Goju-Ryu Kata – Seiyunchin

This page will help you to learn the Goju-Ryu kata – Seiyunchin. This kata is also known as Seiunchin. This is the fourth kata for Goju-Ryu Karate. The Seiyunchin kata means “To control & pull”. For the meaning of other Goju-Ryu kata, please visit the section on Goju-Ryu kata meanings.

There are 12 official “core” katas for Goju-Ryu. However, the Sanchin kata is occasionally separated into two katas by some schools. Therefore, people are sometimes confused and think there are 13 Goju-Ryu katas. In addition, some Goju-Ryu schools and organizations borrow katas from other styles and they might use more than the official 12 katas.

For additional Goju-Ryu Karate katas, please visit Black Belt Wiki’s main Goju-Ryu Katas page. To learn other Karate katas (i.e. Shotokan), please visit the main Katas & Forms section.

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Instructional Video for Seiyunchin – Goju-Ryu Kata

Demonstration of Seiyunchin – Goju-Ryu Kata – Front View

Demonstration of Seiyunchin – Goju-Ryu Kata – Side View

Written Kata Instructions

  • Attention
  • Yoi with feet together at attention left hand over right several inches away from the groin the left hand pushes down while the right hand pushes up creating (explosive) tension
  • The right foot steps out at a 45 degree angle to the right in to kiba dachi (horse stance)
    • Alternatively: some schools sit in a fudo dachi (sumo/unshakable stance)
    • At the same time the hands raise up to chest level with the elbows down so that the forearm is angled as a 45 degree angle
    • The palms turn outwards and the fingers circle down and around to the starting point with the hands back to back
    • The fingers then roll into a fist and pull down over each knee
    • The right hand then circles up to an open handed middle block with the palm facing up, at the same time the left hand rises to chamber
    • The right hand then turns with a grab and pulls back to chamber position (palm down in the grab) and the left hand strikes forward with a spear hand strike with the palm facing upwards
  • The left foot steps in and out at a 45 degree angle in to kiba dachi (horse stance)
    • Alternatively: some schools sit in a fudo dachi (sumo/unshakable stance)
    • At the same time the hands raise up to chest level with the elbows down so that the forearm is angled as a 45 degree angle
    • The palms turn outwards and the fingers circle down and around to the starting point with the hands back to back
    • The fingers then roll into a fist and pull down over each knee
    • The left hand then circles up to an open handed middle block with the palm facing up, at the same time the right hand rises to chamber
    • The left hand then turns with a grab and pulls back to chamber position (palm down in the grab) and the right hand strikes forward with a spear hand strike with the palm facing upwards
  • The right foot steps in and out at a 45 degree angle in to kiba dachi (horse stance)
    • Alternatively: some schools sit in a fudo dachi (sumo/unshakable stance)
    • At the same time the hands raise up to chest level with the elbows down so that the forearm is angled as a 45 degree angle
    • The palms turn outwards and the fingers circle down and around to the starting point with the hands back to back
    • The fingers then roll into a fist and pull down over each knee
    • The right hand then circles up to an open handed middle block with the palm facing up, at the same time the left hand rises to chamber
    • The right hand then turns with a grab and pulls back to chamber position (palm down in the grab) and the left hand strikes forward with a spear hand strike with the palm facing upwards
  • The lead right leg slide back to the left into either heiko dachi (parallel stance) or neko dachi (cat stance)
    • As the lead (right) leg slides back the the right hand closes to a fist and is laid in the palm of the open left hand so that both palms are facing upwards, and together they come to the stomach
    • In the same move there is then a forward sliding transition to a sanchin dachi (hourglass stance) with the right leg still leading
    • During this forward movement both hands turn upside down with the knuckles of the right arm pointing to the left with the intent of a forward pushing strike to the solarplexus of an opponent
    • To assist in this motion the left hand now on top of the right slide over the thumb of the right hand so that the palm is facing the target and pushing the striking hand into the opponent
  • The right foot then steps back into a sanchin dachi (hourglass stance)
    • With the step backwards the left hand reaches out at head level and the right arm pulls back to chamber
    • The left hand pulls as the right arm strikes out with a vertical elbow strike and the two meet at about chest level
  • The right foot steps forward into a sanchin dachi (hourglass stance) but rather than straight the hips are pivoted to the right 45 degrees and you sit in the sanchin dachi at the angle
    • At the same time (transitioning directly from the elbow strike) the right hand moved to an outward middle block with the left hand pushing on the pinky side of the fist (note that the palm of the fist in the middle block should be facing you)
  • Staying on this 45 degree angle line to the right the left foot steps in and then out to a kiba dachi (horse stance) with the core of the body turning to the right but the stance along the same 45 degree angle
    • At the same time the right hand drops low and the left hand frames up to the right ear while stepping in so that as you step out into kiba dachi you can low block with the left hand as the right hand pulls back to chamber
    • Alternatively: the left hand can circle around to the same position as a hammer strike to the groin rather than a low block, in this case the palm would be facing back behind you rather than down at the ground
  • The left foot then steps back to kiba dachi, the body now facing the opposite direction but on the same 45 degree line
    • As you step back the right hand frames up to the left ear and low blocks as you step back
    • Alternatively: the right hand can circle down to a hammer fist strike as detailed above
  • From the angled line that the Kiba dachi is on the left foot steps in to the right and forward perpendicularly to the angle that the kiba dachi was on into a sanchin dachi
    • As you step into the sanchin dachi the left hand comes out from chamber to perform a middle block with the right hand open on the pinky side of the fist (this is a supported block)
  • The right foot steps in and forward to a kiba dachi with the body turning to the left, this horse stance is now on a line perpendicular to the previous horse stances
