Heian Katas

The Heian kata are held to be the basis of karate. They were developed at the beginning of the 20th century by Anko Itosu who had introduced karate as a physical education curriculum in Okinawa.

The original name for the Heian kata was Pinan, but Funakoshi changed the name by using the japanese pronunciation of the kanji for the okinawan Pinan. The meaning of the characters therefore remain the same, "calm and peace" or some translations use "peaceful mind".

Most of the basic Shotokan techniques are learned throughout the five Heian kata.

Heian Yondan again builds on the previous kata in the series, encompassing more mixture of slow and fast movements and some new techniques, including juji-uke (X-block), kosa-dachi (cross-leg stance), and kakiwake-uke (wedge block).


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HEIAN YONDAN
KATA VIDEO



HEIAN YONDAN
>MUSIBI
>OREI - (BOW)
>STATE NAME OF KATA - "HEIAN YONDAN"
>READY STANCE ---KIAI---

>LOOK OVER LEFT SHOULDER
>STACK BOTH FIST ON RIGHT HIP
>TWIST INTO A BACK STANCE FACING LEFT SIDE, LEFT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE OPEN HANDED KNIFE HAND/OVERHEAD OPEN HAND PRESSURE BLOCK

>LOOK OVER RIGHT SHOULDER
>STACK BOTH HANDS ON LEFT HIP
>TWIST INTO A BACK STANCE FACING RIGHT WITH RIGHT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE OPEN HANDED KNIFE HAND/OVERHEAD OPEN HAND PRESSURE BLOCK

>LOOK OVER LEFT SHOULDER - (DOWN THE MIDDLE)
>STACK BOTH FISTS ON RIGHT HIP FOR A LOW X BLOCK, WITH RIGHT HAND ON TOP
>STEP OUT INTO A FRONT STANCE LEFT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE A LOW X BLOCK, BRING BOTH FIST BACK TO STACK ON LEFT HIP
>STEP FORWARD WITH THE RIGHT FOOT INTO A FRONT STANCE
>EXECUTE A REINFORCED MIDDLE FOREARM BLOCK WITH THE RIGHT ARM

>LOOK TO THE LEFT
>BRING BOTH FIST BACK TO STACK ON THE RIGHT HIP
>BRING LEFT FOOT IN TO RIGHT FOOT
>EXECUTE A SIDE KICK TO THE LEFT
>SET THE LEFT FOOT DOWN IN A FRONT STANCE FACING LEFT
>REACH OUT WITH THE LEFT ARM AND GRAB OPPONENT
>PULL OPPONENT BACK INTO AN ELBOW STRIKE WITH THE RIGHT ARM

>LOOK TO THE RIGHT
>BRING BOTH FIST BACK TO STACK ON THE LEFT HIP
>BRING RIGHT FOOT INTO THE LEFT FOOT
>EXECUTE A SIDE KICK TO THE RIGHT
>SET THE LEFT FOOT DOWN IN A FRONT STANCE FACING RIGHT
>REACH OUT WITH THE RIGHT ARM AND GRAB OPPONENT
>PULL OPPONENT BACK INTO AN ELBOW STRIKE WITH THE LEFT ARM

>LOOK DOWN THE MIDDLE
>STACK RIGHT HAND OVER FOREHEAD OPEN HANDED, STACK LEFT HAND OVER GROIN
>TWIST INTO A FRONT STANCE, LEFT FOOT FORWARD FACING FRONT
>EXECUTE AN INVERTED KNIFE HAND STRIKE TO SIDE OF HEAD WITH THE RIGHT HAND
>LEFT HAND STACKS OVER FOREHEAD PALM FACING OUT.
>DELIVER A FRONT SNAP KICK (PAUSE SLIGHTLY) SKIP STEP WITH THE RIGHT FOOT
>UPON SETTING THE RIGHT FOOT DOWN
>DO A CAT PAUSE STEP WITH THE LEFT FOOT COMING BEHIND THE RIGHT FOOT
>EXECUTE A REINFORCED BACK FIST STRIKE WITH THE RIGHT FIST. KIA

