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Level of Difficulty: Black Belt - 2nd Dan Like Sanchin
Kata, Seisan kata is aimed at developing footwork, strong stances, ki,
and breath control. It is also an isometric body building form of
exercise, however, the techniques displayed in Seisan are more advanced
than Sanchin. Its stances are wider and the postures are "half face
front" (hanmi, body diagonal to the front) Seisan Kata has its origin in Shorinji Kempo and has been tranformed by Shinan Masayoshi Hisataka. The
first half of the Kata consist of strong stances, slow motions, and
powerful techniques, while the second half emphasizes fast body motions
and techniques.
The following is provided by Shihan Des Paroz, technical advisor of The International Budo Institute and founder of the Australian Shorinjiryu Kengokai dojo.
Seisan is a unique kata in Okinawan karate as it is one of the oldest forms, and is also perhaps the only traditional form that is practiced in Shuri-te, Tomari-te and Naha-te traditions, albeit in somewhat different formats. Variations of Seisan can be found in almost every major style (Sells, 2000) – Shorinjiryu, Shorinryu, Shotokan, Shitoryu, Wadoryu, Gojuryu, Isshinryu, Uechiryu and more.
Many regard Seisan to be the oldest existing form in the Shuri-te tradition (Alexander, 1991), and in Okinawan karate in general (McCarthy, 1987). It is also regarded as being a kata that was imported to Okinawa from China (Hisataka, 1976; and Sells, 2000), and exists in 2 major formats – the Shuri-te format, and the Naha-te one. The former definitely shows the greater influence from key figures in Okinawa (Sells, 2000), while the latter seems to be rawer.
Seisan’s Chinese origins are probably from Tiger Style Qu’an-fa. Tiger style Qu’an fa (Tora kenpo) still has a kata called Seisan, though Sells (2000) tells us that it is much longer and more complex than the forms practiced in Okinawan karate.
On Okinawa, there were two key figures that this kata can be traced back to – Sokon Matsumura (1809-1901) and Seisho Aragaki (1840-1920).
“Bushi” Matsumura was the chief of security in the Shuri Palace, and thus head of civil defence in Okinawa. He is also the one person that all Shuri-te traditions trace back to, and is regarded as one of the greatest bushi of the classical era of Okinawan karate. He was the principal teacher to both Anko Azato (1828-c.1915) and Chotoku Kyan (1870-1945), two of the major influences on Shinan Kori Hisataka (1907-1988), and thus modern Shorinjiryu. It is believed that Bushi Matsumura brought Seisan back from China (McCarthy, 1987).
Aragaki was also a member of the aristocracy and a close confidant of the Ryukyu King. Among his many students were Kanryo Higaonna (1853-1917), Chojun Miyagi (1888-1953) and Tsuyoshi Chitose (1898-1984). The forms of Seisan taught in Naha-te lineages all trace back to Aragaki. It is not certain where exactly Aragaki derived his version from, but it is more than likely that Aragaki and Matsumura trained together, and may have exchanged training techniques. Nonetheless, the Naha-te versions of Seisan are similar to those of Shuri-te, but differ in some key areas.
The name Seisan (十三) is an interesting one. The two kanji (characters) used to write the name mean “10” (十) and “3” (三), respectively. Thus the literal translation of the word Seisan is “13”. Some sources translate the name into English as “13 hands” or “13 techniques”, but this can only be based on a contextual translation, as there is no kanji for hand or technique in the name. In fact, it is not absolutely clear what 13 refers to, as there are certainly more than 13 techniques. One possibility is that the 13 is based on Chinese numerology – this seems to be fairly evident with many of the older Okinawan/Chinese kata named for numbers – Seisan, Nijushiho (24 techniques), Gojushiho (54 techniques), Suparinpe (108) and others.
