Japanese:	sanchin
Mandarin Pinyin:	sānzhàn
Minnan:	saN1 chian3
Literally	"three battles"

Best known by its Japanese name, Sanchin is a martial arts routine (Japanese: kata) of Fujianese origin that is considered to be the core of several styles, the most well-known being the Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu styles of Karate as well as the Chinese martial arts of Fujian White Crane, Five Ancestors, and the Tiger-Crane Combination style associated with the master Ang Lian-Huat. The master Tam Hon even taught a style that was called simply, "Saam Jin" ("Sanchin" in Cantonese). Standard Mandarin is the official Chinese spoken language used by the Peoples Republic of China, the Republic of China on Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. ... Pinyin (拼音, pÄ«nyÄ«n) literally means join (together) sounds (a less literal translation being phoneticize, spell or transcription) in Chinese and usually refers to HànyÇ” PÄ«nyÄ«n (汉语拼音, literal meaning: Han language pinyin), which is a system of romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration to roman script) for Standard Mandarin. ... Mǐn Nán (Chinese: 閩南語), also spelt as Minnan or Min-nan; native name Bân-lâm-gú; literally means Southern Min or Southern Fujian and refers to the local language/dialect of southern Fujian province, China. ... Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ... Kata (åž‹) (literally: form) is a Japanese word describing detailed patterns of defense-and-attack movements practiced either solo or in pairs. ... Fujian (Chinese: 福建; pinyin: Fújiàn; Wade-Giles: Fu-chien; Postal System Pinyin: Fukien, Foukien; local transliteration Hokkien from Min Nan Hok-kiàn) is one of the provinces on the southeast coast of China. ... Goju Ryu (Japanese for Hard-soft style) is a style of karate, so called as it allows a combination of hard and soft techniques. ... Uechi Ryu (上地流) is a style of Karate originated by Master Kanbun Uechi (上地完文), who studied Pan Gai Noon (half-hard half soft) Kung Fu on Mainland China. ... Two men engaging in Karate. ... Chinese martial arts, often abbreviated as CMA, refers to the enormous variety of martial art styles native to China. ... Fujian White Crane (Chinese: 白鶴拳; pinyin: báihèquán; Hokkien: pe ho kun; literally white crane fist) is a martial art created, according to its oral history, by a woman named Fang Qiniang c. ... Five Ancestors Fist (Chinese: 五祖拳; pinyin: wÇ” zÇ” quán; Hokkien: ngo cho kun) is a Southern Chinese martial art that consists of techniques from five different styles: the hands of White Crane (白鶴拳) the evasiveness of Monkey (猴拳) the legs of Emperor Taizu (太祖拳) the footwork of Luohan (羅漢拳) the iron body of D... Hung Gar (洪家 or in Mandarin/hanyu pinyin, hong jia, lit. ... Cantonese (粵語/粤语, lit. ...

The Sanchin routine uses only its namesake stance and is carried out with deep, controlled breathing. Inhalation and exhalation are performed in unison with the various movements. In the most commonly taught versions, emphasis is placed on the tension of the practitioners' muscles, and movement of the body as a solid, stable unit. The Chinese version uses open hands and the Japanese closed fists. Certain schools of Five Ancestors, most noticeably those hailing from the Chee Kim-Thong lineage, employ minimal tension during execution to facilitate the correct training of qi. Three Battles (三戰; Japanese: sanchin; Chinese pinyin: sānzhàn; Hokkien: sam chien) is a martial arts routine (Japanese: kata) that originates from Fujian White Crane and has subsequently been adopted by other martial arts, which often consider Sanchin to be the core of their styles. ... QI, standing for Quite Interesting, is a comedy panel game shown on BBC Two and BBC Four and hosted by Stephen Fry. ...

The version of Sanchin used by karateka of various styles was developed by Goju Ryu founder Chojun Miyagi. Chojun Miyagi Sensei Chojun Miyagi was born in Naha, Okinawa as the son of a wealthy businessman on April 25, 1888. ...

The Sanchin stance

The Sanchin stance

The foot position of the Sanchin stance (Japanese: sanchin dachi) balances stability against the hip rotation needed for strong punches and kicks. The turned-in position of the front knee protects the groin from kicks. A crotch can be any region or an object, where a trunk splits into two or more limbs. ...

Technique

The rear foot should be facing forward or slightly turned in. The front foot should be placed 1 shoulder width apart turned in at 45°. The toes of the back foot should line up with the heel of the front foot. The knees should be bent in towards each other. Hips, body, and shoulders should face forwards.

See also

• Karate
• Goju Ryu
• Uechi Ryu
• Fujian White Crane (martial art)
• Five Ancestors
• Tiger Crane Paired Form

Two men engaging in Karate. ... Goju Ryu (Japanese for Hard-soft style) is a style of karate, so called as it allows a combination of hard and soft techniques. ... Uechi Ryu (上地流) is a style of Karate originated by Master Kanbun Uechi (上地完文), who studied Pan Gai Noon (half-hard half soft) Kung Fu on Mainland China. ... Five Ancestors Fist (Chinese: 五祖拳; pinyin: wÇ” zÇ” quán; Hokkien: ngo cho kun) is a Southern Chinese martial art that consists of techniques from five different styles: the hands of White Crane (白鶴拳) the evasiveness of Monkey (猴拳) the legs of Emperor Taizu (太祖拳) the footwork of Luohan (羅漢拳) the iron body of D... Hung Gar (洪家 or in Mandarin/hanyu pinyin, hong jia, lit. ...

External links

• Martin Watts' collection of Yǒngchūn White Crane (永春白鶴) videos, including several renditions of Sānzhàn (Sanjan)