Drills

Kata

There are eight empty-hand katas in Uechi Ryū; the longest has 36 steps. Only Sanchin, Seisan, and Sanseirui come from Pangai-noon; the others were added to the style by Kanei Uechi. Kanei Uechi designed all of the additional kata. Many of the names of the newer kata were formed from the names of prominent figures in the art, e.g. Kanshiwa from Kanbun and Sushiwa. The current list of empty-hand kata is:

	Kata	Description
1	Sanchin	Literally translated as “three fights/conflicts”. From the kanji for “three” and 戦う (“to fight/to struggle”?). Usually interpreted as three Modes/Conflicts: Mind, Body and Spirit).
2	Kanshiwa	A combination of the first kanji in Kanbun’s name, and the last two kanji (if written in Chinese order) of Shu Shiwa’s name.) This kata teaches the new student the concept of harnessing natural strength through the use of primarily tiger-style techniques. Also known as Kanshabu.
3	Kanshu	A combination of the first kanji in Kanbun’s name, and the kanji for Shu Shiwa’s family name (Shu) [see previous note on pronunciation]. This kata is also known as Daini Seisan (第二十三?).) This kata teaches the concept of precision in timing through using crane techniques.
4	Seichin	Literally translated it means “10 fights/conflicts”)or a combination between two other katas- Seisan and Sanchin. An alternate meaning interprets the name phonetically and then it translates as “Spirit Challenge”, implying that it teaches the concept of soft whip-like motion. This form uses whip-like dragon-style techniques.
5	Seisan	Literally translated, it means “13”. Usually interpreted as “Thirteen modes of attack and defense” or “13 positions to attack/defend from”.) An alternate meaning is simply “13th Room Kata”, being the form synthesised in the 13th room of Shaolin, using individual techniques taught in the previous training rooms. This kata combines the “Three Challenges” concept, and the student can go back and recognize and further develop those elements in the previous forms.
6	Seiryu	Along the lines of the others, literally translated this means simply “16”. An alternate translation uses phonetics rather than literal kanji meaning, and can denote “10 Dragons Form”, as there are 10 dragon techniques in the kata. This kata teaches the concept of stability since the four consecutive Dragon techniques in rotation call for a strong sense of balance.
7	Kanchin	A combination of Kanbun’s first kanji and “fight”. The first kanji of Kanbun, Kanei, and Kanmei are the same. Since this was created by Kanei UechiI from fighting techniques he favored from his father’s training, the name is considered to mean “Kanei’s Challenge”, or “Kanei’s Fight”. This form teaches the practitioner the concept of making defensive movements at one stroke (called “ikkyoodo”—all at one stroke).
8	Sanseiryu	Literally translated,tiger coming down from mountain also it means simply “36”. Usually interpreted as “thirty-six modes of attack and defense” or “36 positions to attack/defend from.”). It can also mean “36th Room Kata” as it is made from techniques taught individually in the previous 35 rooms (or previous 12 rooms in three rotations). Shu Shiwa was also known as “The 36th Room Priest” according to the 1977 Uechi-Ryu Kyohon (Techniques Book). This final kata combines all the previous concepts to pre-empt the attack.

The Sanchin kata is deceptively simple in appearance. It teaches the foundation of the style, including stances and breathing. Kanbun Uechi is quoted as saying “All is in Sanchin.” Though it is not difficult to learn the movements of Sanchin, to master the form is thought to take a lifetime. Some dojos will switch seichin and seiryu due to the difficulty of seichin. However, there aren’t many dojos that do this because seichin is before seiryu in the original order.

Grand Master George Mattson’s favorite kata is Kanchin.

Junbi Undo

	Exercise
Ashi Saki o Agero Undo	Heel Pivot
Kakato Agero Undo	Heel Lift
Ashikubi o Mawasu Undo	Foot and Ankle Twist
Hiza o Mawasu Undo	knee circular bend
Ashi o Mae Yoko Ni Nobasu Undo	leg lift and turn
Ashi o Mae Uchi Naname No Ageru Undo	straight leg lift
Tai o Mae Ni Taosu Undo	waist scoop
Koshi No Nenten	trunk stretch
Ude o Mae Yoko Shita Nobasu Undo	double arm strike
Kubi o Mawasu Undo	neck exercise

Hojo Undo

	Exercise
Sokuto Geri	Side kick
Shomen Geri	Front kick
Mawashi Tsuki	Hook punch
Hajiki Uke Hiraken Tsuki	Tiger paw blocks and dtrikes
Seiken Tsuki	Closed fist block and punch)
Shuto Uraken Shoken Tsuki	Chop, backfist, one-knuckle punch
Hiji tsuki	Elbow Strikes
Tenshin Zensoku Geri	Turn block and front kick off the forward leg
Tenshin Kosuko Geri	Turn block and front kick off the back leg
Tenshin Shoken Tsuki	Turn block one knuckle punch
Shomen Hajiki	Fingertip strikes
Koi no Shippo Uchi, Tate Uchi	Wrist blocks in four directions
Koi no Shippo Yoko Uchi	Fish-tail wrist blocks
Shin Kokyu	Deep breathing