How to perform Bassai Dai

Bassai Dai, is a strong and very technical kata found in the shotokan karate style, also used by other karate schools like GKR. The kata has a meaning that translate as Storming The Castle or Breaking The Fortress and is a multile attacker based form. Like most Shotokan kata's, Bassai Dai is a very direct hard hitting kata using powerful punches, kicks, grabs and throws. Bassai Dai can be seen as quite a difficult kata to learn as the move counts is one of the highest found in kata with 38 steps, although once mastered one usually has pride in performing this mighty multi-attacker kata.

1. Feet draw together, left foot meets the the right foot. Your hands raise and clasp together at 45 degrees just in front of the chin.

2. Right root raises to your left knee as the body twists slightly to the left, looking over your right elbow.

3. Step forward with your right and then step up with the left foot into Kosa Dachi cross stance, your left leg planted behind your right leg. moves hands into reinforced Morote Uke simultaneously.

4. Step around 180 degrees into Zenkutsu Dachi, blocking Uchi Uke with the left hand. then perform right hand Uchi Uke squaring up the hips.

5. Turn 180 degrees back towards the front with a Mawate turn blocking Soto Uke with the left arm. Then perform Uchi Uke with the right arm.

6. Turn 90 degrees to the right using the right leg to step back, perform a slow Gedan Barai with the right arm.

7. Right arm draws upward into Soto Ude Uke position, drop the right foot forward into Zenkutso Dachi and perform right hand Soto Uke. Perform left hand Uchi Uke.

8. Turn 90 degrees to the left, facing the front in Heiko Dachi, bringing your left hand to the right hand side of the waist supporting the right hand.

9. Left hand opens and pushes out to the front with open palm pressing block.

10. Right hand punches Chudan Tsuki, then draws into Uchi Uke with the hips moving off at 45 degrees.

11. Left hand punches Chudan Tsuki, then draws into Uchi Uke with the hips moving off at 45 degrees.

12. Step forward with the right foot into Kokutso Dachi back stance, blocking right hand Shuto Uke.

13. Step forward with the left foot into Kokutso Dachi back stance, blocking left hand Shuto Uke.

14. Step forward with the right foot into Kokutso Dachi back stance, blocking right hand Shuto Uke.

15. Step backward into Kokutso Dachi with the left foot remaining forward, blocking Shuto Uke with the left hand.

16. Step into Zenkutso Dachi from your back stance without changing feet, perform Kake Uke inside block, turn the right hand palm facing and reinforce with the left hand hand at the wrist. Pull the hands down slightly to make the until the right arm is in open handed Uchi Uke position.

17. Raise the right knee while pivoting on the left foot to perform a 45 degree knee strike, then from the raised knee, kick out with Yoko Geri side kick and kiai while drawing the reinforced hands back close to the hip. Your foot should come back to the knee while the body turns 180 degrees counter clockwise into Kokutso Dachi, blocking Shuto Uke with the left hand.

18. Stepping forwards with the right leg into Kokutso Dachi and blocking right arm Shuto Uke.

19. Draw back the right leg into Heisoko Dachi, and draw both hands back to the side of the body at waist level.

20. Place both knuckles together at waist level and raise your arms keeping the knuckles facing each other, keep raising to a jodan head level and allow the knuckles to roll apart slightly but keeping the hands together.

21. Drop forward with the right foot into Zenkutso Dachi performing a double Tetsui strike to the chudan area.

22. Slight shuffle forward with the right foot and punch out Chudan Tsuki with the right hand.

23. Perform a Mawate turn counter clockwise into Zenkutso Dachi with the left leg forward and strike with an open right hand to the gedan level while bringing your left hand up to the side of the head with your palm open facing your ear.

24. Both hand close, draw in the left leg towards the right in Heisoku Dachi with your body facing 90 degrees to the right. The right hand should pull up to a Soto Uke and the left arm performs Gedan Barai.

25. Rotate your left foot 90 degrees towards the front of the dojo, perform Mikazuki Geri creasant kick with the right leg all the way around to 180 degrees and land in Kiba Dachi horse stance, performing Gedan Barai with your right arm.

26. Both hands open, right arm on top of the left arm, the right hand closes and draws back to the left waist while the left hand moves round to towards the rear of the dojo, palm open. Follow the right arm with your eyes as it moves.

27. Left foot rotates 90 degrees counter clockwise as you perfom Mikazuki Geri creasant kick with the right leg, kick right around 180 degrees and land in Kiba Dachi and perform Mawashi Empi elbow strike with the right elbow into the left palm, just infront of the chest.

28. Perform three Gedan Barai lower blocks, first with the right arm and then quickly with the left arm and then right arm again.

29. Turn 90 degrees clockwise to face the back of the dojo in Heisoku Dachi feet together stance placing your right hand over your left hand at the left side of the waist.

30. Stepping forward with the right leg into Zenkutso Dachi and perform a Yama Tsuki strike. The right hand striking low and short, the left hand firing at jodan level. Then draw back into Heisoku Dachi and bring your left hand over the right hand at the right waist level.

31. Kick mikazuki geri with the left leg and step forward into Zenkutso dachi, perform Yama Tsuki this time with the left arm punching low and the right hand punching jodan head level before drawing back into Heisoku Dachi, with the right hand joining the left hand at the left side of the waist.

32. Kick Mikazuki Geri with the right leg and step forward into Zenkutso Dachi, performing Yama Tsuki with the right hand striking low and short, the left hand striking jodan level.

33. With the left leg, turn anticlockwise 3/4 of a circle round into Kiba Dachi. Perform Gedan Uke with the right arm and transition into Zenkutso Dachi with the left leg forward. Perform Uchi Uke with the right arm.

34. Pivoting on your feet, change your stance into a Zenkutso Dachi facing 180 degrees clockwise and perform Gedan Uke with the left arm sweeping into Uchi Uke with the same arm.

35. Step in with the left leg into Heisoku Dachi, steppng out straight away at 45 degrees to the North East corner, in a Kokutso Dachi with the right foot, right hand performing Shuto Uke knife hand block.

36. Step back to Heisoku dachi with the right leg and immediatley step the right leg back out into Kokutso Dachi at 45 degrees to the rear South East corner, performing right hand Shuto Uke, looking towards the opposite corner of North West.

37. Step north West forward into Kokutso Dachi blocking Shuto Uke with the left hand and kiai.

38. Draw back to Heisoku Dachi and draw both fists to a 45 degree v shape infront of the chin, just like how the kata was started.

Finsish. Return to the bowing out position.