Heian Shodan Kata
Heian Shodan - "Peaceful Mind Number One"
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Kia on 9 and 17
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21 Movements
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This is the first of the katas taught in the Heian series, which is a series consisting of five different katas. This series of katas was originally created by the great Okinawan karate teacher, Master Itosu Anko (1831 - 1915) and this series of katas was originally known by it's Okinawan name Pinan. Master Itosu created the katas in order to teach the art of karate to children in the Okinawan school system and it is believed that he derived many of the movements and material was from more advanced kata such as the much older root katas Channan was Kanku Sho. When the Founder of Shotokan Karate, Gichin Funakoshi Sensei first introduced karate to Japan he changed the name of the first five katas from the Okinawan pronunciation of Pinan to Heian or "Peaceful Mind" perhaps in order to have these katas more readily accepted by Japanese society. It is interesting to note that this kata was originally the second kata taught in this series and Heian Nidan was taught first, however Gichin Funakoshi Sensei reversed the order as he felt it was more appropriate as he felt that Pinan Shodan was less complex than Pinan Nidan and should therefore be taught as the second kata. This kata introduces the student for the first time to several new hand techniques, such as rising block jodan-tetsui-zuki, (upper level hammer fist strike), jodan-age-uke (upper levelblock), and shuto-zuki, (sword hand strike), as well as the concept of tai-sabaki (body shifting).
Heian Shodan by Sensei Kurihara (栗原一晃) at JKA Stage Imola, 21-NOV-2010 Italia - Sensei Naito by apataktube