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 Nidan builds on the techniques learned from Heian Shodan, and introduces new techniques including the front and side snap kicks, sidewards back-fist strike, reverse punch, and augmented block.


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HEIAN NIDAN
KATA VIDEO



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

>LOOK OVER LEFT SHOULDER
>STACK FISTS ON RIGHT HIP FOR HIGH DOUBLE PRESSURE BLOCK
>TWIST INTO A BACK STANCE FACING LEFT SIDE LEFT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE HIGH DOUBLE PRESSURE BLOCK
>EXECUTE UNDERHAND PUNCH WITH RIGHT FIST TO SOLAR PLEX
>TWIST INTO KIBA-DACHI FACING FRONT
>EXECUTE A BOTTOM FIST TO LEFT SIDE - GROIN

>LOOK OVER RIGHT SHOULDER
>STACK HAND ON LEFT HIP, IN FISTS, FOR HIGH DOUBLE PRESSURE BLOCK
>TWIST INTO A BACK STANCE TO RIGHT, RIGHT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE HIGH DOUBLE PRESSURE BLOCK
>EXECUTE UNDER HAND PUNCH WITH LEFT FIST TO SOLAR PLEX
>TWIST BACK INTO KIBA-DACHI STANCE FACING FRONT
>EXECUTE A BOTTOM FIST STRIKE TO GROIN ON RIGHT SIDE

>WITH LEFT FOOT STEP BESIDE RIGHT FOOT FACING RIGHT SIDE LOOK OVER RIGHT SHOULDER TO REAR
>STACK FISTS ON LEFT HIP
>WITH THE RIGHT FOOT EXECUTE A SIDE KICK TO RIB AREA
>RESTACK KICK, LOOK TO FRONT OVER LEFT SHOULDER, STACK FOR KNIFE HAND BLOCK WITH LEFT HAND
>SET RIGHT FOOT DOWN IN A BACK STANCE, LEFT FOOT FORWARD AT THE SAME TIME EXECUTE A KNIFE HAND BLOCK WITH LEFT HAND AND KIAI
>STACK FOR A KNIFE HAND BLOCK WITH THE RIGHT HAND
>STEP FORWARD WITH RIGHT FOOT INTO A BACK STANCE, RIGHT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE KNIFE HAND BLOCK WITH RIGHT HAND
>STACK FOR A KNIFE HAND BLOCK WITH LEFT HAND
>STEP FORWARD INTO A BACK STANCE, LEFT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE A KNIFE HAND BLOCK WITH RIGHT HAND
>EXECUTE A SLAP DOWN WITH LEFT HAND
>WHILE STEPPING FORWARD WITH THE RIGHT FOOT INTO A FRONT STANCE RIGHT FOOT FORWARD, EXECUTE A SPEAR HAND THRUST WITH RIGHT HAND TO THE SOLAR PLEX-----KIAI

>LOOK OVER LEFT SHOULDER
>STACK FOR A KNIFE HAND BLOCK WITH LEFT HAND
>EXECUTE A LONG 270 DEGREE TURN INTO A BACK STANCE WITH THE LEFT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE A KNIFE HAND BLOCK WITH LEFT HAND

>LOOK TO RIGHT 45 DEGREES
>STACK FOR A KNIFE HAND BLOCK WITH RIGHT HAND
>STEP OUT 45 DEGREES WITH RIGHT FOOT INTO A BACK STANCE, RIGHT FORWARD
>EXECUTE A KNIFE HAND BLOCK WITH THE RIGHT HAND

>LOOK OVER RIGHT SHOULDER
>STACK FOR A KNIFE HAND BLOCK WITH THE RIGHT HAND
>EXECUTE A LONG 180 DEGREE TURN INTO A BACK STANCE, RIGHT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE A KNIFE HAND BLOCK WITH THE RIGHT HAND

>LOOK OUT 45 DEGREES TO LEFT
>STACK FOR A KNIFE HAND BLOCK WITH THE LEFT HAND
>STEP OUT 45 DEGREES WITH THE LEFT FOOT INTO A BACK STANCE, LEFT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE A KNIFE HAND BLOCK WITH THE LEFT HAND

