Sanchin Shime

Shime means to test, and with regard to the kata Sanchin, it has to do with correctly protecting your vital points.

In Sanchin Shime, the student does Sanchin while the instructor "tests" the stance and posture. Unfortunately, the majority of the world does not understand how it is done...but they've seen the testing done so they try to immitate it. Shime is very, very specific...not random. Nor is it simply hitting the guy to test his "toughness". An in depth understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and physiology is needed to even attempt doing Shime.

I post this in response to a video I was sent yesterday of these two idiots doing shime. You can tell simply how the student is doing sanchin that he does not understand the kata. The instructor...well, video is worth a million words.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJVz98apRq8

I can't stress enough that this is how 99% of all karate schools perceive this practice. Most do it wrong, yet the students and parents feel they are learning to toughen themselves up.

For a correct example of Kata shime, watch the following. Higaonna Sensei, 10th Dan, Okinawa Goju Ryu.

To reiterrate, even Higaonna Sensei is doing it this "hard" because the student is prepared for it, having done it for decades. For newer students, it is done considerabley lighter. It is progressively more in depth as the student gets better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKoz2Bqfx_s

Lastly, shime this way is specific to goju ryu. It would not be prudent to do it this way in Shorin Ryu and it is done slightly differently in Shito Ryu. No, Iaido (sword) practitioners do not have their kata tested this way as they are swinging swords. The context of the fighting philosophy in Goju Ryu makes this pertinent.

Buyer beware