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Kevin's Shotokan kata notes: heian godan

Last modified: Fri Aug 3 08:04:08 2007

Heian godan is the last of the basic heian kata; it combines many of the moves from the previous four heian, and adds a few interesting wrinkles of its own. Normally you'd be expected to work on it extensively after about a year of training. Godan is more technically and anatomically demanding that the other heian, but not outrageously more. To be sure, it does require a jumping move, and there are places where a number of fast moves have to be done in very quick succession, but if you've got the hang of the previous four it will only take a few days to get on top of this one.
      In what follows, I describe the directions of movement as if you start facing to the north. East is to your right, west to your left. When I say `step to the left', I mean `step to your left', not `step to the left of the room'.

Performance line for heian godan; the starting position is shown as a blue spot

0. Preparation. The kata proper starts in yoi (`ready' or `attention') stance. Your feet are about shoulder-width apart, toes pointing north, hands in fists just in front of your waist. If you're doing it for a competition, there will be certain formalities, such as a bow before assuming attention stance.

1. Inside block to the west in back stance. Look decisively to the west (your left at this point); then drop and turn your hips slightly while cocking your arms for inside block. You right arm should be more-or-less fully extended towards the west, while your left arm is underneath it, fist almost in your armpit. Your shoulders should be almost square to the west -- unless you're very supple you won't be able to get them fully square while your feet are still pointing north. Step out to your left with your left foot, while keeping your torso as still as possible. As you step, inside block with your left arm, pulling your right fist back to your right hip, and twising your shoulders back to be square to the north. It is this twising action that gives the block its strength. You should finish this move fully in back stance. Note that if you do it properly, your torso has only moved a few inches to the west.
      This is exactly the same move as the first move of heian sandan.

2. Reverse punch west in back stance. Keeping your feet exactly where they are, punch strongly to the west with your right fist. You'll need to rotate your shoulders and hips, so that your shoulders finish up square to the west, or as close to this posture as you can get.
      Most experts do this move very quickly after the initial block, to emphasize the difference between this move and the following one, which is very slow.

3. Stand and hook punch to the east. Look east, and turn on the heels so that both feet are pointing north. Bring your right foot up to your left foot while keeping your torso at the same height, and stand up slowly. As you stand, do a slow hook punch with your left fist to the east. That is, bring your left fist around from your left hip to finish about a foot in front of your right shoulder. Purists insist that the fist should be just slightly lower than the elbow at the end of this move.

4. Inside block to the east in back stance. This is almost the mirror image of move 1. You don't need to look east, because you're still looking east from the previous move. Step out to the east with your right foot into back stance, while doing inside block with your right arm.

5. Reverse punch east in back stance. This is the mirror image of move 2. Punch strongly east with your left fist, turning your shoulders square to the east if possible. 6. Stand and hook punch west. This is almost the mirror image of move 3; the difference is that you are looking north -- anticipating the next move -- rather than west, which is the direction of the punch. At the end of this moving you are facing north, feet together, and upright.

7. Reinforced inside block north in back stance. Step forward with your right leg into a new back stance; as your foot settles, inside block with your right arm, supported by your left fist.

8. Downward X-block north. Bring both fists up to your left shoulder (your right fist is almost there already), step forward into front stance with your left leg, and block downward with both hands. Your left hand is doing an ordinary gedan barai, with your right supporting it. Finish up with your forearms crossed near your wrists.

9. Upward X-block north. Don't move your feet in this move. Simply block above your head with your hands crossed. Unlike the previous move, this block is open-handed, with knuckles pointed inwards, not with fists. Your hands should finish up sufficiently high above your head to be able to see underneath them.
      It's impossible to get a strong upward block by moving your hands directly from the down position to the up position. What most authorities do is pull back their fists to touch their chests, then shoot the open hands up and out from their.

10-11. Press down and hammer-fist strike north. This is a fiddly move, and there's a lot of debate about how it should be done and what it is for. It's done radically differently in different schools, so I don't want to give too much detail. In outline, the first part of the move is to press your right hand down with your left hand, so that your two hands end up, palms together, in the vicinity of your right hip. You don't need to move or turn during this part. The JKA way of doing this first part is to turn the palms together while the hands are still raised, then to pull both hands down together, keeping the palms together. However, even within the JKA there have been some changes recently. Until a year or so ago, it was customary to pull both hands right back to the hip. Now most JKA experts finish this part of the move with the right elbow resting on the right hip.
      The second part of the move is to hammer-fist strike at chest height with the left fist. You'll need to pull your right shoulder sharply back and push the left shoulder forward to generate a strong blow. In the JKA style, the moment the first reachs full extension, you should step smartly into the next move, so that your fist is only extended for a fraction of a second. In some other styles, practitioners keep the hammer fist strike extended for a noticeable period.

12. Stepping punch north. Step with the right leg and punch with the right fist in front stance, exactly the way your learned in your first karate lesson. kiai on this move. You should finish with your shoulders square to the north.

13. Downward block south in horse stance. Turn sharply on your left heel, and pull your right foot back, so that you are facing south with your feet together. At the same time, cock your arm for the downward block -- your left arm should be extended slightly, and your right fist on your left shoulder. Then step forward with your right foot and turn on both heels so that you are in horse stance, hips and shoulders square to the east. You're still looking south. As you rotate, block strongly downward with the right arm.
      In some schools the step into horse stance is a stamping movement, rather like the three stamps in heian sandan. Others do a cresent kick with the stepping leg. In the JKA style, it's just a step. There is a very similar move to this in bassai dai which is a stamp, so it's easy to get confused.

