Heian Yondan

[cathal]

I was recently shown Heian Yondan, and I am completely surprised as to how fast I was able to pick it up. Compared to the other Kata I'm familiar with, I learned and memorized the moves in only two days. I mean, I *know* it. Backward, as well as shifting sides (starting on the right and side and doing the entire kata that way). Sensei seemed satisfied as well as surprised as I was.

 

What I would like to know is, did any of you notice this with Yondan? Or perhaps everyone pick it up quickly, but there is something I am missing. The movements aside, does anyone have suggestions on performing this kata?

 

Thanks.

[cross]

I think the reason you picked it up so quick is because the pattern and most but not all of the techniques are very much the same as in other kata learned before this.

 

One thing you may be missing is the bunkai, once you know the bunkai for this kata, keep it in mind while you are performing it and im sure you will see it differently and get a greater benefit from practising it.

[Coco]

i picked it up in like the first class too... i think its because on your first kata, your are not familiar with the whole thing but when you get to yodan you pretty much have an idea... on my dojo tho, we first do haian nidan and then yodan, i learned both in 1 day

[alexnoalex]

It may be easy to remember moves, however, it's recomeded to do a kata at least 5000 times to get somewhere with it.

 

I recently discovered that after doing a kata for about 300 times I just start to realize how bad it is and how much work it requires if I want to practice it as favorite. I would usually start feeling some minor improvement after about 2000 times.

 

Also you may want to have a senior to look over your kata from time to time or you risk to learn it wrong. Also numbers themselves don't mean anything - you have to think about every move, digest it and understand how it works.

 

I assume here that you liked Heian Yodan and want to study it seriously. It was my favorite for quite some time.

[aefibird]

One suggestion for practicing Heian Yondan is to break it up into manageable 'chunks' of 3 or 4 moves and practice it that way. It will give you a feel for the bunkai and will help you to perform the kata seamlessly when you put the 'chunks' back together as one piece.

 

I think that Yondan is (fairly) easy to learn the moves of quickly, because it is quite similar to Heian Shodan, Nidan & Sandan, kata which are usually learned before Yondan.

 

Yondan is one of my favourite kata, which is a good job too, as it is also one of my sensei's favourites and he gets us to practice it a lot!!

[cathal]

All very good advice. In my dojo we first learned Heian Shodan. Then we did Nidan, Sandan, and now Yondan. I do enjoy this kata, and I am definitely going to be practicing it a great deal, like my other katas.

 

[/b]

[karatekid1975]

It may be easy to remember moves, however, it's recomeded to do a kata at least 5000 times to get somewhere with it.

 

I recently discovered that after doing a kata for about 300 times I just start to realize how bad it is and how much work it requires if I want to practice it as favorite. I would usually start feeling some minor improvement after about 2000 times.

 

Also you may want to have a senior to look over your kata from time to time or you risk to learn it wrong. Also numbers themselves don't mean anything - you have to think about every move, digest it and understand how it works.

 

I assume here that you liked Heian Yodan and want to study it seriously. It was my favorite for quite some time.

 

I agree. I learned Heian Nidan (pyung ahn ee dan in Korean) and it took me very long time. Heian shodan was easy for me, for some odd reason, but heian nidan was a pain to learn. The bunkai was even harder. So I broke it down in bits. Worked on little peices of it, then I put it back together and it made more sense. Then I had to learn Heian sandan. That form was easy for me also, but I still did the same thing.

[G95champ]

Yondon comes quick to most because IMO Nidan is the hardest of the Heian kata. Sandan is not hard but does a lot of things you are not used to doing aka stops, elbows, double blocks, etc. Yondan is pretty straight out there not tricky at all. Its my fav. Heian kata by far.

[ialwaysgethit]

you are all right, by thime you get to this kata you are able to look and pick up moves.

 

some sudents that i have know have been able to pick the moved up only, going through it a few times in one night, but the bunkai, comes a little bit slower or later for them, once they have picked the moved up a bit better.

 

[Shorinryu Sensei]

I do the origional Okinawan version of the Heihan...or we call them Pinan's, and Pinan Yondan has always been one of my favorites. I really can't explain why, but it's just the movements of the kata I guess. I really get into it. How similar it is to the Shotokan version, I don't know, but the way that we do it is not very similar to the other Pinan's in it's stepping, nor in it's techniques.

 

I wish I could compare the two, but like I said, I don't know the Shotokan version. Do you have a webpage that might possibly show the Shotokan version?