Supplementary outdoor training: A focus on the five 'foundational' Heian Kata

Movement one of HEIAN NIDAN KATA (Pinan Shodan): Hidari haiwan hidari sokumen jodan yoko-uke doji ni migi zenwan hitai mae yoko-gamae (Migi kokutsu-dachi).

 
Yesterday’s supplementary training was outdoors in order to make the most of the beautiful weather here in Oita. While we are nearly halfway through Autumn/Fall the temperature was 31 Degrees Celsius (nearly 88 Degrees Fahrenheit). Accordingly, I enjoyed practicing in shorts and a t-shirt.

Movement five of HEIAN SHODAN (Pinan Nidan): Hidari chudan oi-zuki (Hidari zenkutsu-dachi).

 

My focus today, in this attire and environment, was on kihon; namely, via the five 平安 (Heian).

Movement seven of HEIAN SANDAN: Hidari chudan morote-uke (Migi kokutsu-dachi).

 I went through all five kata in this series several times concentrating on the core tachikata, unsoku, kihonwaza, and also my mental state/mindfulness during the initiation, execution and completion of each action, not to mention 'zanshin'. Needless to say, to any seasoned karateka, Heian are the foundational kata of Karatedo and, as such, never get easier.

Just before completion of Movement 20 of HEIAN SANDAN: Saken migi kata ue koho tsuki-age doji ni migi chudan ushiro-enpi (Yori-ashi Kiba-dachi).

Movement 15 of HEIAN YONDAN: Migi jodan mae-geri keage (Hidari ashi dachi).    

 

In my opinion, at least in the English language, I always strongly emphasize that "...the Heian are the ‘foundational kata’ ". This is largely because labeling them as ‘basic kata’, (at least in contemporary English), can also incorrectly imply that they are 'easy' and/or merely for beginners.

Movement 18 of HEIAN SHODAN: Hidari shuto chudan-uke (Migi kokutsu-dachi).

Indeed, we all know that nothing could be more further from the truth. The five Heian kata elucidate where our kihon is by offering the minimal ability to ‘cover up’ any errors or weaknesses; that is, they mercilessly expose our technical foundations and the  underpinnings which determine our overall effectiveness (in the context of 'critical kihon underpinning core efficiency in freestyle application'). 

HEIAN GODAN: Hidari tekubi hidari sokumen chudan kake-uke/uken migi koshi (Kiba-dachi).

In sum, the Heian kata  always force us to eat some metaphoric ‘humble pie’ which, of course “…is UTTERLY ESSENTIAL in order to grow and advance in skill”.

 © Andre Bertel. Oita City, Japan (2022).