Sanseiru Kata
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Taikyoko

Jodan

Chudan

Gedan

Kihon

Gekisai

Ichi

Ni

San

Sanchin

Saifa

Seiunchin

Uke No

Tensho

Sanseiru

Shisochin

Seisan

Seipai

Suparrenpei (Petchurin)

Kururunfa

Legend

RF   right foot       North   face front from starting position
LF   left foot       East   face right from starting position
RH   right hand       South   face back from starting position
LH   left hand       West   face left from starting position

Sanseiru is also known as the dragon kata. This form teaches strong attacking techniques that when applied with proper timing will disallow any defense. The right side is favored. Each move is strong. The speed of the kata is moderate.

The theme of Sanseiru is a straight forward attack. The first three steps should be strong like Kata Sanchin with breathing very audible.

From ready position:

  1. While stepping into right side sanchin dachi, block yoko uke with both arms.
    • Pull left hand slowly into chamber (hidari hiki te).
      Inhale.
    • Punch slowly with left hand (hidari seiken tsuki chudan).
      Exhale.
    • Return left hand to original blocking position.
      Inhale, exhale.
  2. Step into left sanchin dachi stance.
    • Pull right hand slowly into chamber (migi hiki te).
      Inhale.
    • Punch slowly with right hand (migi seiken tsuki chudan).
      Exhale.
    • Return right hand to original blocking position.
      Inhale, exhale.
  3. Step into right sanchin dachi stance.
    • Pull left hand slowly into chamber (hidari hiki te).
      Inhale.
    • Punch slowly with left hand (hidari seiken tsuki chudan).
      Exhale.
    • Open right hand and sweep along length of left arm to a fully extended position while drawing left hand into chamber.
      This move done at half speed.
  4. Step back with right foot into left zenkutsu dachi. Bring open left hand to the right elbow and slide down as right hand returns to chamber. Left hand remains open and stops over the knee (fingers pointed toward right knee).
    These moves done simultaneously and quickly.
  5. Step forward into right side zenkutsu dachi. At the same time, sweep the open right hand from right to left reaching down and out over the knee. As the right hand stops (palm up near the left armpit) the left hand strikes palm heel strike (teisho ate) downward and to the front.
    Application: RH is holding opponent’s right lower calf LH is above inside knee, presses across for take down.
  6. Step forward with left foot into left side sanchin dachi. Bring hands into fighting posture.
    Just raise hands with body into blocking position, don’t switch or rotate hands.
    RH is out, LH is inside.
    • Keeping hands in same position, kick right mae geri.
    • After the kick, step into right side zenkutsu dachi. At same time, perform right vertical elbow strike (hiji ate).
    • Punch with left hand diagonally downward across the body to about 2 inches below the right elbow.
  7. Maintain both hand and arm positions and kick right knee joint kick (kansetsu geri).
    Application: mae geri, step inside with knee-knee, elbow to chin/chest, LH punch.
    Application: mae geri, step outside, elbow missed, use LF (back leg) kensetsu geri to back of knee driving opponent to ground.
    • Pivot on left foot 180 degrees to the left (now facing the rear). Place right foot down into left side sanchin dachi. At the same time perform left side yoko uke.
  8. Keeping hands in same position step forward and kick right side mae geri.
    • After the kick, step into right side zenkutsu dachi. At same time, perform right vertical elbow strike (hiji ate).
    • Punch with left hand diagonally downward across the body to about 2 inches below the right elbow.
  9. Maintain both hand and arm positions and kick right knee joint kick (kansetsu geri).
    • Pivot on left foot 90o to the left. Place right foot down into left side sanchin dachi. At the same time perform left side yoko uke.
  10. Keeping hands in same position step forward and kick right side mae geri.
    • After the kick, step into right side zenkutsu dachi. At same time, perform right vertical elbow strike (hiji ate).
    • Punch with left hand diagonally downward across the body to about 2 inches below the right elbow.
  11. Maintain both hand and arm positions and kick right knee joint kick (kansetsu geri).
    • Pivot on left foot 180 degrees to the left.
      Place right foot down into left side sanchin dachi. At the same time perform left side yoko uke.
  12. Keeping hands in same position step forward and kick right side mae geri.
    • After the kick, step into right side zenkutsu dachi. At same time, perform right vertical elbow strike (hiji ate).
  13. Pull left foot slightly back, shift into shiko dachi (facing rear). At the same time, perform X block (ju ji uke) with right hand over left, hands open.
  14. Pivot on left foot 180 degrees to the right into shiko dachi (facing front). At the same time, raise hands to face level and then drop hands into an X block (hands closed, left over right).
    Application: block opponent’s RH punch, grab wrist, LF stays, RF steps behind opponent’s right side so you are back-to-back, use back as leverage point, pull opponent’s arm over shoulder to dislocate.
    Application: block opponent’s RH punch, grab wrist, RF stays, LF steps (under arm) to opponent’s left side into zenkutso dachi (make sure weight is behind body, if not sink back into nekoachi dachi), throw opponent to ground.
  15. Pivot on left foot 180 degrees to the left into shiko dachi (facing rear). At the same time, the right hand raises to the forehead, open, palm out, while the left hand is positioned at the stomach, open, palm up.
  16. Sweep the right foot up to the left knee. At the same time, pivot to the right on the left foot 90 degrees and pull both hands to chamber.
    • Take a long sliding step with the right foot and drag the left foot into right-side sanchin dachi stance. At the same time perform a double punch with the left hand over the right, palms facing each other. Kiai.
      • Think of rotating circles.
        Arms are circling as you sweep.
        Similar application as Seiunchin (blocking kick, holding/raising kicking leg, sweep leg out).
  17. Step with right foot across body (kosa dachi). Pivot 180 degrees to the left, should be in left side sanchin dachi. Perform left yoko uke.
  18. Step into right side sanchin dachi and perform right yoko uke as you step.
  19. Step forward with the left foot into shiko dachi facing rear. At the same time, the left hand raises to the forehead, open, palm out, and the right hand moves to the stomach, open, palm up.
  20. Sweep the left foot up to the right knee. At the same time, pivot on the right foot 90 degrees to the left and pull both hands into chamber.
    • Take a long sliding step with the left foot and drag the right foot into left-side sanchin dachi stance. At the same time perform a double punch with the right hand over the left, palms facing each other. Kiai.
  21. Pivot on right foot 135 degrees to the right moving into front facing right-side 45 degree shiko dachi. At the same time, sweep both hands from behind. Keep arms straight and down until at the front where they raise and bend at the elbows into wrist blocks. Keep wrists bent as much as possible. Arms do not cross.
    • Arms should rise vertically near end and drop slightly at end.
      • Both hands should be approximately the same height with left hand closer to body than right.
        If you rotated your waist to the front/center (so hips and face are aligned), both hands should be equal distance from body.
  22. Finish

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