Pinan sono ichi ura
Name
Romaji: Pinan sono ichi ura
Japanese: 平安その一裏 / 平安裏初段
Meaning: First Pinan form, ura. Sono ichi means the first form. Ura means rear, reverse or inner side; in kata it names a circular or reversed variant. Some sources use Pinan shodan ura; Galaz Dojo uses Pinan sono ichi ura consistently. See Pinan for the shared background.
Introduction
Pinan sono ichi ura develops the technical foundation of Pinan sono ichi through larger circular movements. The same demands on direction, stance and technique remain, with increased difficulty in pivoting, balance and landing. This is controlled practice of technique through rotation, not a decorative spinning version.
Place in the system
Group: Pinan ura. Level: intermediate / advanced foundation. Learn this after performing Pinan sono ichi steadily, with a sound understanding of its embusen, stances, techniques and transitions. Ura does not teach the basic form from scratch. Kicks require controlled recovery; close techniques and any crossed landings must already be understood.
Gaze must find the direction before rotation finishes. Turn through the pivot, hips and centre without throwing the upper body; maintain body height. Coordinate feet, hips, hikite, breathing, stance and kime. Land in a clear direction without extra adjustment steps, preserving zanshin between techniques and through the finish. Rotation serves the technique; speed cannot replace balance or a technical finish.
Technical profile
Rotation, pivoting, balance, stance transitions and technical completion organise the 20 main teaching counts. The principal rotation angles are 360°, 405°. The stances and techniques below retain their own structure throughout circular movement.
Kiai: 8 on Migi seiken jōdan uke after 360°; 16 on Migi seiken chūdan oi tsuki after 360°.
Embusen and technical diagram
Diagram unavailable: The embusen diagram described in the source is absent from this edition. Follow the directions and movement sequence in the text.
The underlying embusen follows the basic form, with side and main lines, transitions and the closing direction. Circular movements lengthen the route without removing its directional requirements. Read every direction with its sequence count; a diagram would not specify all details of hips, gaze, hikite, kicks, hands or breathing.
Check the main directions and 270° turns, the Nekoashi-dachi transition in count 3, full 360° rotations, and especially 405° turns in counts 18 and 20, ending in diagonal Kokutsu-dachi with shuto. Keep height and direction through each pivot and check the final position.
Stances
Zenkutsu-dachi supports Gedan barai, Chūdan oi tsuki and Jōdan uke, remaining long and stable after rotation. Nekoashi-dachi in count 3 is light, active and controlled before Tettsui komekami uchi; it must not become a heavy passive retreat. Kokutsu-dachi supports the closing shuto, rear-weighted without falling forwards. Stance and technique finish together.
Principal techniques
- Seiken gedan barai: clear low deflection, downward control or release on direction changes, with active hikite and stable Zenkutsu-dachi.
- Seiken chūdan oi tsuki: direct middle counter after 360° rotation, with centre line, hips and kime.
- Seiken jōdan uke: rising upper protection or deflection after 360° rotation in counts 6, 7 and 8; complete the block rather than letting it follow the spin.
- Tettsui komekami uchi: short controlled strike to the head’s side in Nekoashi-dachi after the count-3 withdrawal or angle change.
- Shutō mawashi uke: circular control, block or repositioning in rear-weighted Kokutsu-dachi after the larger diagonal rotation.
- Hikite: gathers the body and gives line and technical completion. Ordinary blocked turns, full 360° turns and diagonal 405° turns require distinct control.
Start and finish
Begin in Fudō-dachi, facing shinden. Announce Pinan sono ichi ura, then perform a slow yoi according to dojo standard into Heikō-dachi. At mugōrei, continue without ongoing counts after hajime. The 20 numbered main counts exclude start, yoi, naore and yasume. At naore, return to Fudō-dachi according to dojo standard by drawing the left foot back to the base position. Keep looking in the previous direction until the turn is complete. At yasume, return to the resting position.
