tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post678096902457601248..comments2023-10-22T16:13:55.130+01:00Comments on My journey to black belt: Seienchin kata - calm in the stormSue Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16008609198511182782noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-77147797944304256102011-11-02T12:57:04.270+00:002011-11-02T12:57:04.270+00:00Hi Beki, I'm not familiar with most of the kat...Hi Beki, I'm not familiar with most of the kata from your system but seienchin is a good one. I really like the contrasts between the slow and fast parts. Thanks for commenting.Sue Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16008609198511182782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-68963307811338234842011-11-01T18:31:58.692+00:002011-11-01T18:31:58.692+00:00I learn Goju-ryu and seienchin is kept for brown b...I learn Goju-ryu and seienchin is kept for brown belts so 2nd kyu I only just started to learn it. But I love it. Having done saifa until recently its quite a nice change since saifa is more flowing and dance like seienchin is more military and disciplined I think than what I've learnt previously kata wise. But any kata after the taikyoku's are awesome and fun to do:DBekinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-16509023909221396262011-07-13T13:16:03.527+01:002011-07-13T13:16:03.527+01:00Anon, thank you. It's actually very difficult ...Anon, thank you. It's actually very difficult and time consuming to research the history of the kata, I've had to scrape together details from several different sources for most of these historys. So little is actually written about them. I'm glad you're enjoying them. Thanks for commenting.Sue Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16008609198511182782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-50492757679591390612011-07-10T16:18:30.567+01:002011-07-10T16:18:30.567+01:00I am really liking your "history" on the...I am really liking your "history" on these kata. They are well done & mostly correct. Nice to see. The seiunchin video is a good "schematic" of the kata's basic movements. But the "real" kata, with chinese flow and in-depth waza looks quite different and would blow you away. I mean, you can only practice & perfect this basic form until one day you say, is this all there is? But to see the real thing, and realize its depth is infinite - gives elation and sends you down a completely different & satisfying path...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-61654534255665308582010-10-12T17:21:14.186+01:002010-10-12T17:21:14.186+01:00Hi Marie, I don't know saifa but I love bassai...Hi Marie, I don't know saifa but I love bassai dai. In fact I don't know anybody that doesn't like it. I still only know about half of seienchin at the moment but I'm liking it so far!Sue Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16008609198511182782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-76817767416625259032010-10-12T13:49:39.880+01:002010-10-12T13:49:39.880+01:00This is the 2nd Kyu kata for my school (and rather...This is the 2nd Kyu kata for my school (and rather scarily is rapidly creeping up on me! LOL). I was watching the higher grades perform the kata at training last night and it does look like one I'll enjoy (but definitely tough on the old quads!). I still have Saifa and Bassai Dai to master before I have to worry about this one though!<br /><br />xMx.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03272574764983174076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-14856302819863989842010-10-08T12:14:41.886+01:002010-10-08T12:14:41.886+01:00Hey, Sue. We end up teaching complex kata right fr...Hey, Sue. We end up teaching complex kata right from the start in Isshin-ryu, largely because we don't actually have any simple kata. Exact order of teaching can vary, but the dojo I've been in tend to go Seisan, Seiuchin, Naihanchi, Wansu, Chinto, Kusanku, Sunsu, Sanchin - which puts Seiuchin at an orange belt level. The students have to take a lot on faith, because there are moves they haven't learned otherwise, but generally they get there, and my sensei at least has a policy of going back continually and showing new applications and interpretations of kata as the students get more advanced.<br /><br />We do have a bit of a problem with getting the students low enough into stance, but Isshin-ryu stances tend to be higher than Gojo-ryu, so it's not as bad as it could be.Perpetual Beginnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09625596315528064536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-11849254729163750412010-10-07T10:36:29.560+01:002010-10-07T10:36:29.560+01:00Felicia, I'm about a third of the way through ...Felicia, I'm about a third of the way through learning the basic form at the moment and I'm finding some of the moves quite tricky! I think I'm going to like it though. Good luck with your tourney :-)<br /><br />Cindy, I'm surprised you do this kata so early as I think it's quite complex but presumably your junior belts cope with it? This kata seems to be a tournament favourite with a lot of people.<br /><br />John V, not bobbing up during those transitions is definitely difficult - I'll have thighs like rocks after learning this one :-)<br /><br />John C, obviously I'm just a beginner at this kata at the moment. We have looked at some bunkai from 3 different sections of the kata and all of them are escapes from various wrist grabs. One involves taking the opponent down with a neck twist and one involves pulling the opponent down from behind. I have been told that seienchin is a 'grappling kata' which implies throws and takedowns. <br /><br />I have just bought a book called 'Seienchin, karate and the kata 2nd ed' though I haven't had the chance to read it all yet. The book is available either in paperback form or as a download (which is much cheaper) from the website: www.downloadkarate.com. The book also contains several sections on the physiology and anatomy of various strikes as well as a discussion on the relationship between sports karate and kata bunkai, so it may be useful to you in other ways as well.Sue Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16008609198511182782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-11664872729026482722010-10-07T01:46:44.271+01:002010-10-07T01:46:44.271+01:00This is a coincidence. I'm writing a chapter o...This is a coincidence. I'm writing a chapter on unbalancing in my book tentively titled 'Throwing Techniques and Takedown Techniques of ALL Martial Arts'. Researching that chapter led me to Seienchin (and other spellings of the same kata) kata. It's said that the kata teaches, among other things, unbalancing methods. Any additional information you have on this matter in this regard would be very helpful.John Coleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14634192254115557179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-67090510101786329202010-10-06T00:20:07.723+01:002010-10-06T00:20:07.723+01:00I competed for years with this form (in Isshinryu ...I competed for years with this form (in Isshinryu it's spelled Seiuchin). The trick is to go through the transitions while not rising up from that deep shiko-dachi. A lot of interesting bunkai in this kata. (@ Felicia: Thanks for the mention!)John Vesiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04434740196022601040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-1956850549945049142010-10-05T20:43:17.886+01:002010-10-05T20:43:17.886+01:00I like it too. It arises much earlier in Isshin-ry...I like it too. It arises much earlier in Isshin-ryu (it was the second kata I learned). The Isshin-ryu version uses almost all the same moves, but some of the angles are quite different. It's one of the kata I'm trying to perfect for the world tournament in the spring.Perpetual Beginnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09625596315528064536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-38093066538493827252010-10-05T19:07:14.478+01:002010-10-05T19:07:14.478+01:00How funny is it that John V. (from "Martial V...How funny is it that John V. (from "Martial Views") likes it, too: http://www.martialviews.com/2010/10/whats-your-kata.htmlFeliciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09017194727231120284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361443425638782419.post-42937873582084004822010-10-05T19:04:07.146+01:002010-10-05T19:04:07.146+01:00Hi, Sue. This version looks so very similar to the...Hi, Sue. This version looks so very similar to the Goju-ryu version.l It is my absolute favorite kata.<br /><br />I learned this kata as a 2nd kyu but have been refining it since I got blasted by a senior dan the very first time I did it in tournament for not keeping my head/shoulder level consistent. Believe it or not, I am still fine-tuning it for another tourney in November...<br /><br />It is the only one of our katas that doesn't have any kicks in it. love it, love it, love it! Hope you have fun with it, too :-)Feliciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09017194727231120284noreply@blogger.com