The deeper meaning of Goju-Ryu's Mawashi Uke

Mawashi Uke is one of the most recognized techniques in Goju-Ryu and is found in many of the kata. Sanchin, Saifa, Seisan, and Kururunfa all end with this technique. Generally, the application is taught as a circular block to a punch, followed up by a strike to the chin and groin. 

While the fighting applications are interesting, there are other meanings to this technique that many people don't seem to talk about often. Let's consider the following quote given by Genkai Nakaima, who was a senior student of Chojun Miyagi:

"The hand position at the ending of Sanchin is the same as that of a Buddha statue." Miyagi Sensei often told us this story. I think the hand position at the ending of Sanchin is the most beautiful expression of praying. In fact, I saw the same hand position of Buddha statues in some temples."

If you look at the picture of the Buddha statue below, there should be an obvious resemblance to the end position of mawashi uke, but what does it mean exactly? 

Lingshan Grand Buddha Statue

In this case, the statue is expressing two different Mudra. The right hand is known as "Semui-in". The left hand is "Yogan-in". These are the names in Japanese but other cultures will also have their own way of referring to it. More commonly, you may find it as Abhaya Mudra and Varada Mudra.

The right hand is meant to symbolize fearlessness. At the same time, the five fingers point to heaven. The left hand or Yogan-in symbolizes charity and compassion.  

Another example of Semui-in

The same position in Goju-Ryu is no coincidence and has an intended meaning. In the Goju Kata we see many of them have numbers in the names, which also has ties to Buddhism (it's not merely the number of techniques or steps). I think if you truly want to understand Goju-Ryu, it's important to study all its aspects. Simply looking at the fighting applications is only one area of it.