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Kevin's Shotokan kata notes: heian nidan

Last modified: Fri Aug 3 08:04:13 2007

Heian nidan is one of the first kata that adult karate students learn, but not usually the very first. It is technically much more difficult to perform than heian shodan, as it involves a simultaneous kick and punch, a delicate balancing manoeuvre, `reverse' inside blocks -- which are hard on the hips when you get to a certain age -- and double and reinforced blocks.

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

Like heian shodan, the moves of this kata describe a letter `I'; however, this kata has two additional steps away from the `I' shape that shodan does not have.

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. Combined inside block and rising block to the west, stepping to the west. Look sharply to the left (west), while dropping your hips slightly and pulling both fists together at your right hip. Then step out with your left leg to the east, into a back stance. With your left arm, do a high inside block, as if to deflect a strike to your face with your left forearm; with the right arm, do an upper rising block as if to deflect a downward blow to your head. At the end of this move, you'll end up with both fists about three inches above, and three inches in front of, your head. Both your elbows will make approximate right angles. For competitions, it's important that the middle knuckle of your right hand points at the wrist of your left; that is, your left fist ends up slightly higher than your right. This refinement adds nothing to the block as a block per se, but it demonstrates a high degree of physical control, which is what the judges are looking for.
      At the end of the move you'll be in back stance, facing west and looking west through the gap between your forearms.

2. Scissor block. This move is done slightly differently by different authorities. Some treat it as a block and a punch, some as two blocks, and some as two strikes. In any case, you bring your right fist down from above your head to the `inside block' position -- forearm pointed straight up; at the same time you bring your left fist to your right shoulder. This move will bring your forearms into contact and, if someone's arm were trapped between them, it would be an effective breaking move. Alternatively, you can treat the right first as striking at chest height, and/or the left elbow as striking head height. All these variations are widely practiced. What is most important is that you end up with your arms cocked for the next move -- left fist on shoulder, right arm extended. For the next move to work, you'll need to twist your shoulders to face your imaginary opponent to the west as you do the scissor block.

3. Hammer fist strike in back stance. Using your left arm, do a hammer fist strike at neck height to the west. To get power for the strike, rotate your hips and shoulders so that they end up square to the north, while pulling your right fist sharply back to the right hip. The striking surface is traditionally the heel of your fist, so you end up with your knuckles pointing west, palm down. In a competition, you'll need to make sure that your striking arm is parallel to the ground, which will put the strike at your own neck height. It's very difficult to avoided leaning away from the strike when you do it forcefully.
      Moves 2 and 3 are usually done in very quick succession; in fact, some authorities consider them to be a single move.

4. Combined inside block and rising block to the east. Look sharply to the east, and rotate on your heels so that you end up in a back stance with the right foot foward. Then block sharply with both arms, exactly as in step 1, but the with roles of the left and right arms reversed. You'll end up in a back stance facing east, with your shoulders and hips square to the north.

5. Scissor block. Exactly the same as in step 2, but with the left and right arms in opposite roles.

6. Hammer fist strike to the east. Exactly as in step 3, but with the right fist.
      Moves 5 and 6 are usually done in very quick succession; in fact, some authorities consider them to be a single move.

7. Side snap kick and back first strike to the south. If you've done the previous moves consistently, your right foot is now on the point where you started, and your left foot some distance away from its starting point. When you turn to the north and advance in a few moves time, the effect is that you'll be a few feet to the west of the centre line. This lack of symmetry distresses purists, and to eliminate it you'll need to shift half a stance-length to the east. This is generally accomodated in the preparation for this move. When getting ready for the side snap kick, rather than drawing one foot up to the other, the elegant method is to draw both feet back to a point half-way between the two. So, quickly step up to the centre line with the back (left) leg, then prepare for the side kick by pulling your right foot up to your left knee. At the same time, pull both fists to your left hip. At this point your hips and shoulders are square to the east, and you're looking to the south, with your right knee pointing to the south.
      The next move is to make a back fist strike to the south with your right arm, while simultaneously kicking at chest height with your right leg. In practice, most people do the back fist strike just a tad earlier than the kick. In addition, the back fist is usually (but not always) construed as a block, not a strike. Imagine a person hitting you at head height -- the back fist deflects the punching arm, so you can then kick your opponents ribs just under his outstretched arm. The kick is usually taken to be a snapping, rather than thrusting, action (yoko keage), and when you've kicked you should snap your kicking foot back to your knee. So, at this point you're standing on your left leg, with your right foot off the ground and your right arm outstretched. Your left fist is on your left hip, where you left it -- it has not moved during this technique. You need to maintain your balance for the next move.

