Sanchin三戦

Sanchin (三戦, "Three Battles" — body, mind and spirit; or three planes of attack and defence) is the most fundamental and most distinctive kata of Goju-ryu. Chojun Miyagi traced it to the Fujian White Crane and Monk Fist traditions of southern China, which he studied under the guidance of his teacher Kanryo Higashionna. Higashionna had learned it in Fuzhou, and it is the cornerstone of the style's Chinese heritage.

Sanchin is a heishu (closed-fist, contracted) kata — every move is performed with full-body muscular tension (ibuki breath and kime), turning the body into a living training tool. The kata moves in a straight line, turning 180° twice, and the three-count punching sequence gives it its rhythmic structure. Instructors traditionally test the student's structure by striking and slapping the body at key points (sanchin shime).

Though short, Sanchin is never truly mastered — it is revisited continuously at every grade and is considered the heart of Goju-ryu training.