>LOOK OVER LEFT SHOULDER-DOWN THE MIDDLE
>STACK FOR A MIDDLE FOREARM BLOCK WITH THE LEFT ARM
>STEP OUT TO THE MIDDLE INTO A FRONT STANCE, LEFT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE A MIDDLE FOREARM BLOCK WITH THE LEFT ARM
>EXECUTE A FRONT THRUST KICK WITH THE RIGHT FOOT, SETTING DOWN IN A FRONT STANCE, RIGHT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE A LUNGE PUNCH WITH THE RIGHT FIST TO THE SOLAR PLEX
>STACK FOR A MIDDLE FOREARM BLOCK WITH THE RIGHT ARM
>EXECUTE A MIDDLE FOREARM BLOCK WITH THE RIGHT ARM
>EXECUTE A FRONT THRUST KICK WITH THE LEFT FOOT, STEPPING DOWN IN A FRONT STANCE, LEFT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE A LUNGE PUNCH WITH THE LEFT FIST TO THE SOLAR PLEX
>STACK BOTH HANDS ON LEFT HIP
>STEP FORWARD WITH THE RIGHT FOOT INTO A FRONT STANCE
>EXECUTE A REINFORCED MIDDLE FOREARM BLOCK WITH THE RIGHT ARM
>LOOK OVER LEFT SHOULDER
>STACK FOR A LOW BLOCK WITH THE LEFT ARM
>EXECUTE A LONG 270 DEGREE TURN TO LEFT SIDE WITH LEFT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE A LOW BLOCK WITH THE LEFT ARM
>REACH HIGH TO LEFT 45 AND REACH HIGH WITH LEFT OPEN HAND
>STEP FORWARD WITH THE RIGHT FOOT INTO A FRONT STANCE
>EXECUTE AN UPPER FOREARM STRIKE TO OPPONENT

>LOOK OVER RIGHT SHOULDER, STACK FOR A LOW BLOCK WITH THE RIGHT ARM
>LONG 180 TURN INTO A FRONT STANCE WITH THE RIGHT FOOT FORWARD
>EXECUTE A LOW BLOCK WITH THE RIGHT ARM
>LOOK TO RIGHT 45
>REACH HIGH WITH A RIGHT OPEN HAND
>STEP OUT 45 WITH THE LEFT FOOT INTO A FRONT STANCE
>EXECUTE AN UPPER FOREARM STRIKE TO OPPONENT….KIA

>LOOK TO FRONT CENTER >STEP BACK INTO KIBADACHI
>MUSUBI
>OREI
>STATE NAME OF KATA - "HEIAN NIDAN"

ITEMS TO WATCH FOR:

1. ALL FRONT STANCES - DEEP KNEE BEND ON FRONT LEG, BACK LEG LOCKED, FEET SHOULD BE A SHOULDER AND A HALF DEPTH AND WIDTH
2. ALL BACK STANCES - HEEL IN LINE, 70% OF WEIGHT ON BACK LEG, FRONT KNEE BENT SLIGHTLY, BACK LEG BENT DEEPLY
3. ALL LONG 180 AND 270 DEGREE TURNS SHOULD BE SMOOTH AND BALANCED
5. BLOCKS:
HIGH DOUBLE PRESSURE BLOCK - ARMS SHOULD BE AT 90 DEGREES TO FLOOR
KNIFE HAND BLOCKS, HANDS IN SHOTO, FRONT HAND FINGERS LEVEL WITH SHOULDERS, BACK HAND LEVEL AND ON SOLAR PLEX,
MIDDLE FOREARM BLOCKS - FIST LEVEL WITH SHOULDER, ELBOW SHOULD BE ONE FIST DISTANCE FROM RIBS
BODY TWIST ON ALL BLOCKS
6. KATA SHOULD BE ABOUT 60 SECONDS IN LENGTH
7. THE MEANING OF "HEIAN" - PEACEFUL MIND
8. KATA PATTERN: "I"





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