About This Kata
| Name | Sanseiru [三十六手] |
| Translation | Thirty-Six Hands / Thirty-Six Techniques |
| Style | Gōjū-ryū |
| Level | Advanced |
| History | Sanseiru is one of the classical Gōjū-ryū kata with roots in Chinese martial arts, transmitted through Higaonna Kanryō. The number 36 represents half of 72, a number of symbolic significance in Chinese martial arts philosophy. The kata covers a wide range of combat techniques. |
| Lineage | Chinese martial arts → Higaonna Kanryō (Naha-te) → Chōjun Miyagi (Gōjū-ryū), Kanbun Uechi (Uechi-ryū) |
Step-by-step movements
| Step | Technique | Translation | Stance | Stance translation | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yoi | yoi | ready position | musubi-dachi | standing stance | Cross the hands in front of the abdomen and begin directly from this position. |
| 1 | ryowan-uchi-uke | double inside block | sanchin-dachi | hourglass stance (three battles stance) | Step the right foot forward and perform the double middle-level inward block. This action is also commonly described as morote chudan uchi-uke. Breathe in for a long count, breathe out briefly, then hold the breath firmly. |
| 2 | hidari hikite / hidari chudan gyaku-zuki / hidari chudan-yoko-uke | left fist pullback / left middle-level reverse punch / left middle sideward block | sanchin-dachi | hourglass stance (three battles stance) | Keep the right arm in place and draw the left fist to hikite; punch with the left, then perform the left side block. Turn the right foot slightly out and slide the left foot forward, keeping the arms in the double middle-block position. Use strong Sanchin-style breathing. |
| 3 | migi hikite / migi chudan gyaku-zuki / migi chudan-yoko-uke | right fist pullback / right middle-level reverse punch / right middle sideward block | sanchin-dachi | hourglass stance (three battles stance) | Repeat the preceding hand sequence on the opposite side, then step the right foot forward while maintaining the double-block position. |
| 4 | hidari hikite / hidari chudan gyaku-zuki / migi kaishu | left fist pullback / left middle-level reverse punch / open right hand | sanchin-dachi | hourglass stance (three battles stance) | Repeat the left pullback and reverse punch. Open the right hand and rotate its palm forward while drawing the left fist to hikite. |
| 5 | hidari teisho-uke | left inner palm-heel block | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Slide the right foot back into left front stance. The left hand travels along the right forearm; as the right hand closes, the left palm breaks away forcefully forwards and downwards to lower level. |
| 6 | migi sukui-uke / hidari teisho-zuki | right lower scooping block / left palm-hand strike | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Step forward into right front stance. Scoop forward with the right hand while striking the left palm down towards the right hand, as though seizing an object between both hands. Draw the connected hands sharply back to the chest in a position close to chudan juji-uke. |
| 7 | hidari mae-geri | left front kick | Without moving the upper body, deliver a left front kick while the hands remain drawn to the chest. | ||
| 8 | migi mae-geri | right front kick | Set the left foot and immediately deliver a right front kick. | ||
| 9 | migi age-empi-uchi / hidari gedan gyaku-zuki / migi kansetsu-geri | right rising elbow strike / left lower-level reverse punch / right low side kick | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Land the right foot forward and strike upwards with the right elbow. Punch low with the left fist, then keep the arms fixed and kick diagonally forwards-right to the knee with the right leg. |
| 10 | mawaru / hidari chudan-yoko-uke / migi mae-geri | turn / left middle sideward block / right front kick | sanchin-dachi | hourglass stance (three battles stance) | Raise the right knee and turn 180 degrees left on the left foot. Finish with the left foot forward in Sanchin stance and perform a left side block; maintain the block while delivering a right front kick. |
| 11 | migi age-empi-uchi / hidari gedan gyaku-zuki / migi kansetsu-geri | right rising elbow strike / left lower-level reverse punch / right low side kick | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Land forwards and repeat the elbow, low reverse punch and knee-joint kick combination in the opposite direction. |
| 12 | mawaru / hidari chudan-yoko-uke / migi mae-geri | turn / left middle sideward block / right front kick | sanchin-dachi | hourglass stance (three battles stance) | Raise the right knee and turn 90 degrees left on the left foot. Finish in left Sanchin stance, block with the left arm and kick with the right. |
