Nippon Budō Seishin-Kan

After bowing and announcing the name of the kata ("Heian Nidan") ...

Yōi (cross open hands at groin level in musubi dachi) and kiyomeri kokyū (purification breaths)
Kamaete (shift right foot into nami heikō dachi while closing hands into fists at knee width)

Zanshin yame (withdrawing left foot, turn 90 degrees left and return to kamaete)
Naotte (perform tekagami movement while sliding right foot into musubi dachi)
Rei (bow)

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Heian Nidan is the first true kata (example of effective self-defence techniques) taught to students of Shimabukuro-Ha Shitō-Ryū karate-dō.   It presents the beginning student with a significantly higher level of complexity than the kihon katachi ("fundamental patterns") learned previously.  Unlike the kihon katachi, in which all blocks and strikes are performed in zenkutsu dachi, in Heian Nidan, techniques and movements are matched with stances as appropriate for their purpose, effectiveness, and proximity to the opponent, rather than solely for training purposes.  Students are also challenged by Heian Nidan to move with greater speed, power, and stability.

This begins with the first movement—the turn to the left with an uchi-otoshi strike in neko-ashi dachi, which must be executed with powerful koshi mawari (hip rotation) that simultaneously provides both speed and power to the turn, as well as to the strike itself.  The third movement of Heian Nidan involves shifting quickly from zenkutsu dachi to han-zenkutsu dachi while performing uchi-otoshi.  This is an example of the principle of kusshin (屈伸)—to bend-and-straighten or advance-and-retreat, which must be performed quickly, precisely, and with good posture.   Once again, koshi-mawari (hip rotation) is the key to speed and power in this movement.  After turning to the left with gedan barai, the performer takes three forward steps.  The first two are performed with age uke (rising/lifting block) and the third with wantō uchi (forearm strike).  The difference between age uke and wantō uchi is subtle, and chiefly a matter of spirit (kihaku):  although they are almost identical in appearance and body mechanics, wantō uchi must be delivered with power (kiryoku) and intentionality (kime) as the decisive blow that defeats the opponent.  This series of movements introduces the concept that a given karate technique can serve more than one purpose—and as either an attack or defence—depending upon how it is applied.

Another key training aspect of Heian Nidan is the application of stances (tachi) and footwork (ashibumi or ashi-sabaki) to coincide with techniques and control the distance (maai) between the performer and opponent.  Examples of this are found in the use of different stances for different techniques, such as zenkutsu dachi for gedan barai, age uke, and wantō uchi, or han-zenkutsu dachi for oizuki, and shikō dachi for the gedan shutō barai at the end.  It is therefore crucial when performing Heian Nidan to match each stance correctly to its corresponding technique, as well as to consider why some stances are better suited to certain techniques as you perform bunkai (see below).

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The word Heian (平安) means "constant serenity," so a key objective of training in the five Heian kata is to develop a set of skills sufficient to provide the confidence and determination to prevail needed to face a potentially violent or other highly stressful situation with complete peace of mind.

When learning a new kata, it is important to remind oneself of the adage: "Manabu no tame ni hyakkkai, jukuren no tame ni senkai, satori no tame ni manga okonau" (学ぶのために百回、熟練のために千回、悟りのために万回行う.).  A hundred times to learn, a thousand times for proficiency, ten thousand repetitions for complete understanding.   A related Okinawan saying is "ichi kata san nen" (一型三年):  one kata three years.  Think of it this way:  it takes about 40 seconds to perform Heian Nidan.  So in just ten minutes per day for only ten days (or twenty minutes a day for just five days), you can learn the correct sequences of movements in Heian Nidan.   But to become truly proficient-to be able to perform it correctly, and with the speed, power, timing, and bushi damashii (samurai spirit) necessary to make its techniques effective in a real self-defence situation will take a thousand repetitions, which equates to 100 days at ten repetitions a day.   And to fully understand and apply all of its principles, nuances, and variations will take 1,000 days (three years) at ten repetitions per day.

Although the kihon katachi (Kihon Katachi Ichi and Kihon Katachi Ni) do contain some basic budō principles, they are primarily intended as training exercises in order to prepare students to learn actual kata.   Kata, therefore, incorporate the need for both bunkai (step-by-step analysis) and ōyō (practical application). 

The word bunkai (分解) literally means "disassemble and analyse."   It is the same term Japanese sports officials use for the slow motion frame-by-frame analysis of the video of a contested referee's call, and it has a similar purpose and application in budō.  It involves examining each technique in minute detail, as if frozen in time, to determine its potential uses and the factors that make it most effective.

Ōyō (応用) means "effective use" or "practical use," so ōyō is the application of the knowledge gained from bunkai.   Once you have analysed every movement of the kata and determined both its intended use and the principles that make it effective, you will be able to use each of the techniques in the kata against the types of attack for which it is best suited.  Although this takes years (at least three), it doesn't mean you have to study only one kata for three years.  Since many kata share some of the same movements, you can be performing bunkai and perfecting ōyō on several kata at once!

The ultimate purpose of analysing and perfecting kata is to develop a methodology and a habit of analysing and perfecting every important aspect of one's life:  knowledge, skills, capabilities, behaviour, attitudes, ethics, motivation, ambitions, desires, ideals, beliefs, values, relationships, and character.  

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