A lot of people love the Karate Kid movie franchise including the Netflix original series Cobra Kai 1, 2, 3 and 4. The famous Kata Seienchin has been used ALOT in the series and many people want to learn it for free and practice at home. I've made a cool free video and written guide to assist you. It's confirmed that a 5th season is set to drop next December as well. I'll update this post once we get an exact release date, and I guess I'll update it again once it's passed.
Originally Daniel San was frustrated at Miyagi for not teaching him real Karate. Doing a bunch of chores for the Plumber who once caught him learning Karate from a book didn't seem like it was working.
Miyagi noticed something brewing inside Daniel LaRusso that had to be amended before he could weaponize his anger and fear and apply Karate to it. Miyagi was teaching Daniel how to calm his mind and even taught him breathing techniques to do so.
Despite fighting in war, Mr. Miyagi had seen too much hatred and wanted to teach Daniel peace. Therefore, the kata he selected was a high ranking Goju Ryu / Shito Ryu Karate Kata called Seienchin. You can learn the full history of the origins of Karate Kata here.
Seienchin means Calm within the Storm, and this is the very skill and attitude adjustment that Daniel needed to not only win the All Valley Karate Tournament, but to grow into a decent man and live a happy life.
Daniel continued to only practice this one Kata for the duration of the original Trilogy and even introduces it to his own Miyagi do Students in Cobra Kai Series 3 and 4.
If you want to learn the Karate Basics first, check out the 72 Karate moves you need to master here.
If you like this video tutorial that I put together consider checking out some of my other video tutorials, or if you're feeling extra generous subscribe! If you're looking for exclusive content, stick around until the end and there's a sign up for our online Karate programs.
Seinchin Kata is all about dynamics, which encompasses both slow and fast techniques, soft and hard movements, as well as wide and short stances. It's a well rounded Kata that practices a wide variety of Karate moves while shifting the body moving on many angles. The kata practices both attacking and defending so it's an obvious choice for Miyagi to teach Daniel with the All Valley Tournament approaching.
Seinchin actually is a very short and easy Kata, despite being a high ranking Black belt kata! This kata contains only 44 moves total, which are a mirror repetition of each other for 2 sides, helping balance the practice of Karate among left and right hands / feet.
Start Seienchin with a clear mind and your body relaxed.
Step out into a wide horse stance on a right 45 degree angle with the hands at the hips in fists.
Press the hands downward towards the knees along the lines of the legs, then scoop both hands upwards slowly and simultaneously to the center of the chest. Both backs of the hands touching.
Grip the hands into fists and pull apart downwards, performing two low blocks above the knees.
Pull hands again to the center body crossing the front over the rear and execute an open handed middle block. Rotate the wrist outward into a grasping block and pull inward to the center as you under hand spear with the rear hand.
Repeat this sequence again but with the left side. Repeat once more with the right side and pause after the final underhand spear.
Pull in the front foot to a right crane stance (famous Miyagi movement) and backlist your right fist into the left palm. Smoothly while stepping the right foot out into a front stance, roll the right fist inward then back outward so that the left hand braces the top of it as it punches. This is the first time in the Kata where you will perform a Kiai. (The Kiai is a concentration of all of your power into one blow.)
Step the right foot back into left front stance and rotate the arm backward like a windmill, bringing the left elbow up into a strike. Stop it with your left palm.
Now, step up to the right forward corner with a right reinforced middle block. Quickly advance with a left low block and retreat with a right low block. Repeat this combination to the left side with opposite hands.
Step backwards into a low backstance and raise the left hand into an open high block and the right hand into an open low block. Repeat this once more after a step back into a left stance.
Advance quickly into a right boat stance, hammer fisting the right hand into the left and performing a reinforced backfist.
Step the right foot across the body, over the left side and bend your knees into a cross legged stance. This will help you perform a 180 degree pivot to face the rear left corner.
Facing the left corner move the hands into a left switching block and kakite the left hand. Then, step the right foot into a deep horse stance and upper cut the middle knuckle followed by a swift consecutive backlist strike, and immediately combo the low block. Then retreat to a left horsestance with low block.
Retreat into a right cat stance facing the middle with a right upward elbow, and retreat again with a left upward elbow.
Turn to the right rear corner and repeat the combination from switching block to elbows retreating.
After the final elbow, windmill the left hand around until the palm blocks downward, stopping at chest height.
Quickly, heel toe advance as you perform the final backfist!
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About the Author:
Colton Woodard is a 7th Degree Black Belt in Kuniba Kai Karate Do and holds the title of Kyoshi as well. He loves to teach Karate, Kobudo, and Iaido and considers himself a lifetime student in pursuit of self improvement in both Martial Arts and in Character. Colton loves to visit Japan and speaks conversational Japanese and can write quite a few Kanji. He is a Karate competitor and coach and loves to exercise and make new memories with people all over the world.
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