8. Knife-hand block to the north. This move is technically quite difficult, and even competent practitioners tend to do it inelegantly. In a competition, the judges are looking for you to be able to move from one stance to another while maintaining your balance, so it's important not to short-cut the moves.
      From your current position facing south, rotate on the fall of your left foot, while keeping your right foot raised, so that you're facing to the north. At the same time, prepare for a knife-hand block by extending your right arm to the north, and drawing your left hand to your right shoulder. Then, when you are balanced in this position, step back and down with your right leg, so that this becomes the rear leg in a back stance. Keep your shoulders and hips square to the north, if possible. Finally, twist your shoulders and hips to the east as you deliver a strong knife-hand block.
      What many people to is to start this move by stepping down from the previous side kick into back stance position, then turning on their heels to face the north, before delivering the knife-hand block from their. The problem with this approach is that it is extremely tempting to drop your right leg out of the side kick early, so it looks like you're kicking and then falling inelegantly into back stance. As well as being inelegant, this method takes longer to address the imaginary threat from the north.
      In practice, you don't settle into a new stance between moves 6 and 7, and some authorities regard them as single move.

9-10. Knife-hand blocks to the north. Step forward and deliver knife-hand block in back stance with the right hand. Then repeat with the left hand. You're know facing north, with your shoulders and hips square to the east, in back stance with the right foot as the back foot.

11. Spear hand strike to the north. This move is like the basic stepping punch, except that the strike is delivered with the fingertips, with the hand held little-finger-down (like a spearhead shape). In addition, traditionally this move is combined with an initial pressing block, as if you were deflecting a strike at midsection height. So, broken down, the move is like this. Remaining in back stance, use the extended left hand to press down on an imaginary blow just in front of your chest. Then step forward and strike over the extended hand. In a competition, the judges will be looking to see that your right elbow finishes up resting lightly on the knuckles of the extended right left hand. Kaia on this move, and hold for a second or two. You should be in front stance, right leg forward, with your hips and shoulders square to the north and your back leg locked straight.
      In karate jargon, this move is called nukite.

12. Knife-hand block to the east. This move, and the three that follow it, are identical to the last four moves of heian shodan, except that you're facing south rather than north. From the front stance, rotate 270 degrees towards your back, pulling up your left foot to meet the right foot. Both feet end up facing east, and your hips and shoulders are also square to the east. Then step forward

13. Knife-hand block to the south-east. This is the first move that is not on the path of the letter `I'. Step with your back (right) foot up to your left foot, and rotate hips, and shoulders to face south-east. Then step forward with your right foot into a new back stance, delivering knife-hand block at the same time with your right hand. Your blocking hand ends up pointing to the south-east, and your hips and shoulders square to the south-west.

14. Knife-hand block to the west. Now step back with your front (right) foot, back to your left foot, and rotate hips, and shoulders to face south-west. Then step forward with your right leg into a new back stance, delivering knife-hand block with your right hand at the same time. Your blocking hand ends up pointing to the west, with your hips and shoulders square to the south.

15. Knife-hand block to the south-west. Now step your with your back (left) foot up to your right, while rotating your hips and shoulders square to south-west. Then step out with the left leg into a back stance, while delivering knife-hand block with the left hand. Your blocking hand will end up pointing south-west, while your hips and shoulders are facing north-west, your left leg extended and most of your weight on your right leg.

