Seisan

This Shito Ryu kata is performed in this manner at Grand River Karate. The following should not be taken as describing all relevant details in the kata. Your sensei will instruct you in the finer points.

N.B. The compass directions relate to "North" as being the direction faced when starting the kata.
  1. Bow and move to shizen-tai (natural stance).
  2. Step forward with your left foot into migi kokutsu dachi (right back stance), then perform hidari chudan uchi uke (left middle inside block).
  3. Shift into hidari zenkutsu dachi (left front stance) while executing migi ken chudan gyaku-zuki (right middle reverse punch), moving into a right hooking middle inside block.
  4. Shift into migi zenkutsu dachi (right forward stance) while executing hidari ken chudan gyaku-zuki (left middle reverse punch); move into a left hooking middle inside block.
  5. Shift into hidari zenkutsu dachi (left front stance) while executing migi ken chudan gyaku-zuki (right middle reverse punch); move into a right hooking middle inside block.
  6. Shift to the back foot, placing both fists together by the right hip, migi ken ue hidari ken (left over right) .
  7. Lunge forward with your left foot into hidari zenkutsu dachi, while striking with hidari jodan tettsui uchi (left high hammer-fist strike) and migi ura-age zuki (right uppercut punch) with kiai.
  8. Bring your right foot forward and turn counter-clockwise to the South on the left foot into hidari zenkutsu dachi and execute jodan kakiwake uke (upper wedge block). Keep your hands in shuto position and move them down beside your hips.
  9. Step forward with your right foot into a very brief kiba dachi, shifting quickly into migi zenkutsu dachi and execute migi uchi jodan haito uchi (right ridge hand high strike). Grab your opponent with a right open hand "gooseneck" grab and pull down to your right hip.
  10. Keeping your right hand in place, step forward with your left foot into a very brief kiba dachi, shifting quickly into hidari zenkutsu dachi and execute hidari jodan haito uchi (left ridge hand high strike). Grab your opponent with an left open hand "gooseneck" grab and pull down to your left hip.
  11. Keeping your left hand in place, repeat step 9.
  12. Turn counter-clockwise on your left foot to face East and step back into migi kokutsu dachi. Perform hidari chudan uchi uke.
  13. Shift into hidari zenkutsu dachi. Execute migi ken chudan gyaku-zuki (right middle reverse punch), hidari ken jodan zuki (left high punch). Leave your hand out during migi chudan mae geri (right middle front kick). Follow rapidly with migi ken jodan gyaku-zuki (right high reverse punch).
  14. Turn clockwise on the left foot to face West and repeat steps 12 and 13, changing left for right and West for East.
  15. Turn counter-clockwise on your left foot to the South and step back into migi kokutsu dachi. Perform hidari chudan uchi uke. Repeat step 13, replacing East with South.
  16. Bring your right foot back beside the left, with your body facing the West and your head looking North. Block the left side of the head with your right fist, palm out, thumb down, then leap sideways to the North, landing with your feet briefly together and striking with migi sokumen tate mawashi uke (right side vertical fist roundhouse strike).
  17. Step back with your left foot, dragging your right foot back into a low migi neko ashi-dachi (right cat stance) and pulling with your right fist.
  18. Stomp with your right foot and step across with your left foot in front of the right into a brief hidari ashi mae kosa-dachi (left forward, crossed feet stance). [This move may also be used as a stomp.]
  19. Execute migi chudan mae geri and land in kiba dachi (straddle stance), performing migi sokumen gedan barai (right side low block) in hidari kokutsu dachi (left back stance) followed by hidari ken gyaku-zuki (left hook punch) across your body, finishing with migi chudan uchi uke.
  20. Repeat steps 16 to 19, still facing the West, transposing left and right techniques and moving to the South.
  21. Cover up as in step 16, but with your right fist palm in, thumb up, then leap sideways to the North, landing with your feet briefly together while performing migi tettsui (right hammer fist strike) to the North.
  22. Step back with your left foot into kiba dachi and perform migi sokumen gedan barai.
  23. Shift into hidari kokutsu dachi and do hidari ken gyaku-zuki (left hook punch) across your body, finishing with migi chudan uchi uke.
  24. Step back into hidari zenkutsu dachi and grab your opponent with a left gooseneck grab.
  25. Perform migi chudan mae geri, migi ken jodan gyaku-zuki.
  26. Step into a right diagonal kiba dachi (facing Northwest) with your palms up on your thighs [to catch a middle kick].
  27. Turn North into hidari zenkutsu dachi, bringing your right hand over your left [bunkai: as if twisting an ankle]. Kiai.
  28. Yame. Step up with your right foot into shizen-tai and close.