Heian Godan Kata Moves 1 to 18 In Detail
Here is a link to a full basic heian godan tutorial, so if you are just starting Heian Godan go here first. In the below follow along class we go into detail on each move, so before watching this video be sure to have a good understanding of the sequences in this fifth Heian kata.
Move 1
Left Uchi Ude Uke in Kokutsu Dachi (inside forearm block in back stance)
There’s a couple of different ways to do this first move in Heian Godan.
A lot of karateka wrap their arms around their body on the preparation of the first move, so they circle the arms.
I prefer to drive my right arm straight to the left like a punch and my left arm comes straight to the right hip. So it’s a very direct short distance to prepare for this first move. So my arms stay close to the body, with the back of the hands are facing up on the preparation. And then other people circle and circle. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I tend to go more direct. and then I go in a straight line. So if you look from the side, from here, I prepare straight, then when I block uchi uke, it almost goes out like a back fist, rather than around.
So on the first move preparation, bend your knees as you prepare the arms, now your left leg shoots out, whilst keeping your weight back on your right leg, then you want your left hip to snap back on the completion of the block.
Try not to let the hip stick, pull the left hip back whilst keeping the back straight.
Move 2
Right Gyaku Zuki In Kokutsu Dachi (reverse punch in back stance)
when punching gyaku zuki, drive through the floor from the right leg, push through the hip, so you are driving the punch from the floor using the whole body, rather than just throwing the arm out.
Whilst executing this reverse punch try not to let this back knee cave in. Keep that good back stance form.
Move 3
Left kage Zuki pulling up slowly into heisoku dachi. A slow left hook punch whilst slowly pulling the back right leg up into heisoku dachi (feet together stance).
So the contrast of speed and dynamic movement on the first two is now the opposite for the third move, with slow and smooth movement on the third technique of Heian Godan.
This is how I do the third move in Hean Godan. As I start to push my left knee forward, I turn my the toes on my left foot to the front, then slowly come up feet together in heisoku dachi.
As your left fist goes forward and round for the kage zuki, the forearm and fist is twisting as it travels and it turns. When the third technique has completed, the head looks to your right.
I always have my arm with my fist lower than my elbow and my elbow lower than my shoulder, but only slightly.
Imagine there’s water trickling down the arm and off the end of the knuckles. You want your finish level with the side of your body. Your fist wants to be the same distance from your body as your elbow and on line with the side of the body.
This third move in the 5th Heian kata needs to be slow and smooth with Zanshin
So it’s a real contrast from the first two moves that need to be fast and strong, so going from strong, fast, dynamic movement to a slow move, you have got to let that muscle tension go. After the first two strong moves, many karateka hold the tension. You must let that tension go.
For this third move you must keep Zanshin, it’s not just a slow move with no feeling.
Zanshin! The feeling is you’re walking down the street and you can see a group of trouble makers across the road. Now if you look towards them, there’s a chance they are going to come for you, so you switch on and become ready, you don’t look at them but you are totally aware of everything.
Move 4
Right Uchi Ude Uke in Kokutsu Dachi (inside forearm block in back stance)
From the third move, a lot of people don’t move the left arm. They simply leave it there, and then they go into the right inside forearm bock. I tend to stretch the left arm as I prepare the right arm.
I stretch my left arm to the right, as I prepare the right arm close to the body for the inside block.
For move 4 try and drop straight down from the end of the third move, try not to send the body weight forward, then rock back into back stance.
Your body weight should drop down as you shoot your right leg out keeping the body weight predominately over the left leg.
Move 5
Left Gyaku Zuki In Kokutsu Dachi (reverse punch in back stance)
When punching gyaku zuki, drive through the floor from the left leg, push through the hip, so you are driving the punch from the floor using the whole body, rather than just throwing the arm out.
Whilst executing this reverse punch try not to let this back knee cave in. Keep that good back stance form.
Move 6
Right kage Zuki pulling up slowly into heisoku dachi. A slow right hook punch whilst slowly pulling the back left leg up into heisoku dachi (feet together stance).
Bunkai for the first 6 moves
I always believe in practicing two types of applications, one for the art of karate to make the actual kata better and one for the practical self defense side of kata practice.
Application 1 To Improve The Kata
Keeping the techniques as close to the kata form as possible, making the actual kata techniques stronger.
First three moves in Heian Godan
Attacker steps in with a right sided oi zuki (stepping punch), defender from the yoi position is shizentai, steps back with the right leg and blocks with a left uchi uke in kokutsu dachi, next, drive forward and punch gyaku zuki with the right arm, whilst making distance and slipping to the outside of the attackers right leg with yori ashi, the whole time keeping in kokutsu dachi.
Then pull the back right leg up into heisoku dachi whilst striking kage zuki (hooking punch) or mawashi enpi (round elbow) to the head.
Application 2 For Self Defense
Attacker comes in with a right haymaker, block with a high uchi uke close to the head whilst simultaneously punching gyaku zuki with the right arm, then immediately closing the distance and either striking with a left hook punch or round elbow strike.
There are more, but that’s two good applications. One for self defense and one for the kata.
Move 7
Moroto Uchi Uke In Kokutsu Dachi (augmented forearm block in back stance)
when a lot of karateka do this move they send the body weight too far forward, then rock back into back stance.
Instead, try and drop the body weight down as with the fourth move, prepare the arms as you drop, then perform the block as you pivot strongly on the left leg.
