Sanchin: The Inner Structure of Uechi-Ryu

Bottom line up front: Five stars. Sensei Melki's book covers everything you need to know to help you grow in your Sanchin practice and martial arts training. It's clear, well written, and an interesting read. The book provides a logical approach to understanding this often misunderstood form.First, I am not an expert in Uechi-Ryu nor do I claim to be. If you are looking for an expert's opinion, pass on this review. I have been studying the art for about four years and expect it to be a lifelong pursuit.Someone once told me that Uechi-Ryu was like a well; not a wide well, but a very deep one. When I initially saw Sanchin performed it appeared deceivingly simple. I thought it was something that could be learned in a short period of time. That is obviously not the case because while the form appears physical, it is in reality, internal/mental. If you are going to study Uechi or any martial art, it is imperative to understand that Sanchin is the bedrock, the very foundation of the art. You must know why you are doing it, what you need to put into it physically/mentally, and what it can give back to you. Without that understanding you are simply going through motions and wasting your time. The book details everything you need to know and more. Of course, one can learn some kicks and punches from a "youtube" tutorial, but a real understanding of Sanchin will transcend your physical movements into a true art form. The book gives you that level of insight.To many practitioners, Sanchin has taken on a mystique all its own. That may be because even some Senseis may not completely understand the form's internal aspects. The book peels the onion back and covers in explicit detail the history, what Sanchin is and what it is not, debunks myths, delves deeply into the mental aspect, and provides concrete principles to incorporate in your training.I just finished reading it and intend to go back to "square one" and start a Sanchin "reboot". From posture, stance, rooting, stepping, understanding soft/hard (yin/yang), developing integrated force, to breathing, and everything in between, it's in the book. It doesn't only inform you of what to do; it explains why to do it. Particularly useful to me was the detailed explanation of breathing.From beginner to Sensei, you will like and get something from this book. While I personally do not believe Sanchin can ever be mastered, Sensei Melki's book will certainly improve your form and help you gain a better understanding. An absolute must read. Of course, you still have to practice!Regards,Harry Drutok

There are a few good insights here. But you've really got to dig for them. And that's not easy.Mr. Melki's incredibly arrogant tone makes the book all but unreadable. It's a rare page where Mr. Melki doesn't enlighten us with the "true" meaning of some aspect of Uechi Ryu - a true meaning lost to all before him, including the Uechi family themselves. Page after page gives us the true meaning of Uechi Ryu - that usually goes against both how the system is taught, and the logic of the movement.One example out of many - the backwards movement in a Sanchin thrust is NOT a rear elbow strike. Why? Because Mr. Melki believes the Sanchin thrust is an arrow loosed from a bow, and there's no rear strike when drawing a bow.This is his "logic" throughout. He sets up his idea with no proof, and then says every other approach is false.In addition, he mentions repeatedly that he will debunk legends and any other aspect of Uechi Ryu that isn't proven.And yet? His chapter on history is laughable. He actually quotes from "Way of the Bodhisattva Warrior" a spurious, debunked piece of nonsense written by a well known martial arts fraud and cult leader. So Mr. Melki - while arguing against blind tradition, takes the myth of Bodhidharma literally - a myth that Meir Shahar in his excellent "The Shaolin Temple" proves to be only around 300 years old.I think your time can be better spent training, than trying to wade through the arrogance and misinformation in this book.

The book was okay. There was definately some useful information. The problem is, nomatter what the subject of study, one should always be weary of an author who spends his whole book telling you how most other people are wrong and he is right. This is the case with Melki. Most of the book explains why the majority of martial arts teachers and practitioners are wrong on a philosophical level concerning Sanchin Kata. Even if every single thing Melki says is true...his approach or presentation is sort of a turn off.

The content of this book is excellent and is important information for serious Uechi Ryu practitioners. The problem with this book is that it was not edited and the grammar is atrocious, making it difficult to read. The poor quality of the editing and grammar diminishes the message. I hope that the author either hires an editor and re-issues the book or has a serious discussion with his publisher about not serving him well.

As a martial artist of 48 years, I found this book a terrific introduction to Sanchin for my intermediate students, thoughSANCHIN Three Battles: Anatomy and Physiology by Pervez B Mistry and Kris Wilder's The Way of Sanchin Kata are more appropriate for my advanced students. Meiki's presentation is such a wonderful introduction to Sanchin that I can't speak highly enough about it. Very clearly written, his thoughts just flow; you can see his commitment to presenting the philosophy of this marvelous and most important form that we have.

For one who has done Sanchin since 1962 when I first started Uechi Ryu this is one of the, if not the best book I have read on Sanchin. The only point the author did not mention was that kata, especially this kata should be performed (5000 times) until it becomes reflexive and part of muscle memory. It is that important to Okinawan karate and to Uechi Ryu.

This is a philosophical explanation of stance and moves, hard and soft, etc. It is really only useful if you already know these things and want to understand them better to perfect your technique. In that sense it is exactly what it is titled.

Got this as a gift for my friend. He rates it 4 stars and believes it would be good for all students of the martial art.

I am a novice to uechi-ryu, and I am aware of the importance of this kata and its life-long learning curve, hence my purchase. Again, it seems to be the only book devoted to sanchin in the uechi-ryu style.The books does not provide photos of sanchin,which I was aware of , but these photos of sanchin can be viewed in George Mattson’s books.The book did serve its purpose, to provide the deeper insights and reasonings into the importance of sanchin, and its various particular movements, how they interact, the generation of momentum, power, the hard and soft aspects, the use of visualisation, intention, memory, the mind and the breath. It does outline the increasing levels of depth to sanchin practice, from beginner to the more advanced levels.Unlike other reviewers, I did not find the author’s approach authoritarian, but rather highlights the potential pitfalls of less informed uechi-ryu instructors around sanchin. Considering the author was taught by George E. Mattson, an American Uechi-Ryu Master, who has written well known classics on Uechi-Ryu, the present author comes from a top lineage and seems to be in a good position to question some of the pitfalls he highlights in his book about sanchin and the teaching of it.I found the book easy to follow, very informative and certainly a book that one should return to again and again, to complement sanchin’ s life-long practice.

Excelente livro!Gostei muito da abordagem do autor falando das diversas dimensões do kata Sanchin, das mais visíveis as pouquíssimas vezes percebidas, porém dando a devida importância a todas.

Passioné d'Uechi Ryu passez votre chemin. Le kata essentiel de ce style traditionnel n'est pas réellement expliqué. L'auteur ne donne qu'une analyse globale et très superficiel de kata fondamental.A éviter (je l'ai retourné).