2c61cd07040

 

The Motobu Udun dii has basic forms called Muutu dii. There are two kinds, called ichi (one) and ni (two). The first is done with clenched fists, the second with open hands. The images below show Muutudii ni performed with open hands. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A5k4emukhA

It resembles the Sanchin of the Gōjū school, but according to Master Uehara Sekichi, it is very different from the kata of the Gōjū-ryū. In fact, in this school one performs this kata with clenched fists, and, in this case, one performs Muutudii with open hands. In addition, Sanchin is accompanied by a particular breath called ibuki (forced breathing), whereas in Muutudii is natural. In addition, in the Gōjū, the toes are oriented inwards, according to an "internal hachimonji position: uchi hachimonji", but in Muutudi, they are roughly parallel. And also, the general posture or the way to lock the knees is also different. 

Master Uehara learned it from Master Motobu Chôyû, but as in other schools there is no Muutidi, I initially thought in the past that it was a creation of Master Chôyû. However, several decades ago, I heard disciples of Master Uehara from the 1950s say, “Back then, we called him Sanchin!” ", I then came to think that perhaps Muutudi is Sanchin". In this case, this would mean that originally, the Sanchin of the Gôjû school was done in a form close to an execution with open hands and with natural breathing.

The current Muutudii is carried out according to the model: move forward three steps and turn around, move forward again by three steps and turn around, and once again move forward three steps. I learned from disciplines of the time that this form was established around the time of the first Motobu-ryû Sashiki Demonstration which took place in Sashiki (now Nanjô) in 1974. Until then, it seems that the The execution model consisted of starting from one wall and moving towards the opposite wall, and when you reached it, you turned around and moved forward again. In other words, it was not a kata with a fixed form.

According to Higa Kiyohiko who had learned with master Uehara in the years 1950–1960, there was this format, but also a fixed form and his father (Higa Seitoku) had learned it. So would this mean that from the beginning, there was indeed a fixed form for Muutudii? As Master Uehara taught different movements to different disciples, this is a plausible version. Otherwise, there is also a Sanchin transmitted by Matsumura Sôkon, called “Shô Sanchin” [“Shô” being the other reading of the pine character “matsu” which happens to be the first sign of Matsumura’s name].

So, was there a Sanchin in the shurite?, many intrigued people will ask.

In fact, in addition to Master Uehara, the current sôke, Motobu Chôsei, heard from Mr. Miyagi Chôjô, a person originally from Okinawa who lived in his neighborhood, a testimony according to which Master Chôyû taught Sanchin.

  (Photograph: from left to right: the family of Motobu Chôsei, Uehara Seikichi, and jumping a person Miyagi Chôjô: Osaka, 1976)

It seems that Mr. Miyagi learned a little karate from Master Chôyû for a short time. And according to him, the latter then taught Sanchin. Furthermore, this same Mr. Miyagi told the legatee of our school the following thing. “Among Master Chôyû’s disciples, there was a truly gifted young man who was extraordinarily powerful. When he made Sanchin, the grass that passed under his feet was torn out.”

This is how there was indeed a Sanchin in the shurite. However, why did this kata suddenly disappear? This is another mystery in the history of karate.

Kata, Covid and the mind

 

During the long period of training at home due Covid, karate has been one of my few positive outlets, and kata one of my first go-tos in times of stress, for exercise, relaxation and as mental stimulation.  Now things are looking to settle down, I thought it worthwhile to reflect on how far I have come in my use of kata as a part of my life.

Shorin Ryu kata

In March 2020, I knew one kata fully of my Shorin Ryu style, and had started to learn another.  Naihanchi Shodan was the main kata and was allowed to practice Naihanchi Nidan.  As a result of working online with Robey Jenkins, I had learned to use kata for cardio, and as a result of working online with Noah Legel, I had learned to use kata for breathing exercise.  All the Kata shown here are done in the manner associated of my working with these two excelent teachers.

As a result of having the opportunity to work with PJ Broomy online, I was introduced to the Bu Kai style.  After the formal lessons originally arranged for my dojo, I have had the pleasure of working with PJ one to one on many occasions.  He kindly demonstated a number of kata to me, including the opening kata of his style, along with a number of others.

Bu Kai kata

I've always had an enquiring mind, so I think it was natural for me to look at other kata to learn as a form of mental stimulation during these Covid-ridden times.  A documentary of Jesse Enkamp's, the "Karate Nerd in China" inspired me to want to learn the form of Seisan, which PJ kindly showed me, plus another Sanchin based kata, Sanseru.

Goju Kai/Ryu kata

Few of the kata here will ever be perfected for fighting purposes, but for the purposes I am using them for as denonstrated, they work perfectly well.  They are:

Naihanchi Shodan (core Shorin Ryu, graded since Covid)*
Naihanchi Nidan (core Shorin Ryu, formally learning)*
Naihanchi Sandan (core Shorin Ryu, allowed to practice)
Pinan Shodan (allowed to follow in lessons)

Taigyoku Shodan (Goju Ryu/Shotokan opening Bu-kai kata/PJ Broomy) Heian Nidan (Shotokan, second Bu-kai kata/PJ Broomy) Seisan (Goju ryu, 7th Bu-kai kata/PJ Broomy) Sanseru (Goju ryu, 8th Bu-kai kata/PJ Broomy) Tensho (Goju ryu and Breathing kata/Noah Legel)*

*These are the kata practiced pre-Covid.

Thank you to Alison and Ben Slack, Robey Jenkins, Noah Legel and Paul Broomhall for all their help and inspiration, also Les Bubka who showed me how to use slow kata for relaxaion. Plus any of you who are kind enough to read.

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.