>LOOK OVER LEFT SHOULDER, STACK BOTH HANDS ON THE BACK TO THE WAIST
>STEP OUT TO A FRONT STANCE WITH THE LEFT FOOT FORWARD
>SHOOT HANDS OUT TO A HIGH X GRAB.
>PULL HANDS BACK AND TWIST BLOCK WITH BOTH ARMS
>EXECUTE A FRONT SNAP KICK WITH THE RIGHT FOOT,
>SETTING THE RIGHT FOOT DOWN INTO A FRONT STANCE RIGHT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE A LUNGE PUNCH TO THE SOLAR PLEX, LEFT HAND BACK TO THE WAIST
>EXECUTE A REVERSE PUNCH TO THE SOLAR PLEX, RIGHT HAND BACK TO THE WAIST

>LOOK RIGHT 45 DEGREES, STACK BOTH HANDS ON THE WAIST
>STEP OUT TO A FRONT STANCE WITH THE RIGHT FOOT FORWARD
>SHOOT HANDS OUT TO A HIGH X GRAB.
>PULL HANDS BACK AND TWIST BLOCK WITH BOTH ARMS
>EXECUTE A FRONT SNAP KICK WITH THE LEFT FOOT,
>SETTING THE LEFT FOOT DOWN INTO A FRONT STANCE LEFT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE A LUNGE PUNCH TO THE SOLAR PLEX, RIGHT HAND BACK TO THE WAIST
>EXECUTE A REVERSE PUNCH TO THE SOLAR PLEX, LEFT HAND BACK TO THE WAIST

>LOOK DOWN THE CENTER, STACK BOTH HANDS ON THE RIGHT HIP
>STEP INTO A BACK STANCE, LEFT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE A REINFORCED MIDDLE FOREARM BLOCK WITH THE LEFT ARM
>BRING BOTH HAND BACK TO STACK ON THE LEFT HIP
>STEP FORWARD INTO A BACK STANCE RIGHT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE A REINFORCED MIDDLE FOREARM BLOCK WITH THE LEFT ARM
>BRING BOTH HANDS BACK TO STACK ON THE RIGHT HIP
>STEP INTO A BACK STANCE, LEFT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE A REINFORCED MIDDLE FOREARM BLOCK WITH THE LEFT ARM
>BRING BOTH HANDS BACK TO THE HIPS
>SHOOT BOTH HANDS OUT TO HIGH GRAB OPPONENT

(ALL NEXT TECHNIQUES ARE DONE WHILE MAKING A CONTINOUS KIA)
>PULL OPPONENT TO YOU AND DELIVER A KNEE STRIKE TYO THE SOLAR PLEX
>LOOK OVER LEFT SHOULDER DOWN THE MIDDLE.
>STACK FOR A KNIFEHAND BLOCK WITH THE LEFT HAND
>TWIST TO THE FRONT AND SET THE RIGHT FOOT DOWN INTO A BACK STANCE
>EXECUTE A KNIFEHAND BLOCK WITH THE LEFT HAND

>STACK HANDS FOR A KNIFE HAND BLOCK WITH THE RIGHT HAND
>STEP FORWARD WITH THE RIGHT FOOT INTO A BACK STANCE
>EXECUTE A KNIFE HAND BLOCK/STRIKE WITH THE RIGHT HAND. KIA

>STEP BACK INTO KIBA DACHI

>MUSUBI

>REI

ITEMS TO WATCH FOR:

1. STRONG STANCES
2. OPENING PRESSURE BLOCKS - HORIZONTAL - VERTICAL
3. BOTH KICKS THE SAME HEIGHT (SOLAR PLEX)
4. TRANSITION OF POWER, SMOOTH BUT POWERFUL
5. CHANGES OF SPEED, BUT NOT LOSING SMOOTHNESS





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