14. Back-hand block to the north. Look sharply north, then cock your arms for an open-hand cresent block. To do this, extend your right arm to the north, and your left arm to the south underneath your right. Slowly extend the left arm to the north, while drawing your right arm back to your hip. Your left hand should end up pointing north with your fingers fully extended, little finger pointing down. In most schools this is a slow move, taking perhaps 2-3 seconds.
      Throughout this move you remain in horse stance; your feet and hips don't move at all.

15-16. Cresent kick north, elbow strike west. Turn on your heels so that your feet point north, and you are in a narrow front stance. Bring your back (right) foot up to kick your outstretched left palm. This move is a simulation of grapping your opponent with your left hand, and pulling him onto your kick. However, since your don't have an opponent in the kata, it looks neater to kick your palm.
      Withdraw the kicking (right) foot to your left knee, and look sharply east. Step forward with the kicking foot into a new horse stance, hips and shoulders to the west. Strike at head height with your right elbow, and raise your left hand so that your right elbow slaps into your left palm. This palm slap simulates pulling an opponent into your elbow strike with your left arm.

17. Inside block north. Look sharply north, then step up with your left foot to your right foot, while doing an inside block with your right arm, reinforced by the left fist near your right elbow. Purists make the step such that the left foot ends up pointing south, with the heel slightly elevated. Your right foot is pointing east, as it hasn't moved in this move.
      Most authorities seem to keep their head and torso at the same height during this move, then straighten up in the next move.

18. Uppercut punch north. Step slightly to the south with your left foot, so you are in cat stance, while continuing to look north. Punch straight up with your left hand, as if striking an opponent to the north under his chin. Keep your left first on your right arm throughout. As you punch, look south. You can add extra impact to the punch by straightening your legs while you punch.

19. Downward X-block to the east. Pull both hands back to your hips, and bend your knees quite deeply. Leap off the ground in such a way to turn 180 degrees and land facing east. You should land with your legs crossed near your ankles, left foot behind. As you land, X-block downwards with both fists, arms crossed at the wrists. This move takes considerable practice to get right. Kiai as you land.

20. Reinforced inside block south. Rotate on your heels so that your feet point south, and you are in a very narrow front stance. Pull both fists back to your left hip. Then do a reinforced inside block with the right arm. You won't be able to hold this stance long, as it's very unstable. So as soon as the block finishes, you should step straight into the next move.

21a. Low spear-hand strike north. Prepare for this move by looking behind you (north), raising your right open hand to near your right ear, and extending your left open hand down to your left knee. In some schools this movement of the left hand is a low block, in others it is just a preparation for the next part of the move.
      From this position, slide your left foot across to the west about a shoulder-width. Then rotate sharply on your right heel so that your torso turns 180 degrees into front stance. In one move straighten the right leg behind your, and shoot out the right hand to strike with the fingers at groin/thigh height. Your palm should be up. While striking, withdraw your left open hand to your right shoulder. You should finish up in a low, extended front stance, left foot forward and hips and shoulders square to the south.

21b. Block north and south in back stance. Step across to the east with your left foot, so that your feet are in line, ready to twist into back stance. You hands are already in place for the blocks that follow. With your right hand, block behind your head (like an inside block, but at head height and behind your). With your left hand, block low in front of your left knee. Both blocks are with fists, not open hands. Use the twisting motion as your rotate from front stance to back stance to drive the two blocks. Ideally, your right fist should finish up just above head height.

22. Stand up slowly. Bring your left foot back to your right foot, so that you feet point east, and your shoulders and hips are square to the east. Your arms remain in the same position. Then stand up slowly with your feet together. Hold this position for a second or two.

23a. Low spear-hand strike north. This is the mirror image of move 21a, but still striking north. To get into position to strike north, you will need to rotate 180 degrees. From your current upright position, continue to look north, while you step around your left foot with your right foot. Your feet are now pointing west, and your hips and shoulders are square to the west. As your step, reverse the positions of your hands so that your right hand is extended to the north, and your left hand is near your left ear. Then step rapidly forward into a front stance, right foot forward, while shooting your left hand out to strike spear-hand at groin/thigh height.

23b. Block north and south in back stance. This is the mirror image of move 21b. Block high and behind your head with your left arm, and low with your right arm.

24. Finish. Pull your right foot back to your left, while rotating on your left heel so that you end up in attention stance.

Points to watch out for...

• Watch out for the places in this kata where you are looking one way while striking another. What you're doing in these moves is showing that, once you've commited yourself to a particular block or strike, you can deliver that block or strike while at the same time looking out for the next attack.
• The jumping move in this kata is often interpreted as a leap over a low strike from a staff or a flail, rather than just a rapid turn. If it is, then it will be most effective if you keep your centre of gravity in about the same place, while tucking your legs up to your bottom. After all, there's no point in leaping ten feet off the ground to jump over something two feet off the ground. However, in gradings everyone seems to try to bang their heads on the ceiling during this move. If you're not very athletic, you can attempt to cover up your lack of leaping ability by making an enormous kiai when you land. However, grading examiners are wise to this. However you do this move, it looks a bit sloppy if you land with your back bent -- ideally your spine should be upright, and you should do a low X-block by bending your knees deeply.
• The crescent kick against open palm is a move that crops up later in any number of more advanced kata -- kanku dai, for example. What you're really doing here is pulling your opponent towards you while delivering the kick except, of course, that there's no opponent in the kata. Most experts agree that it is important that your outstretched hand remain in the same place during the kick. Therefore, if you can't kick as high as your hand -- and many people can't -- it's better to kick under your hand, than to lower your hand to meet your foot. Lowering your hand looks really sloppy, and rather defeats the point of the exercise.

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