Movement sequence
The following teaching sequence supports practice and revision according to the selected Galaz Dojo/modern Kyokushin standard; it does not replace dojo instruction.
| No. | Direction | Stance | Technique | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turn 90° left | Hidari zenkutsu-dachi | Hidari seiken gedan barai | Turn anticlockwise left and block gedan barai. Clearly retract the right hand to hikite. |
| 2 | 360° clockwise | Migi zenkutsu-dachi | Migi seiken chūdan oi tsuki | Keep the left arm directed forwards, rotate 360° clockwise on the left foot and finish with chūdan oi tsuki. |
| 3 | Turn 180° right | Migi zenkutsu-dachi → Nekoashi-dachi | Migi seiken gedan barai / migi tettsui komekami uchi | Turn clockwise into Migi zenkutsu-dachi with gedan barai. Then retract the right foot to Nekoashi-dachi and strike migi tettsui komekami uchi. |
| 4 | 360° anticlockwise | Hidari zenkutsu-dachi | Hidari seiken chūdan oi tsuki | Keeping the right arm in its striking position, rotate 360° anticlockwise on the right foot into Hidari zenkutsu-dachi and chūdan oi tsuki. |
| 5 | Turn 90° left onto the main line | Hidari zenkutsu-dachi | Hidari seiken gedan barai | Cross the left foot over the line, turn anticlockwise onto the main line and block gedan barai. |
| 6 | 360° clockwise | Migi zenkutsu-dachi | Migi seiken jōdan uke | Rotate 360° clockwise on the left foot and finish with migi jōdan uke in Migi zenkutsu-dachi. |
| 7 | 360° anticlockwise | Hidari zenkutsu-dachi | Hidari seiken jōdan uke | Keeping the right arm in its block position, rotate 360° anticlockwise on the right foot into Hidari zenkutsu-dachi and hidari jōdan uke. |
| 8 | 360° clockwise | Migi zenkutsu-dachi | Migi seiken jōdan uke, kiai | Keeping the left arm in its block position, rotate 360° clockwise on the left foot into Migi zenkutsu-dachi and migi jōdan uke with kiai. |
| 9 | Turn 270° left | Hidari zenkutsu-dachi | Hidari seiken gedan barai | Cross the left foot and turn 270° anticlockwise into Hidari zenkutsu-dachi with gedan barai. |
| 10 | 360° clockwise | Migi zenkutsu-dachi | Migi seiken chūdan oi tsuki | Rotate 360° clockwise on the left foot and punch migi chūdan oi tsuki. |
| 11 | Turn 180° right | Migi zenkutsu-dachi | Migi seiken gedan barai | Cross the right foot and turn 180° clockwise into Migi zenkutsu-dachi with gedan barai. |
| 12 | 360° anticlockwise | Hidari zenkutsu-dachi | Hidari seiken chūdan oi tsuki | Rotate 360° anticlockwise on the right foot and punch hidari chūdan oi tsuki. |
| 13 | Turn 90° left onto the main line | Hidari zenkutsu-dachi | Hidari seiken gedan barai | Cross the left foot over the line and turn anticlockwise onto the main line with gedan barai. |
| 14 | 360° clockwise | Migi zenkutsu-dachi | Migi seiken chūdan oi tsuki | Rotate 360° clockwise on the left foot and deliver the first punch of the three-step sequence. |
| 15 | 360° anticlockwise | Hidari zenkutsu-dachi | Hidari seiken chūdan oi tsuki | Rotate 360° anticlockwise on the right foot and deliver the second punch of the three-step sequence. |
| 16 | 360° clockwise | Migi zenkutsu-dachi | Migi seiken chūdan oi tsuki, kiai | Rotate 360° clockwise on the left foot and finish the main line with chūdan oi tsuki and kiai. |
| 17 | Turn 270° left | Hidari kokutsu-dachi | Hidari shutō mawashi uke | Cross the left foot and turn 270° anticlockwise into Hidari kokutsu-dachi with shutō mawashi uke. |
| 18 | 405° clockwise | Migi kokutsu-dachi | Migi shutō mawashi uke | Rotate 405° clockwise on the left foot—360° plus the forward-right diagonal—into Migi kokutsu-dachi with shutō mawashi uke. |
| 19 | Turn 135° right | Migi kokutsu-dachi | Migi shutō mawashi uke | Cross the right foot and turn 135° clockwise into Migi kokutsu-dachi with shutō mawashi uke. |
| 20 | 405° anticlockwise | Hidari kokutsu-dachi | Hidari shutō mawashi uke | Rotate 405° anticlockwise on the right foot—360° plus the forward-left diagonal—into Hidari kokutsu-dachi with shutō mawashi uke. |
Breathing, rhythm and kiai
Distinguish the rotations, gathered preparations, ordinary turns, blocks, attacks and combinations described below. Slow controlled passages retain their timing; explosive passages still require a stable finish. Do not let rotation make breathing shallow or hurried. Gaze, pivot, landing, breathing, kime and zanshin create rhythm.
