Rooting and the beginning of Internal Work
Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2003 7:42 am
I decided to start a new thread with this post because I did not want to interrupt the flow of thought Max is providing on the other thread and his new one.
I will address the start of this post Max regardless because he has inspired the post.
Max:
You have addressed a side of Sanchin that many will not touch. I tried to start a thread on Bill’s forum about the other benefits of Kata but there were no takers.
Perhaps by opening up this side they do feel that somehow the combative side is neglected. I do not believe you can work through this side without having truly worked through the combative side.
Sanchin is meant to deal with the body, mind and spirit (and in my personal beliefs emotion). There are combative elements for all three but there are also internal higher levels of development that can be gained through the continued practice of Sanchin.
Your reflection on this issue has been excellence. It detailed the path you have experienced and perhaps opened a few eyes to what could be experienced. I know I have learned from your sharing. Thank you.
The internal experiences of Sanchin can be vast. Without them you will have only a small piece of the puzzle.
Rooting and connecting to the Earth is an example. We see many comments about rooting as pressing the feet to the floor or the old clenching of the toes or the splayed duck toes. All of these are a mere physical attempt at internal work that fall short. And even if they could achieve some small portion they only work on half the picture.
The opening of Sanchin is the performance of a rooting ritual. An opening of a connection to the Earth (please note this too is only one half of true rooting as you must also root upwards).
Rooting can be worked on in Sanchin and in the practice of Ink Grinding. Sanchin can be performed with Ink Grinding. Let me run through the steps of development:
In China before you could write you had to use a mortar and pestle to grind the ink block into powder before adding water. This grinding of the pestle into the mortar is where the name comes from.
1) Walk in Sanchin but hold your arms down with the palms of your hands facing towards the ground. As you step grind your feet into the ground, and perform the same grinding action with your hands in the air extending your energy from the palms to the ground. You should feel your feet pressed into the floor.
2) Perform the same step as in step one but after you have ground your feet and hands “draw” upwards with the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands. You may clench your hands into the Uechi Kumite position (much as you were carry jars.) This action should make it feel like you have pulled the floor to press up against your feet.
3) Perform the same step as in Step one but this time when you grind down do not grind against the floor. Instead act as the tree sending roots deep into the Earth. Use the extension of your hands down ward to achieve an overall body effect. The feel should change from that of pressing the floor into your feet to one where the floor ceases to be a factor and you have rooted deep into the Earth.
4) Perform the same step as Step Three only this time after you have sunk your roots internally draw up from the Earth through the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands. You should feel a very different rooting taking place.
5) Perform the same step as Step Four only this time with your arms in Sanchin position.
While these are listed as steps they are intended to be done over a period of time. You must achieve the feelings described before moving on to the next step. Each person will progress at their own rate.
Back to the opening of Sanchin: When you step out extend the arms downwards rooting deep into the Earth. Draw the energy up through the soles of your feet and the fingers of the hands to the DanTein. We now close the hand here but Kanei Uechi Sensei did not. I believe the clenching of the hands is an attempt to teach the drawing up from the Earth. Clenching the hands also acts as a tool to seal the energy into the Dan Tein.
Most often when rooting is discussed it is only the half of sinking into the ground. Rarely have I heard the other half of drawing up from the Earth.
I am sure, as Max said, some will disregard this post as they may fail to see how it relates to a combative side but what the heck.
And this is still just a portion of the internal side of the body. The mind and spirit must also become a part of the whole in the rooting process.
I will address the start of this post Max regardless because he has inspired the post.
Max:
You have addressed a side of Sanchin that many will not touch. I tried to start a thread on Bill’s forum about the other benefits of Kata but there were no takers.
Perhaps by opening up this side they do feel that somehow the combative side is neglected. I do not believe you can work through this side without having truly worked through the combative side.
Sanchin is meant to deal with the body, mind and spirit (and in my personal beliefs emotion). There are combative elements for all three but there are also internal higher levels of development that can be gained through the continued practice of Sanchin.
Your reflection on this issue has been excellence. It detailed the path you have experienced and perhaps opened a few eyes to what could be experienced. I know I have learned from your sharing. Thank you.
The internal experiences of Sanchin can be vast. Without them you will have only a small piece of the puzzle.
Rooting and connecting to the Earth is an example. We see many comments about rooting as pressing the feet to the floor or the old clenching of the toes or the splayed duck toes. All of these are a mere physical attempt at internal work that fall short. And even if they could achieve some small portion they only work on half the picture.
The opening of Sanchin is the performance of a rooting ritual. An opening of a connection to the Earth (please note this too is only one half of true rooting as you must also root upwards).
Rooting can be worked on in Sanchin and in the practice of Ink Grinding. Sanchin can be performed with Ink Grinding. Let me run through the steps of development:
In China before you could write you had to use a mortar and pestle to grind the ink block into powder before adding water. This grinding of the pestle into the mortar is where the name comes from.
1) Walk in Sanchin but hold your arms down with the palms of your hands facing towards the ground. As you step grind your feet into the ground, and perform the same grinding action with your hands in the air extending your energy from the palms to the ground. You should feel your feet pressed into the floor.
2) Perform the same step as in step one but after you have ground your feet and hands “draw” upwards with the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands. You may clench your hands into the Uechi Kumite position (much as you were carry jars.) This action should make it feel like you have pulled the floor to press up against your feet.
3) Perform the same step as in Step one but this time when you grind down do not grind against the floor. Instead act as the tree sending roots deep into the Earth. Use the extension of your hands down ward to achieve an overall body effect. The feel should change from that of pressing the floor into your feet to one where the floor ceases to be a factor and you have rooted deep into the Earth.
4) Perform the same step as Step Three only this time after you have sunk your roots internally draw up from the Earth through the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands. You should feel a very different rooting taking place.
5) Perform the same step as Step Four only this time with your arms in Sanchin position.
While these are listed as steps they are intended to be done over a period of time. You must achieve the feelings described before moving on to the next step. Each person will progress at their own rate.
Back to the opening of Sanchin: When you step out extend the arms downwards rooting deep into the Earth. Draw the energy up through the soles of your feet and the fingers of the hands to the DanTein. We now close the hand here but Kanei Uechi Sensei did not. I believe the clenching of the hands is an attempt to teach the drawing up from the Earth. Clenching the hands also acts as a tool to seal the energy into the Dan Tein.
Most often when rooting is discussed it is only the half of sinking into the ground. Rarely have I heard the other half of drawing up from the Earth.
I am sure, as Max said, some will disregard this post as they may fail to see how it relates to a combative side but what the heck.
And this is still just a portion of the internal side of the body. The mind and spirit must also become a part of the whole in the rooting process.