| 13 | migi age-empi-uchi / hidari gedan gyaku-zuki / migi kansetsu-geri | right rising elbow strike / left lower-level reverse punch / right low side kick | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Repeat the elbow, low reverse punch and knee-joint kick combination in the third direction. |
| 14 | mawaru / hidari chudan-yoko-uke / migi mae-geri | turn / left middle sideward block / right front kick | sanchin-dachi | hourglass stance (three battles stance) | Raise the right knee and turn 180 degrees left on the left foot. Repeat the left side block and right front kick. |
| 15 | migi age-empi-uchi / hidari gedan gyaku-zuki | right rising elbow strike / left lower-level reverse punch | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Land forwards and perform the elbow strike and low reverse punch in the fourth direction. Unlike the previous three repetitions, do not add another kansetsu-geri here. |
| 16 | ryoken-kosa-uke (juji-uke) – migi-te-ue | both-fists cross block (right fist above) | shiko-dachi | square stance | Turn the hips left into square stance and perform a lower cross block with the right fist above the left. This is also commonly called kosa-uke. |
| 17 | ryoken-kosa-uke (juji-uke) – hidari-te-ue | both-fists cross block (left fist above) | shiko-dachi | square stance | Step the right foot back on the same line and turn 180 degrees into the opposite square stance. Repeat the lower cross block with the left fist above. |
| 18 | migi shotei jodan age-uke | right upper-level palm-heel rising block | shiko-dachi | square stance | Step the right foot forwards on the same line and turn to face the rear direction of the central axis. Perform the high open-hand rising block to the side; place the open left hand palm-up beneath the right chest. |
| 19 | awase-zuki | combined punch (U punch) | heiko-dachi | parallel stance | Draw the right foot slightly back, then slide it forward with the left foot following. Rise into right parallel stance, pull both fists to hikite and complete the forward slide with awase-zuki. |
| 20 | hidari chudan-uchi-uke | left middle inward block | sanchin-dachi | hourglass stance (three battles stance) | Turn 180 degrees left on the left foot and carry the right foot around in an arc into Sanchin stance. Perform a left middle inward block and draw the right fist to hikite. |
| 21 | migi chudan-uchi-uke | right middle inward block | sanchin-dachi | hourglass stance (three battles stance) | Step the right foot forward and perform the mirror-image middle inward block. |
| 22 | hidari shotei jodan age-uke | left upper-level palm-heel rising block | shiko-dachi | square stance | Step the left foot forward and repeat the high open-hand rising-block position on the opposite side, with the right hand palm-up beneath the left chest. |
| 23 | awase-zuki | combined punch (U punch) | heiko-dachi | parallel stance | Repeat the sliding advance and awase-zuki on the opposite side. |
| 24 | morote koken-uke | double bent-wrist block | shiko-dachi | square stance | Turn widely about 270 degrees to the right on the right foot, carrying the left foot around into square stance. Finish half-profile to the front of the kata, right foot forward, and block with both bent wrists; fingers together and pointing down. |
| Yame | naore / rei | return / bow | musubi-dachi | standing stance | Lift the left hand beneath the right. Bring the right foot to the left, rotate the hands around one another, lower them in front of the abdomen and bow. |
Variation note
Sanseiru is practised with recognised differences between Gōjū-ryū lineages and organisations. This table records one coherent version for use on Kata Step By Step.
Other versions may differ in the grouping of the opening Sanchin-style movements, the treatment of the palm-heel release and scooping actions, and the way the four directional elbow-and-punch combinations are counted. Notable variations include performing two separate front kicks or a jumping double front kick; describing the rising elbow action as an elbow strike, forearm wedge or close-range entering action; using different names for the high open-hand blocks; and varying whether a final kansetsu-geri is included after the fourth directional combination.
These differences should generally be understood as lineage and terminology variations rather than errors.
Kata steps and diagrams to come. If you would like to help completing this page, please contact me (mark.loftusuk@gmail.com).