Kris Wilder Seminar – Power Generation through Sanchin
June 13th, 2009
When we got to the Blue River Community College Saturday morning we were actually a little early. After a little over four hours of driving we walked into the the gym and Mr. Eric Parsons and Mr. Kris Wilder were putting down mats and discussing how we were going to arrange the gym for the seminar. I brought two of my students Sam Cluck and Jeremy Hill and I must say as soon as we walked into the gym we were welcomed immediately. Sensei Parsons was a very gracious host and I hope that we will be able to work with him more in the future. Sensei Wilder was also one of the most accessible martial artists I have ever met. I admit I might have been a little too forth coming with my praise of Mr. Wilder but he took it in stride and was very open person. He made the day a great deal of fun and really gave us a lot to consider. Over the course of the following 5 hours of classes we worked on the Sanchin stance, front kick, several punches, and of course power generation as it is taught in Mr. Wilder’s Goju Ryu classes.
Overall the class was challenging and thought provoking. We started with the Sanchin stance and I have never heard this stance explained in such detail. We spent easily more than an hour just on it. Sensei Wilder demonstrated both taking punches from one of the stronger brown belts in class and also showed us how to deliver the power through some punches of his own. His ability to deliver some serious force through that stance was very impressive. Here is a list of items we covered related directly to the Sanchin stance:
- Feet position
- Knee position and alignment
- Lumbar spine alignment
- Shoulder alignment
- Alignment of the pelvis
- Mid-thorasic back alignment
- Arm position and alignment
I attended this seminar with few expectations other than knowing I was going to have a great time. That expectation was exceeded as mentioned before. I have attended many seminars in the past and have to say compared to those seminars this was by far the best. Sensei Wilder’s material established a firm foundation for the day and built on that foundation very well. Of course there was so much information and Sensei Wilder knew it that he provided us with a small pad and pen to take notes. At the end of the pad he also gave us his email address and other information related to his lessons and in case we wanted to communicate again in the future. The stories he told about Sensei Kane and other were entertaining and educational as well. It was a very relaxed atmosphere but at the same time taught us a great deal. I for one am still sorting through all the notes I have made during and since.
I don’t want to get into too much detail about what he taught as he has books, videos, and appearances to take care of that but I will say that one big difference stood out to me. I study Shotokan and power generation from what I am taught comes from hip rotation and vibration as needed. I know over the years I have managed a small amount of control over this type of power. Sensei Wilder was able to generate great force with the use of hip rotation at all. (A foreign concept to me to be honest.) Sensei Wilder taught us that power comes from the focus of structural alignment of the body. For example. Sensei Wilder had us get into Sanchin stance and had us line up the bones in the back leg to provide forward resistance to someone pushing us back. He continued to show us how to focus our weight under the point of resistance in order to maintain our balance while remaining centered. If that doesn’t make sense to anyone I will be posting an article on center and center-line theory soon, I hope. The effect is much like a forward stance (Zenkutsu Dachi) but with a much shorter stance.
Body alignment while punching was another lesson and it was also very effective. The focus was not on rotational torque but on getting the body aligned with the strike. Still the energy comes from the ground up but instead of rotational energy it came from a much more linear source. Heel to hand. Some of the movement was very reminiscent of Xing Yi. Think a knight using a lance from horseback as apposed to a knight swinging a sword. It seemed to be all about lining up the body behind the attack. There is some more to it than that but to get it you will just need to attend one of Sensei Wilder classes or seminars.
Some of the other topics we covered include:
- Strategy and Tactics
- Kicking – simple to understand but not easy to execute
- Punching
- Angles of attack
- Simple body mechanics
- Psychological effects of assault during the fight
Much to my disappointment the seminar had to come to an end. Just before our time came to a close Sensei Wilder allowed us to ask him questions about any Kata we could think about. The majority of the questions were about the applications of techniques from Goju Ryu or Naha Te kata. I managed to sneak a whole kata by in questions. I really enjoy the kata Seisan but have to admit I have been a little stumped by the applications. Thinking of course that they are hidden applications so I need to ask someone to see if I am at least on the right track. Sensei Wilder confirmed some things for me and had me thinking about others. It was wonderful.
One last note. I will be buying a copy of The Way of Sanchin Kata. I wish Sensei Wilder would put together a companion DVD to that kata. I am certain the book does a great job of explaining the moves but seeing them in action has a powerful effect. The seminar was great and I look forward to working with Sensei Wilder again. I know there is a BIG seminar coming sometime next year. I recommend everyone go if you have the resources! It will be worth it.
Sincerely,
Nicholas Guinn
5th degree, Aikijutsu
3rd degree, Shotokan Karate
Copyright 2009, Guinn Martial Arts
