The previous blog was on techniques for green belts. This blog is on Kata Heian Nidan. It is the second of the Katas of the Heian series and is a basic learner's Kata. This Kata is quite different from the three that you’ve learnt through the earlier blogs. It involves moves using stances, hammer fist, open hand strikes, knife hand blocks, front kick and others.

Let's now look at the sequence of movements one by one. Begin in a back stance with your back hand down near your hip and front hand on top of it. Turn your head in the direction of movement and lift your hands, your left hand at a 90-degree angle and your right hand at a 45-degree angle. Bring the right hand down swiftly for an arm breaking technique and perform a hammer fist strike with the left. Now turn to the opposite side and repeat these same movements.

Next, pull your legs together, execute a side kick with a back fist, and fall back to the back stance. Move forward twice with the back stance, tap with one hand (90-degree angle) and finger thrust with the other. Follow through with 4 knife hand blocks on the back stance with a 3/4 turn.

Switch to forward stance and an inner forearm block. Now perform a front kick and reverse punch. Pull your front leg halfway back, execute an inner forearm block, front kick and reverse punch. Back to forward stance, touch your knuckles together, and perform a double hand inner forearm block. Do a 3/4 turn, down block, open hand and upper block at a 45-degree angle. Look back, get ready, back turn and down block, open hand and upper block at a 45-degree angle.

That ends the pattern of movements for this Kata. It may sound a bit complicated, but once you practice it enough, you will find the moves coming to you naturally. In the next blog, you will learn the Crescent Kick in Karate. Keep reading and training.