An alternative possibility is that the two kanji should be looked as separate. So rather than meaning “13” the name could mean “10 3”. While this may seem strange at first, in most cultures “10” can refer to perfection – the “perfect 10”. So it may be possible that Seisan means “Perfect 3”. I quite like this meaning, as Seisan has numerous parts where three identical (or very similar) sequences of techniques are repeated. It could also be reminding us that combinations of three techniques are good strategy. Or that we should strive for simultaneous development of three things - for example mind, body and spirit. The concept of three is often repeated in karate philosophy and technique, and the perfection of three is a worthy goal.
As an aside, some time after Gichin Funakoshi introduced karate to Japan, an alternative name for Seisan was adopted in the Shotokan group. Funakoshi chose the name Hangetsu (半月), which means half moon (or crescent moon). This name is used in Shotokan to this day, and refers to a kata which is otherwise very much a form of Seisan. Only the name has changed. I believe that this was to give a clearer interpretation of the name for a Japanese audience, and perhaps to remove the reference to Chinese numerology. The name Hangetsu however may provide a further clue to the kata’s strategy. With a number of techniques that might represent “feeling” for the opponent, Seisan has excellent techniques for fighting under the half moon – or poor light!
One thing that is clear is that Seisan, in various forms, is taught in almost all styles of karate that are descended from Master Chotoku Kyan. In fact, many of these schools teach Seisan as the introductory form for new students! To this day, the kata is taught in the Okinawan Shorinjiryu of Joen Nakazato, Seibukan (founded by Zenryo Shimabukuro), Isshinryu (founded by Tatsuo Shimabukuro) and Matsubayashiryu (founded by Shoshin Nagamine). Along with our Shorinjiryu, these schools represent the major groups whose founders were heavily influenced by Kyan.
Seisan clearly works to develop both hard (goho) and soft (juho) techniques. Hanshi Hisataka (1995) believes that “the first half of the kata consists of strong stances, slow motions, and powerful techniques, while the second half emphasizes fast body motions and techniques”, while Ushiro (2003) states that the most important principle of the kata is that the movements of techniques are synchronized and contain within them a decisive energy, and that such “decisive energy” is derived from hardness within softness.
Hanshi Patrick McCarthy (1987) believes that “the student who masters this kata will undoubtedly become proficient in the hand techniques and footwork of shuri-te, which teach how to get inside an adversary’s attack to destroy his stability, while simultaneously developing a strong foundation”.
As previously mentioned, Seisan heavily utilises sequences of techniques repeated three times. It has a broach range of hard and soft techniques, representing a complete arsenal of punching, kicking, striking, locking, throwing and strangling. Unusual techniques are included, and includes releases (hazushi waza) from bear hugs and body holds (Ushiro, 2003).
The applications of Seisan are really quite brutal. This is not a punch/kick/block kata. The techniques in this kata range from locks and holds, to nerve strikes and even a couple of examples of a rarely employed technique that is similar to what modern street fighters might call “fish-hooking”.
Many practitioners of Shorinjiryu have heard the stories relating to the visit to Taiwan by Master Chotoku Kyan, Master Ryosei Kuwae and Shinan Kori Hisataka. During this visit the three Okinawan masters participated in a martial arts festival in Taipei. At this festival, Master Kyan fought a challenge match against a senior Judo Exponent, Shinzo Ishida, a 6th Dan practitioner from the Kodokan in Tokyo. The story has it that Master Kyan won through effective strategy, and use of the fish hooking technique – placing his thumb inside Ishida’s mouth and pulling outwards and downwards as he applied a foot sweep. This technique is featured as the final technique of our Seisan and those taught in all Kyan derived schools. It may have been placed their by Kyan, or he may have used the technique from the kata.
Seisan was not one of the original five kata adopted by Shinan Kori Hisataka (1907-1988), but it is very clear that the version we practice is closely aligned to the form descended from Shuri-te, from Bushi Matsumura via Chotoku Kyan. I happen to believe that while Shinan Hisataka did not teach this kata as a separate form, he incorporated key aspects of it into the modified forms of one or two of the other forms he did teach.
Seisan represents an important historical form and is an intricate and complex form with a great variety of techniques and applications.
Source: Scientific Karatedo - Hisataka (1976) 
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