Heian Yondan

Quick Facts

About the kata

Heian Yondan is the fourth kata of the Heian series. In Shotokan, per JKA material it has 27 movements, two kiai shouts, and lasts about 50 seconds. Karin Prinsloo counts five kicks in it, more than in the other katas of the series, and several techniques not seen before: the kosa uke block, the shuto uchi knife-hand strike, the spreading kakiwake uke block, the mae empi elbow strike, and a knee strike. Its most frequent technique, she notes, is the double morote uke block, and its main stance is kokutsu-dachi. The kata opens with two slow movements. Its hardest point is the crossed kosa-dachi stance, landed with a back-fist strike and the first kiai; the second kiai belongs to the knee strike. Themartialway.com.au writes that the stance is uncomfortable for most karateka at first, and JKA material explicitly lists it among the things to master. The Kyokushin version, Pinan Sono Yon, has 20 numbered movements in Jaap Kooman's breakdown, because one number there often covers a kick and the following strikes together. Both kiai, however, fall on the same techniques as in Shotokan: the back-fist strike and the knee strike. Kooman's breakdown places it at the 5th kyu grading.

The kata in different styles

Meaning of the name

Jaap Kooman, who links the five Pinan katas to the five godai elements, calls the fourth kata — for its many high kicks and dynamic double defenses — the kata of wind. We have not been able to find this in other sources, so we present it as his interpretation.

Differences between styles

According to Jaap Kooman's breakdown, the Kyokushin version differs in several places: the jump into the kake-dachi stance with the back-fist strike goes forward, the front kicks are followed by two nihon chudan tsuki strikes, and the three double morote uchi uke blocks are practiced in the front zenkutsu-dachi stance, whereas JKA material lists them for Shotokan in the back kokutsu-dachi stance. Shito-ryu, Wado-ryu, and Shorin-ryu list the kata in the WUKF list as Pinan Yondan. The Korean counterpart, Pyong Ahn Sa Dan in Tang Soo Do, according to the English Wikipedia, begins similarly to Pyong Ahn Ee Dan, only with open hands instead of fists.

Bunkai – applications

Shotokankarateonline.com reads the landing in crossed kosa-dachi with the back-fist strike this way: the advancing leg's knee hits the outside of the opponent's thigh as the back-fist strike lands at the same instant. It reads the small preparatory move before the shuto uchi knife-hand strike (movement 9 in its numbering) as a response to a grab from behind: the practitioner thrusts the left hip forward and strikes backward into the groin with the open hand or fist.

The hardest part

Shotokankarateonline.com advises coordinating the withdrawal of the front kick before kosa-dachi with the osae uke pressing block and the back-fist strike. For the short knife-hand strike before it, it recommends generating power over a very short distance, as in Tekki Shodan, then pushing off dynamically from the right leg for the block-and-strike that follows.

Competition status

• Sport karate (WKF) — Official kata list · valid from 1/1/2026 ↗
• WUKF (World Union of Karate-Do Federations) – Kyokushin — Shitei (compulsory) · valid from 4/26/2024 ↗
• WUKF (World Union of Karate-Do Federations) – Sankukai — Shitei (compulsory) · valid from 4/26/2024 ↗
• WUKF (World Union of Karate-Do Federations) – Shito-ryu — Shitei (compulsory) · valid from 4/26/2024 ↗
• WUKF (World Union of Karate-Do Federations) – Shorin-ryu — Shitei (compulsory) · valid from 4/26/2024 ↗
• WUKF (World Union of Karate-Do Federations) – Shotokan — Shitei (compulsory) · valid from 4/26/2024 ↗
• WUKF (World Union of Karate-Do Federations) – Wado-ryu — Shitei (compulsory) · valid from 4/26/2024 ↗

In grading syllabi

• IKO grading (traditional honbu): 5th Kyu – Yellow belt with black stripe

Technique Sequence — Shotokan

Breakdown source: jkakarate.co.uk

1. #1
   Kokutsu DachiHaiwan Uke(L)
2. #2
   Kokutsu DachiHaiwan Uke(R)
3. #3
   Zenkutsu DachiJuji Uke(both)
4. #4
   Kokutsu DachiMorote Uke(R)
5. #5
   Koshi Gamae(R)Sagi Ashi Dachi
6. #6
   Uraken Mawashi Uchi(L)Yoko Geri Keage(L)
7. #7
   Zenkutsu DachiEmpi Uchi(R)
8. #8
   Koshi Gamae(L)Sagi Ashi Dachi
9. #9
   Uraken Mawashi Uchi(R)Yoko Geri Keage(R)
10. #10
    Zenkutsu DachiEmpi Uchi(L)
11. #11a
    Gedan Barai(L)Age Uke(R)Shuto Uchi(R)
12. #11b
    Hizakutsu Dachi
13. #12
    Mae Geri(R)
14. #13
    Kosa DachiUraken Uchi(R)
    kiai
15. #14
    Kokutsu DachiKakiwake Uke(both)
16. #15
    Mae Geri(R)
17. #16
    Zenkutsu DachiOi Zuki(R)
18. #17
    Zenkutsu DachiGyaku Zuki(L)
19. #18
    Kokutsu DachiKakiwake Uke(both)
20. #19
    Mae Geri
21. #20
    Zenkutsu DachiOi Zuki(L)
22. #21
    Zenkutsu DachiGyaku Zuki(R)
23. #22
    Kokutsu DachiMorote Uke(L)
24. #23
    Kokutsu DachiMorote Uke(R)
25. #24
    Kokutsu DachiMorote Uke(L)
26. #25
    Sagi Ashi DachiHiza Geri(R)
    kiai
27. #26
    Kokutsu DachiShuto Uke(L)
28. #27
    Kokutsu DachiShuto Uke(R)