Pinan Kata

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Each of these Kata are performed slowly so that you can see the movement and then at normal speed.

The Pinan Kata were created by Anko Itosu in 1895, and are derived from sections of the larger Kushanku kata. Originally designed as beginner kata for use in Okinawan High School physical education programs in the early 1900s, they are also known as the Heian kata due to the interchangeable ideograms in Japanese.

Kushanku

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This Kata is shown being performed slowly so that you can see the movement and then at normal speed.

Kushanku, a Chinese envoy, introduced the Kata to Okinawa in 1762.

Subsequently, Okinawan Masters adapted and developed the form into the most challenging kata in Okinawan Karate.

Mastery of this form demands over a decade of dedicated practice.
This kata uses stances and attacks consisting of the five previous Pinan kata
Gichin Funakoshi named it Kanku Dai (kan meaning "observe" and dai meaning "big") because of the first movement of the kata that involves making a circle with both hands to observe the world.

Naihanchi

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This Kata is shown being performed slowly so that you can see the movement and then at normal speed.

Naihanchi or Naifanchi means “sideways fighting”.

In this kata, the embusen follows a straight line and it is important to use the mat line in the dojo to maintain proper positioning. The entire kata is performed using kiba dachi (horse stance). One notable technique in this kata is the combination of haiwan-nagashi-uke (back-arm inside flowing block) and tate-uraken (vertical back fist strike).

The kata includes grappling, throwing, and striking techniques that target vulnerable areas of the body.

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