As I prepare for move 7 I drop my left arm straight down and I just bring my right arm across to just above my left elbow, with the back of the right fist facing upwards, then pivot strongly on the left leg, shoot the right leg out while keeping the body weight back and perform the augmented block.
In the right moroto uchi uke my left fist is palm facing up with the knuckles facing as forward as much as possible, my two small knuckles are slightly pushed against the inside of my right elbow (as shown in the video)
Move 8
Gedan Juji Uke in Zenkutsu Dachi (low X block in front stance)
Several different ways to practice this. This is how I make this move.
From the moroto uchi uke position, I start to step and my arms do not really move that much. As i step to the half way position, my right fist pulls back and is on top of my left fist which is palm facing up. My right fist is bottom of the fist facing down directly above my left fist.
At the half way point through the step, my left side of my body is forward and the right side is slightly back, with my knees bent. I then drive off of my right leg with my left side still slightly more forward than the right.
I then drive a left gedan barai and right gedan tate zuki over the top of the left arm. My left arm is in the gedan barai position (back of the hand facing up) and my right fist is vertical for the punch. My arms cross at the wrists.
So i do not refer to this move a Juji uke, for me this is simultaneous block and strike, gedan barai and tate zuki (which i explain more in the video).
Different Dojo practice different ways, some have both fists in the vertical position and some have the same as I practice.
Move 9
Jodan Juji Uke in Zenkutsu Dachi (high level X block in front stance)
From the gedan Juji uke position (move 8), I pull my elbows towards my body slightly, at the same time rolling my arms very slightly whilst turning the palms up. I then push up above the head and perform Juji Uke with both hands open and back of the hands facing each other.
Some people bring that front foot back slightly as they execute this block, leaving their body weight forward.
The feeling should be contraction with the back leg, then drive from the back leg as you execute the X block.
Move 10, 11 and 12
A Grab, Then Pull Down Followed By One Step With Two Strikes
You bend both wrists backwards then immediately rotate both hands clockwise, whilst keeping the base of the palms touching. On the rotation, once the right palm is facing upwards and the left hands fingers are pointing to your right, you drop the hands directly down sharply and stop level with the bottom of your ribs.
You stop with hands down for a split second, then step forward with the right leg, at the half way point through the step, perform a straight punch with the left fist, then as you continue through the step, land with a right Oi Zuki and Kiai.
Move 10 represents grabbing someone’s right punching arm and just pulling them down. Then as you step forward, you strike them in the head twice.
Move 13
Gedan Barai in Kiba Dachi (down block in horse riding stance)
From the right oi zuki in zenkutsu dachi, imagine someone grabs your right wrist, you then you pull your arm to the left and turn your body to the left. Your right hip turns to your left as you pull.
Try not to stop, the right arm continues and comes to your left shoulder, as you step with your right leg directly behind you in a 180 degree turn.
As you finish the step you land in kiba dachi and block gedan barai.
You can also do this with two arms and you can also practice this with lifting the right knee and using two arms.
So there are a few ways Shotokan Dojo practice this move.
Move 14
Heisho Uke in kiba dachi (back of the hand block in horse riding stance)
Try not to just move the arm across and block, use your legs and body.
On the preparation, feel like you are contracting, there is this feeling of coming in.
As your arms cross to prepare, both hands are open with the back of the hands facing up.
Then use your legs and hips to push slow and strong. So it’s not just the arms.
Some Shotokan Dojo keep the back of the blocking hand facing up until the end of the move and some Shotokan Sensei teach and early rotation of the hand, with most of the movement being the heisho uke travelling with the hand in the finished position.
Moves 15 and 16
Mikazuki Geri Mawashi Enpi (crescent kick round elbow strike)
Once again there are a few different ways to execute this kick. You can come right out with the leg like in a big arc, or go out at a 30 to 45 degree angle, then whip the foot across at the last second. One is stronger and one is faster.
Keep your right Hikite fist still as you kick mikazuki geri.
Keep the right side of the body and hip back as you kick, then step down in a straight line with the right leg, landing on the toes and ball of the foot.
Then sharply strike mawashi enpi into the left open hand and at the same time, drive the right side of the body and hip into the strike.
I keep everything square, so my right fist is the same distance from my body as my right elbow, striking forward into the target, not around. That why I have my fist away from the body, some Dojo have their fist close to the body on the mawashi enpi strike.
Move 17
Moroto Uchi Uke in Kosa Dachi (augmented block in crossed leg stance)
A lot of karateka turn their right foot forward as they execute this technique. I keep my right foot still and then sharply come across with my left leg, locking the knees together in kosa dachi and keeping the same height as in kiba dachi.
Move 18
Uho Zuki Age In Renoji Dachi (rising punch to the rear in L shape stance)
From kosa dachi, drive off the right leg, driving the right hip up with the rising punch, on completion of the punch relax and feel natural and comfortable in your renoji dachi.
There is about a six inch gap between your heels, which are on line in renoji dachi. 90 percent of your weight is on your right leg. The left ball of the is on the floor with just skin of your heel touching the floor, imagine there is a piece of paper under your heel.
A really good application for moves 17 and 18 is a block with the right and digging punch with the left, then driving the hip and body up with an upper cut.
Heian Godan in many Shotokan Dojo is the required kata for 4th Kyu purple and white belt. Here are some other Heian Godan tutorials
Full Basic Heian Godan Kata Step By Step Tutorial