002-13: Gekisai Series
The first pure goju kata in our syllabus, Miyagi developed this as the introduction and kihon for his school. Gekisai translates as conquer and occupy.
002-1301: Gekisai Dai Ich
SummaryThe first of the Gekisai kata, designed to introduce the pattern and aide in locking in kihon. |
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Video
Pattern
| Enbu-sen |
Stance |
Technique |
|
| 1 |
 |
 L short stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Rotating counter clockwise from yoi L Upper Block |
| 2 |
 R 3qtr stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Stepping forward from previous R middle punch |
|
| 3 |
 L 90° lower stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Front foot steps back L lower block |
|
| 1 |
 |
 R short stance |
Eyes: 12 O'clock L foot steps up into short stance, rotating clockwise R upper block |
| 2 |
 L 3qtr stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Stepping forward from previous L middle punch |
|
| 3 |
 R 90° lower stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Front foot steps back R lower block |
|
| 1 |
 |
L short stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock L foot steps up, R foot rotates into short stance L middle block |
| 2 |
R short stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Step through R middle block |
|
| 3 |
L 3qtr stance |
L front kick, land forward in 3qtr stance L front elbow strike, L backfist |
|
| 4 |
L lower block, R reverse middle punch |
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| 5 |
 |
 Shoulder-width stance facing L of shrine |
Eyes: 3 O'Clock R foot sweeps, lands in shoulder width stance facing L of shrine, eyes looking to the rear R outward shuto tsuki (knife hand strike)
Ki-ai on bold/underline |
| 1 |
L short stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock L foot steps up, R foot rotates into short stance L middle block1 |
|
| 2 |
R 3qtr stance |
R front kick, land forward in 3qtr stance R front elbow strike, R backfist |
|
| 3 |
R lower block, L reverse middle punch |
||
| 4 |
|
Shoulder-width stance facing R of shrine |
Eyes: 9 O'Clock L foot sweeps, lands in shoulder width stance facing R of shrine, eyes looking to the rear L outward shuto tsuki (knife hand strike)
Ki-ai on bold/underline |
| 1 |
 |
 R deep lunging stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock From shuto tsuki in previous count, L hand parries across into L moroto tsuki (rotating double fist strike) |
| 2 |
|
 Attention stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Both hands return to right hikete (right ribs) with L hand on top1 |
| 3 |
 |
L deep lunging stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock R hand parries across into R moroto tsuki (rotating double fist strike) |
002-1302: Gekisai Dai Ni
SummaryBuilding from Gekisai Dai Ich, this kata introduces cat stance & changes the pattern slightly. |
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Video
Pattern
| Enbu-sen |
Stance |
Technique |
|
| 1 |
|
L short stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Rotating counter clockwise from yoi L Upper Block |
| 2 |
R 3qtr stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Stepping forward from previous R middle punch |
|
| 3 |
L 90° lower stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Front foot steps back L lower block |
|
| 1 |
|
R short stance |
Eyes: 12 O'clock L foot steps up into short stance, rotating clockwise R upper block |
| 2 |
L 3qtr stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Stepping forward from previous L middle punch |
|
| 3 |
R 90° lower stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Front foot steps back R lower block |
|
| 1 |
|
L short stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock L foot steps up, R foot rotates into short stance L kake uke |
| 2 |
R short stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Step through R kake uke |
|
| 3 |
L 3qtr stance |
L front kick, land forward in 3qtr stance L front elbow strike, L backfist |
|
| 4 |
L lower block, R reverse middle punch |
||
| 5 |
|
Shoulder-width stance facing L of shrine |
Eyes: 3 O'Clock R foot sweeps, lands in shoulder width stance facing L of shrine, eyes looking to the rear R outward shuto tsuki (knife hand strike)
Ki-ai on bold/underline |
| 1 |
L short stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock L foot steps up, R foot rotates into short stance L kake uke |
|
| 2a |
R short stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Step forward into short stance R kake uke |
|
| 3a |
L short stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Step back into short stance L kake uke |
|
| 4 |
R 3qtr stance |
R front kick, land forward in 3qtr stance R front elbow strike, R backfist |
|
| 5 |
R lower block, L reverse middle punch |
||
| 6 |
|
Shoulder-width stance facing R of shrine |
Eyes: 9 O'Clock L foot sweeps, lands in shoulder width stance facing R of shrine, eyes looking to the rear L outward shuto tsuki (knife hand strike)
Ki-ai on bold/underline |
| 1 |
|
 R cat stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock L foot pulls back into R cat stance L hand parries across from previous count into L mawashi uke |
| 2 |
|
 L cat stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock R foot steps back and shuffles over into L cat stance R mawashi uke |
| 3 |
|
L cat stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock L foot steps across, R foot moves back to align to front Open hands pull back to hikete, push back out into R mawashi shape |
a - Please note: These counts are called quite close to one another, in sort of a 1... 2,3 fashion.
