correct sanchin stance

Posted by: Ktulu

correct sanchin stance - 09/19/05 06:53 PM

okay maybe you guys can help me. i posted this in the karate forum but not much response yet. now before i post i want it clear that im not debating how much more beneficial it would be to be asking an instructor this question in front of him. theres a thousand reasons why that would be much much better. but right now im just looking for what help i can get. ok. my post:

Hello. What is the correct sanchin stance? As i understand, you stand shoulder width apart. front legs lightly forward slightly angled inward. backfoot 45 degree angle inward toes pointing at front foots toes. knees bent inward. is this correct? when i first got into this stance i immediately felt grounded and realised how much easier it was to swivel my hips. but when practicing the reverse punch i felt a lot of tension in my lower spine. it wasnt painful, but extremely tense. is this normal? am i doing something wrong? the tension fades when i stop doing it this is only during. Thanks for any info ahead of time.
Posted by: Ktulu

Re: correct sanchin stance - 09/19/05 06:57 PM

also i have found diagrams showing the sanchin stance in two different ways. the one i describe above. and one where front foot is 45 degree angle and back foot is straight ahead. so it does seem i have my footing right (if you ask certain people) so my question is directed more toward spine pressure
Posted by: jamesd

Re: correct sanchin stance - 09/20/05 02:55 AM

Hi Ktulu,

I've always been taught to have my feet shoulder width apart, the heel of the front foot is in line with the toes of the back foot, both feet are turned inwards slightly, the knees are also slightly bent, whilst in a correct sanchin stance your back should be straight and you should feel rooted to the ground, also you should lift your hips slightly forward to protect the base of the spine, it is quite easy to make the mistake of leaning forward into this stance so you have to make sure your spine is straight maybe this could be why your lower back aches? I hope this could be of help to you, kind regards

James
Posted by: Reiki

Re: correct sanchin stance - 09/20/05 06:48 AM

Sanchin dachi or bear stance is taught in our system with toes of the front foot angled at 45deg+ inwards, the back foot is pointing straight ahead with the toes of the back foot inline with the heel of the front foot. It is a very wide but shallow stance.

Knees are bent inwards and the width of the stance is shoulderwidth or just slightly wider. Keep the back straight and do not lean. You will look "knock kneed" and as if you are grounded through your body.

Sanchin dachi is used in Sanchin kata [with Buddhist breathing] and in Tensho kata [with Daoist or reverse Buddhist breathing] and in Seiunchin.
Posted by: RonShively1022

Re: correct sanchin stance - 12/10/05 03:06 PM

You might try to keep in mind the health aspects of sanchin. I used to use the feet pointing inward in my sanchin stance, but later changed it when I started training with Tony Sandoval in Fujian White Crane. He-Tony, told me that by turning in your feet, it's like you're being pulled at your waist in a downward 45' degree angle. While this is a good stance, it can have a negative affect on your heart. So, I learned to keep my feet pointing forward. Later on, I went back to the older stance, and yes I did feel the downward 45' degree tug at my waist, and I did tend to feel that my heart seemed to work harder than usual.

I'm not saying that this is true for everybody, but for me making that one change in foot posture did have an overall affect on my health.