16. Reverse right inside block to the south. At the start of this moving you are in back stance, facing south-west. You should now imagine an opponent making a midsection punch from the south. To deflect this punch, you'll be doing an inside block (soto uchi uke). However, at this moment you're facing the wrong way to do this block, so your back foot stays where it is, while your front (left) foot slides about three feet to your left. Then turn sharply on your heels so that your feet are pointing south, and you're in front stance (left foot forward). Perform an inside block with your right forearm, sweeping outwards from your chest. Note that this is a `reverse' block; normally you'd expect to block with the arm that is on the same side as the front leg. Unfortunately, to generate enough power for the reverse inside block, you'll still need to twist your hips and shoulders, and this is very difficult in this position. You need to end up with your front (right) shoulder pointing to the south, which is tricky when your right leg is back. Most authorities suggest that it is acceptable to use a shorter-than-usual stance here, to get sufficient shoulder and hip movement. If you're past the first flush of youth, you'll have to use a shorter stance, or risk a week's sick leave from work.

17-18. Right front snap kick, left reverse punch . From the reverse inside block position, snap kick at midsection height (`maegeri chudan') with your right leg under your extended right arm. Step forward with your right leg and, as you land, reverse punch with your left fist. Because your right arm is extended during the kick, your can pull it pack sharply to counter the punching action of your left arm. However, most experts frown on twisting the shoulders into the punch, and suggest that your shoulders and hips should remain square-on throughout this move.

19. Reverse left inside block to the south. This is not a very natural move to do, because you've got to cock both your arms for the block, as neither are in the proper starting position. Pull your left arm to your right hip, and extend your right arm slightly. Then inside block sharply with your left forearm, while pulling your right fist back to your hip. This block is almost the mirror image of move 16, but with the additional cocking action. Like move 16, this move requires an uncomfortable twist of the hips and shoulders to generate a powerful block. In addition, because the stance you'll be in at the start of this move (if you did move 18 properly) is simply far to long to get the required hip rotation, most people draw back the front (right) foot about six inches during the block.

20-21. Left front snap kick, right reverse punch. These moves are the mirror image of move 17-18. Finish in front stance, left foot forward.

22. Right reinforced inside block. Step forward with your right foot, at the same time bringing both your fists sharply to your left hip. Step into right front stance, while performing inside block at midsection height with your right forearm, supported by your left fist. The left fist should push your forearm at the elbow. This block is called morote uke in karate jargon. Purists like to end up with the shoulders facing diagonally to the opponent (to south-east in this case), even though there is no drawing action of the non-blocking arm. It's hard to get power from hip rotation with this block, and you'll need the pushing fist to add oomp to the block.
      There is some dispute among authorities about whether the act of drawing back the fists to the left hip is just a preparation for the block, or is in fact a throw. It's easy to imagine it as a throw -- you grab your oponent with your outstretched right hand, then step forward while heaving him towards your left and out of the way. However, the balance of authority suggests that this is probably just a preparatory move.

23. Downward block to the west. Another move that is easy to do badly. This move involes a 270-degree turn, so you start facing south and end facing east. Like most of the 279-degree turns in the Heian kata, you can either swing your back (left) leg all the way through 270 degrees, and pivot on your heels to get into position for the block. However, most authorities prefer to bring both feet together facing west, then step out with the left foot into left front stance, before blocking.

24. Upper rising block to the north-west. From the left front stance, step with your right leg to the north-west, so that you end up in new front stance with the right leg forward, shoulders and hips square to the north-west. Cock your arms for the upper rising block while stepping -- your right fist comes back to your right hip, while your left arm is raised to head level. Then, as your foot lands into the front stance, block strongly with the right arm, twisting hips and shoulders as you do so.

25. Downward block to the east. Bring your front (right) foot back to your back foot, while pivoting on your heels to face east. Step out to the east with your right leg, while cocking your arms for downward block with the right arm. As your foot lands, downward block, rotating your hips and shoulders to give the block force. Your shoulders should end up slightly north-east.

26. Upper rising block to the north-east. Step out to the north-east with your left leg, and perform a strong upper rising block with the right arm. Kiai on this move.

27. Finish. Return to attention stance by rotating on your right heel and pulling your left foot back to natural position. There is some debate about whether you should continue to look to the north-east while coming back to the attention stance, only turning your head north at the last minute, or whether you should look north before coming to attention. Probably what is important is that your head movement is decisive -- either before coming to attention or after. If you turn your head while coming to attention it looks as if you don't know where you should be looking.

Many authorities regard the two final upper rising blocks not as blocks at all, but as offences. The fact that you are supposed to kiai on the last one reinforces this view. The Shotokan kata have very few kiai moves that are not offensive.

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