Sen – initiative and timing

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In the Japanese martial arts, Sen (先, “front, before”) refers to initiative and correct timing. “Sen wo toru” (先を取る) means to seize the initiative. Usually three to four kinds are distinguished. The terms are not defined uniformly in karate, Kendō and classical swordsmanship.

The four terms

TermKanjiCommon meaning
Tai no Sen対の先Initiative “in the encounter”: the body is already moving beforehand to evade the attack.
Go no Sen後の先Initiative “afterwards”: the opponent’s attack is awaited, blocked and countered (block and counter).
Sen no Sen先の先Initiative “within the initiative”: the attack is intercepted or hit at the moment it begins.
Sen Sen no Sen先先の先Initiative “before the initiative”: pre-empting before the opponent visibly attacks (anticipating the intent).

Differing definitions

The assignment varies by martial art and school:

  • Karate (example: teaching text of a Dōjō in Canberra): Tai no Sen = simultaneous counter; Go no Sen = counter after the attack; Sen no Sen = hitting before the attack reaches its target; Sen Sen no Sen = pre-emptive strike when violence is imminent.
  • Kendō: In the dictionary of the Heart Sword Collection, the “three Sen” (mittsu no sen) comprise Sen, Sensen no Sen and Go no Sen; in an unofficial translation of the Zen Nihon Kendō Renmei dictionary, Go no Sen is equated with Tai no Sen. Sen no Sen is interpreted partly as striking before the opponent moves, partly as hitting at the moment of his decision.
  • Musashi (Go Rin no Sho, Fire Book): He names three ways of seizing the initiative: Ken no Sen (懸の先, attacking oneself), Tai no Sen (待の先, waiting for the opponent’s attack and using it) and Tai Tai no Sen (体々の先, both attack at the same time). Musashi’s Tai no Sen (待の先, “waiting”) thus corresponds rather to the Go no Sen of other sources, his Tai Tai no Sen rather to Tai no Sen (対の先). The same names therefore mean different things depending on the source; the kanji for Ken, Tai and Tai Tai follow common editions and need checking.

What the views share is that initiative means not just speed but perception, distance (Maai) and command of the situation. Musashi stresses that Sen does not always mean “attack first” but steering the opponent within his rhythm.

Connection to training

  • Kihon kumite with a fixed attack (Tori) and defence (Uke) mainly trains Go no Sen.
  • Yakusoku kumite and drills with entering at the moment of the attack train Tai no Sen and Sen no Sen.
  • Sen Sen no Sen requires reading the opponent’s posture, breathing and gaze and is to be understood as an advanced topic; it is no substitute for a safe distance.
  • The IMGKA stresses that every Meibukan kata begins with a block; this can be read as an emphasis on reactive timing (Go no Sen) – an interpretation, not a doctrine.

Sources

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