Heishu Kata – Sanchin & Tenshō
Body, Power, Breath, Energy & Mind in Okinawa Gōjū-ryū Karate
Saturday & Sunday, January 30 & 31, 2027 – 3rd kyu and up
Full Participation Only
Already in his days, Sensei Chōjun Miyagi, the founder of gōjū-ryū karate, noticed that there was a tendency to disregard the importance of training the heishu kata – sanchin & tenshō.
In his last article from 1942 – Hō gōjū donto – karate zakkō [Hardness and softness, breathing in and out – miscellaneous notes on karate] he wrote: “When I observe karate in Okinawa, it seems that insufficient importance is placed upon Heishu, and that fundamental forms such as Sanchin are treated lightly. What do you think? However, if the fundamentals are not firmly established, then no matter how refined the techniques of Kaishu kata may become, something essential will inevitably be lacking, like a dragon painting without the final touch to its eyes.”
Nevertheless many gōjū-ryū [and uechi-ryū] masters have expressed the view that sanchin kata contains all the essential points of the whole system. To give just one of the many examples from Sensei An’ichi Miyagi: “In the Okinawan dialect there is a word kukuchi, which means key point. Miyagi An‘ichi Sensei often told me that if you practice sanchin kata repeatedly, even when it is difficult, then you will come to know the key points in all other kata as well.” [1]
What these kukuchi pertain to and how they manifest in techniques, forms and practices – that are at the same time also very different in many ways – deserves more attention.
Another interesting expression in Sensei Chōjun Miyagi’s article is kongōshin fushaku shinmyō no myōkyō’ [金剛身不 惜心命の妙境], which has been translated as ‘sanchin ecstacy’[2] and is described as relating to static sanchin practice. Static sanchin practice is rarely – if at all – mentioned or practiced in today’s gōjū-ryū karate.
This esoteric Buddhist expression also relates to a concept known in meditative, yogic and martial art systems as ‘diamond body’ [kongōshin] that are a part of or inspired by esoteric Buddhism. It describes a deep experiential bodymind state, which is equally unexplored.
All the glimpses shared above, are some of the core inspirations for this seminar in which I will explore the principles of body, power, breath, energy & mind in great detail and depth, to th ebest of my abilities.
In my research on these matters I found that one the one hand that there is still a lot within the oral and written tradition of Okinawa gōjū-ryū karate that is not yet fully ‘unearthed’. On the other hand there is also a lot of valuable knowledge and view in the potential root traditions of our style, such as white crane boxing and tiger boxing, which can elucidate what we train in gōjū-ryū karate.
Because sanchin and tenshō are so-called hard forms of qìgōng [Japanese: kikō], the [martial] qìgōng traditions are also a meaningful resources of insight that may elucidate one’s practice of sanchin and tenshō.
DATES & SCHEDULE
Saturday & Sunday, January 30 & 31, 2027: 10 – 16 h, with lunch break. It is possible to sleep in KenKon. If you come from far, you are welcome to come one or more days earlier or leave later and enjoy KenKon & surroundings and/or join other sessions [karate, qigong or meditation].
LOCATION
Sports Centre de Bongerd
Bornsesteeg 2
6708 PE Wageningen
Netherlands
SUBSCRIPTION
COSTS
IOGKF members: € 100,-; Students: € 80,- ; Dojo heads: free.
Non-IOGKF-members: € 140,-; Students: € 120,-.
Early bird: if subscribed & paid before November 31st: minus € 20,-.
Includes course materials.
PAYMENT
Transfer the money to the IOGKF Netherlands [IBAN NL63INGB0007738419]. For administrative questions: info@iogkf.nl [Remco van der Kieft: secretary / treasurer].
CANCELLATION POLICY
More than 3 weeks before: full refund; more than 2 weeks before: 60% refund; more than 1 week before: 20% refund; less than one week before: no refund.
PARTICIPATION
Only full participation; 2 days
For brown & black belts, 18 year and older.
Participation is definitive if the subscription has been made through the link above and the payment has been received by the IOGKF secretary Remco van der Kieft.
[1] In Traditional Karate, Volume 2, by Morio Higaonna.
[2] By Sanzinsoo.