“Sanzan (three mountains 三山) focusing on and emphasizing three major components in Karate: hardness (Go 剛), softness(Ju 柔), and fastness (Soku 速). Sanzan is centered on these three key elements in Karate.”
Hardness (Go 剛) refers to the strong, rigid, and powerful techniques that involve the use of force and solid structure.
Softness (Ju 柔) involves fluid, relaxed movements that emphasize flexibility, redirection of force, and adaptability. It is the yin to the yang (陰陽) of hardness, creating balance in the practice of karate.
Fastness (Soku 速) in karate refers to the speed and timing of techniques. It is not just about how fast a technique is executed, but also about when it is executed.
In karate, a balanced approach that integrates hardness, softness, and fastness is key to mastery. These components complement each other. For instance, a technique may start with a soft, fluid movement (softness) to avoid an attack, followed by a fast and precise counter-strike (fastness) that is delivered with maximum impact (hardness).
