The Complete Guide to GKR Karate

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Bassai Dai (Pictured below)

• Start the kata with a bow - Remember a bow should be slow and respectful. Keep your hands and elbows against your side. Bend from the waist between 30-45 degrees, pause very briefly as your eyes fix on the ground about 3m in front of you, and then return to the upright position. Bring both hands to in front of your groin, left on right, and then step out into heiko-dachi as your fists close.

1. Bring both feet together into heisoku-dachi while cupping your right fist in your left hand - Your fist should be at mouth height. Your toes and heels should be together and the knees are only slightly bent. This move is done smoothly.

2. Raise your hands and right knee, turning 45 degrees to the left - Your hands should end up near your left ear and your knee should point to the left. This is also a smooth move.

3. Lunge forward into kosa-dachi, migi uchi-uke - the left hand supports the right. Your lunge should be straight ahead and about two shoulder-widths long. Its important to keep your back straight through the whole movement. It is difficult to achieve snap in this move, but the stance and technique should lock out strongly simultaneously.

4. Turn around into hidari zenkutsu-dachi, hidari uchi-uke, migi uchi-uke - Maintaining the low centre of gravity, step back with the left foot before using the hips to snap the block and stance together. The use of the hips is a critical component examined at gradings. They should finish in the on position.

5. Turn around into migi zenkutsu-dachi, hidari soto-uke, migi uchi-uke - Similar move, the use of the hips is again important. Make sure you don't prepare your soto-uke too early - wait until you have turned 90 degrees before starting to prepare the block. The hips should clearly finish in the off position.

6. Step back and turn to the right into heisoku-dachi, gedan-barai - This move starts and progresses smoothly until the last third of the block when power and snap are applied.

7. Step forward into migi zenkutsu-dachi, migi soto-uke, hidari uchi-uke - Again, the use of the hips is important.

8. Step up and turn to the left into heiko-dachi - Both hands prepare on the right side, left on right.

9. Hidari mawashi shuto-uke - Only the left arm moves. The hand opens into a vertical position and travels in an arc until the arm is straight out from the body. The move is slow and smooth.

10. Migi chudan-tsuki, uchi-uke - The right hand punches to the centre and then snaps into the blocking position. There is one long focus point as the techniques are joined. The feet twist to the left as the technique locks. The centre of gravity should remain constant throughout.

11. Hidari chudan-tsuki, uchi-uke

12. Step forward into migi kokutsu-dachi, shuto-uke - Make sure your stance is suitably low and long yet easily mobile. A majority of your weight should be on the back leg. Its important to keep the elbow in while blocking and to make sure the block moves in a predominately sideways motion, rather than a forward motion.

13. Step forward into hidari kokutsu-dachi, shuto-uke

14. Step forward into migi kokutsu-dachi, shuto-uke

15. Step back into hidari kokutsu-dachi, shuto-uke

16. Step across into hidari zenkutsu-dachi, gyaku kake-uke with reinforcement - This move needs to be smooth until the final tension. The hands finish at chest level.

17. Step up, pivot, yoko kansetsu-geri, kiai!, turn around, step back into hidari kokutsu-dachi - It is critical to prepare the stomping kick properly. Kyu grades - make sure you prepare the knee up high to the side before executing the kick. Pause ever so briefly during the kiai, and then turn sharply to prepare for the block. Remember not to straighten the post leg while preparing or kicking, so that you can step back into stance rather than fall back.

18. Step forward into migi kokutsu-dachi, shuto-uke

19. Step back into heisoku-dachi, return both hands to the chamber - This is another smooth tension move. Do not use excessive tension.

20. Morote jodan age-uke  - Again, another smooth tension move. Do not use excessive tension in the arms - instead focus on core strength.

21. Step forward into migi zenkutsu-dachi, morote tetsui-uchi

22. Lunge forward into migi zenkutsu-dachi, oi-tsuki - Do not chamber the fist between the strikes. Make the move as sharp as possible.

23. Step the back foot across and turn into hidari zenkutsu-dachi, gedan teisho-uchi - step the back foot across before twisting the hips with snap. The left hand prepares/blocks beside the right ear.

24. Step back into heisoku-dachi, hidari gedan barai, migi jodan uchi uke -  Another smooth move that finishes with snap.

25. Migi soto mikazuki-geri into migi kiba-dachi, migi gedan-barai -  Don't try and kick too high, focus on making a fast and snappy kick - otherwise its a pointless move. Don't rise out of stance, keep your centre of gravity low. The left hand chambers as the block snaps.

26. Sharp head turn to the rear, right forearm prepares sharply on left at shoulder level, hidari haishu-uke - This move has a dramatic contrast - a fast simultaneous snappy movement of the head and arms, followed by a slow and deliberate block. The right hand starts to chamber after the left has moved past the front of the body.

27. Migi soto mikazuki-geri into palm, migi mawashi-empi into palm step into kiba-dachi - Keep your centre of gravity low make the kick snappy and the elbow powerful. Finish looking straight out from the body.

28. Migi gedan yoko tetsui-uchi, hidari gedan yoko tetsui-uchi, migi gedan yoko tetsui-uchi - 1....2..3

29. Step the right foot in and turn to the right into heisuku-dachi, the left hand chambers and the right prepares on top - Sharp head turn, then slow controlled movement.

30. Lunge forward into migi zenkutsu-dachi awase-tsuki, step back to heisoku-dachi, chamber on the right - Use strong forward movement, don't fall into the stance. Controlled but not slow movement back.

31. Hidari soto mikazuki-geri, lunge forward into hidari zenkutsu-dachi, step back, chamber on the left - Note: there is a error in the illustration above.

32. Migi soto mikazuki-geri, lunge forward into migi zenkutsu-dachi

33. The back foot steps across and around 90 degrees, pivot into hidari zenkutsu-dachi, facing the original front direction, migi gedan-uke into migi uchi-uke - Strong and snappy movement.

34. Pivot into hidari zenkutsu-dachi, hidari gedan-uke into uchi-uke

35. Step the left foot up, turn right 45 degrees, step forward into migi kokutsu-dachi, shuto-uke - make sure you position your weight appropriately in stance.

36. Step back, turn left 90 degrees to the left diagonal, step back into gyaku kokutsu-dachi - this move is essentially a preparatory move.

37. Shuffle forwards into hidari kokutsu-dachi, shuto-uke, kiai!

38. Step back, turning to the front into heisoku-dachi with your right fist in left at mouth level - Keep the focus throughout.

• Finish the kata with a bow