    • As the right foot steps forward the right hand frames up the left ear and proceeds with a low block
    • Alternatively: the right hand can circle down to a hammer fist strike as detailed above
  • The right foot steps back into a kiba dachi
    • During which the left arm frames and low blocks as you stay on that same angle with the left leg in front
    • Alternatively: the left hand can circle down to a hammer fist strike as detailed above
  • The left leg then steps back into another kiba dachi but this time angling the direction of the stance so that the kiba dachi is in line with the center of the of the kata (from starting position) and the body is facing to the left
    • As you step back into this position the left hand frames in front of the right and goes to an open hand high block over the head
    • At the same time the right hand strikes out low to a shuto (knife hand strike) to the groin with the fingers pointing down
  • The right leg then steps back to kiba dachi on the center line of the kata with the body facing the right of the original starting position
    • The right hand frames in front of the left ending in an open hand high block over the head
    • And the left hand strikes out with the knife edge of the hand to the groin
  • The back right leg steps forward aggressively into a sanchin dachi with the left leg sliding into the stance
    • As you step forward the right hand closes to a fist and swings forward similar to a chudan soto uke (inward fanning block)
    • As the right handed strike approaches the center line of the body the left hand meets open handedly at the elbow stopping the strike and causing the fist to arc to the left downward
  • At the end of the arc the right leg slides forward to a sanchin dachi and the left leg slides forwards as well
    • The right hand then delivers a back fist aimed for the nose
  • The right leg then steps to the left into a scissor and then you pivot on the balls of the feet 135 degrees to the left into a sanchin dachi
    • As the right leg steps to the left the left hand drops and closes to a fist
    • As you pivot into the sanchin dachi the left hand rises and the right hand goes down performing a double arm block
  • The right leg then steps forward into a kiba dachi on the same line as the sanchin but with the body turned 90 degrees to the left
    • As you step the left hand wards downward and ends at the chest in Buddhist palm position, and at the same time the right hand performs and upper cut punch
    • The right hand then performs a back fist and then circles down to a low block
  • Staying on the same line the right leg steps back to a kiba dachi with the body now facine 180 degrees from the prior horse stance
    • As you step back into the kiba dachi the left hand frames up to the right ear and performs a low block to the left of the horse stance
  • The right leg then pulls into neko dachi (cat stance) with the body turning 45 degrees to the right so that it is now facing the original direction as the ready position of the kata
    • The hands raise to chest level left over right as you pull into the cat stance
    • You then sit lower in the cat stance as you perform a forward elbow strike with the fist of the hand pointing towards the chest
    • Note: it is important that this is not a rising elbow strike but an elbow strike that is thrusted into the chest
  • The right leg steps back and weight is transfered to the right left and the left leg rises to the ball of the foot into a cat stance
    • From the previous elbow strike the arms come back up by the chest crossing with the right over left
    • Again you sit lower in the cat stance as you perform a forward elbow strike with the left arm so that the fist of the hand is pointing towards the chest
  • The forward left leg in the cat stance steps to the right (in an intermediate scissor stance)
    • The right hand lowers and the arms perform a double arm block as you pivot on the balls of the feet to the right, turning 135 degrees from the direction that the elbow strike was pointing
    • In this double arm block the right hand rises in a middle block fashion over the left and the left drops to a low block as you end in sanchin dachi
  • Staying on the same angled line the body turns 90 degrees to the right as the left leg steps out into a horse stance
    • As you do so the right (high hand) wards an incoming strike and the as the left leg lands into the kiba dachi the left hand performs an uppercut with the right hand landing at Buddhist palm at the center of the chest
    • The left hand then performs a back fist strike followed by a one armed low block
    • Alternatively: the low block can be a hammer fist to the groin
  • Again staying on the same line the left leg steps into the right and then back into a horse stance with the body now facing 180 degrees from the previous horse stance
    • As you do so the right hand frames and executes a low block
    • Alternatively: the low block can be a hammer fist to the groin
  • The attention and body of the karateka then turns to the direction of the start of the kata pulling the left leg back so that you are now sitting in a cat stance with the left leg in front
    • As you do so the arms cross at chest level with the right over left
    • You then sit lower in the stance as you perform a forward elbow strike with the left
  • The left foot then steps back into another cat stance with the right leg in front
    • The arms cross at chest level with the left over the right
    • You then sit lower in the stance as you perform a forward elbow strike with the right
  • The right leg steps forward and the left leg slides along with it into a sanchin dachi with the right leg in front
    • As the right leg steps forward the left hand reaches out warding a strike and following up with a back fist with the right to the nose (with the palm of the fist facing you and the left hand open palm facing down just below the elbow of the right hand)
  • The right leg then takes a fairly large step back and the left leg sliding back along with it into a cat stance with the left leg in front
    • At the same time both arms raising or circling around and ending in a double downward elbow strike
    • Both hands then stretch outwards with the fingers tense
    • The hands then circle around so that the right is in the palm of the left and both palms are facing upwards
  • The left leg then steps back into attention
    • The hands then stay together but flip back to the yoi position
  • You then bow and end the kata

Alternative Steps: There are slight variations at different schools that do not compromise the integrity of the form and are based on personal preference. Check with your instructors for the steps required at your school.