002-1303: Choku
SummaryThis kata builds on Gekisai Dai Ich & Ni and introduces students to how they can work with space, working with either pulling back into cat stance or surging forward into shuffle stance. It's the first introduction of suriashi-dachi. |
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Video
Pattern
| Enbu-sen |
Stance |
Technique |
||
| 1 |
|
L cat stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Rotating counter clockwise from yoi, sink into cat stance L Upper Block |
|
| 2 |
R shuffle stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Back foot leading into suriashi-dachi R middle punch |
||
| 3 |
L 90° lower stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Front foot pulls back L lower block |
||
| 1 |
|
R cat stance |
Eyes: 12 O'clock R foot pulls from lower into cat stance R upper block |
|
| 2 |
L shuffle stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Back foot leading into suriashi-dachi L middle punch |
||
| 3 |
R 90° lower stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Front foot pulls back R lower block |
||
| 1 |
|
 L short stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock L foot moves up into short stance facing 45deg to left of shrine L middle block |
|
| 2 |
L shuffle stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Front foot leading shuffle into suriashi-dachi L taito-ate to throat |
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| 1 |
|
R short stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock L foot pulls back into short stance facing 45deg to right of shrine R middle block |
|
| 2 |
R shuffle stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Front foot leading shuffle into suriashi-dachi R taito-ate to throat |
||
| 3 |
|
L 3qtr stance |
L front kick, land forward in 3qtr stance L front elbow strike, L backfist |
|
| 4 |
L lower block, R reverse middle punch |
|||
| 5 |
|
Shoulder-width stance facing L of shrine |
Eyes: 3 O'Clock R foot sweeps, lands in shoulder width stance facing L of shrine, eyes looking to the rear R outward shuto tsuki (knife hand strike)
Ki-ai on bold/underline |
|
| 1 |
 |
L short stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock R foot pulls back into short stance facing to the R of the shrine L middle block |
|
| 2 |
L shuffle stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock Front foot leading shuffle into suriashi-dachi L taito-ate to throat |
||
| 3 |
|
R 3qtr stance |
R front kick, land forward in 3qtr stance R front elbow strike, R backfist |
|
| 4 |
R lower block, L reverse middle punch |
|||
| 5 |
|
Shoulder-width stance facing R of shrine |
Eyes: 9 O'Clock L foot sweeps, lands in shoulder width stance facing R of shrine, eyes looking to the rear L outward shuto tsuki (knife hand strike)
Ki-ai on bold/underline |
|
| 1 |
|
R deep lunging stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock From shuto tsuki in previous count, L hand parries across into L moroto tsuki (rotating double fist strike) |
|
| 2 |
|
L deep lunging stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock R hand parries across into R mawashi uke |
|
| 3 |
|
L cat stance |
Eyes: 12 O'Clock R foot pulls up into cat stance as hands return to open handed hikite (fingers pointing down.)
While sinking into cat stance, hands push out into R mawashi uke |
Author's note on historical context
This kata clearly sits adjacent but separate from Gekisai Dai Ich & Ni, but the broader origins appear unclear.
I've heard it referred colloquially as a "demonstration" kata more than anything, and my leading theory is that it was used to promote the Goju schools around Okinawa (going by my lineage, probably devised by Yamaguchi Sensei.) This was the story my Sensei told me circa 2014/15, and I have no evidence to back it up.
Disregarding its source, I believe this kata has strong value as a bridge into Saifa (notably, remaining low as you move then popping up used in the opening sequence) but not all schools will introduce it to students.
~ Bea Sensei, 04/09/2026