Kiai: 8 on Migi seiken jōdan uke after 360°; 16 on Migi seiken chūdan oi tsuki after 360°.
Technical key points
Gaze must find the direction before rotation finishes. Turn through the pivot, hips and centre without throwing the upper body; maintain body height. Coordinate feet, hips, hikite, breathing, stance and kime. Land in a clear direction without extra adjustment steps, preserving zanshin between techniques and through the finish. Rotation serves the technique; speed cannot replace balance or a technical finish.
Check the main directions and 270° turns, the Nekoashi-dachi transition in count 3, full 360° rotations, and especially 405° turns in counts 18 and 20, ending in diagonal Kokutsu-dachi with shuto. Keep height and direction through each pivot and check the final position.
- Seiken gedan barai: clear low deflection, downward control or release on direction changes, with active hikite and stable Zenkutsu-dachi.
- Seiken chūdan oi tsuki: direct middle counter after 360° rotation, with centre line, hips and kime.
- Seiken jōdan uke: rising upper protection or deflection after 360° rotation in counts 6, 7 and 8; complete the block rather than letting it follow the spin.
- Tettsui komekami uchi: short controlled strike to the head’s side in Nekoashi-dachi after the count-3 withdrawal or angle change.
- Shutō mawashi uke: circular control, block or repositioning in rear-weighted Kokutsu-dachi after the larger diagonal rotation.
- Hikite: gathers the body and gives line and technical completion. Ordinary blocked turns, full 360° turns and diagonal 405° turns require distinct control.
Common errors
Common errors are late gaze, lost direction, short or misaligned stances after rotation, a forward-collapsing Kokutsu-dachi, passive gathered preparation, unstable lateral or crossed landings, techniques delivered before landing, weak hikite, missing supporting hands, disconnected combinations, unretracted kicks, arm swings without hip connection, extra steps and kiai without kime. Correct each against the specific stance, technique and count requirements on this page; maintain the finish and zanshin.
Bunkai and application
Keep applications technically clear and close to the basic form. The functions under Principal techniques cover defence, control, strikes and counters. Rotation changes direction, distance, angle or opponent before the technical finish; gaze and zanshin prepare balance, intent and continued readiness. Practise with a partner under control and keep complexity appropriate to the kata.
Training method
- Review Pinan sono ichi without ura turns.
- Check embusen and main counts.
- Practise 360° rotation on the spot without technique.
- Add Chūdan oi tsuki after 360°.
- Add Jōdan uke after 360°.
- Isolate count 3: Gedan barai, Nekoashi-dachi and Tettsui komekami uchi.
- Isolate the 270° turns.
- Isolate the 405° turns in counts 18 and 20.
- Add breathing, rhythm, kime and kiai.
- Perform the whole kata slowly without counting.
- Practise simple partner bunkai, then return to the kata.