This page will help you to learn Goju-Ryu kata - Saifa. This is the third kata for Goju-Ryu Karate. The meaning of Saifa kata is "To smash and tear". To watch bunkai for Saifa, please visit the Goju-Ryu Bunkai section.
If you need other Karate information (i.e. kicks, stances and strikes), please visit the main Karate section.
For additional Goju-Ryu Karate katas (i.e. Saifa), please visit the main Goju-Ryu Katas section. To learn other Karate katas (i.e. Shotokan), please visit the main Katas & Forms section.
Yoi with feet together at attention left hand over right several inches away from the groin the left hand pushes down while the right hand pushes up creating (explosive) tension
The right foot steps out into a front stance
The right hand is closed in a fist at the side in chamber but the arm is turned so that the palm is facing the ribs
The left hand covers the right
Alternatively: the karateka can lean forward at an angle and fall into the front stance with the right foot
Then the left foot steps in to the right and you turn 90 degrees to the left looking in the same direction that you turned
The hands stay the way that they are (right closed and left covering) and switch sides with the right arm now across the stomach
With this previous motion the head is turned 90 degrees to the right looking in the original direction of the attention stance
The left leg steps back into a horse stance while the left hand wards a strike from the front
The ward of the left rises and falls as though swatting downward a punch coming from the right side
As the ward comes back to the chest the right hand delivers a back fist strike and the left hand remains at the center of the chest with the fingers pointed upwards
Alternatively: an upward jab can be used instead of the back fist
The left foot steps out into a front stance
The left hand is closed in a fist at the side in chamber but the arm is turned so that the palm is facing the ribs
The right hand covers the left
Alternatively: the karateka can lean forward at an angle and fall into the front stance with the left foot
Then the right foot steps in to the left and you turn 90 degrees to the right looking in the same direction that you turned
The hands stay the way that they are (left closed and right covering) and switch sides with the left arm now across the stomach
With this previous motion the head is turned 90 degrees to the left looking in the original direction of the attention stance
The right leg steps back into a horse stance while the right hand wards a strike from the front
The ward of the right rises and falls as though swatting downward a punch coming from the left side
As the ward comes back to the chest the left hand delivers a back fist strike and the right hand remains at the center of the chest with the fingers pointed upwards
Alternatively: an upward jab can be used instead of the back fist
The right foot steps out into a front stance
The right hand is closed in a fist at the side in chamber but the arm is turned so that the palm is facing the ribs
The left hand covers the right
Alternatively: the karateka can lean forward at an angle and fall into the front stance with the right foot
Then the left foot steps in to the right and you turn 90 degrees to the left looking in the same direction that you turned
The hands stay the way that they are (right closed and left covering) and switch sides with the right arm now across the stomach
With this previous motion the head is turned 90 degrees to the right looking in the original direction of the attention stance
The left leg steps back into a horse stance while the left hand wards a strike from the front
The ward of the left rises and falls as though swatting downward a punch coming from the right side
As the ward comes back to the chest the right hand delivers a back fist strike and the left hand remains at the center of the chest with the fingers pointed upwards
Alternatively: an upward jab can be used instead of the back fist
The left leg steps into the right so that they are next to each other then it steps out to the left side comfortably
Once weight is transferred to the left foot the right slides in and forward into a cat stance with the right foot leading
At the same time as moving to the left into the right, the left hand that is is at the center of the chest drops and the right hand opens
As the right foot slide over to the cat stance the left arm rises in front of the right and the right arm lowers creating a double arm block with the left resembling a middle block and the right resembling a low block
The karateka looks to the left as the double arm block is is completed and then does a quick front kick with the leading right leg from cat stance.
After the kick the right leg steps to the right and the left leg slides in and slightly in front to a cat stance with a leading left leg
At the same time as the left leg slides in the right hand raises in front of the left and the left lowers to perform a double arm block with the left hand resembling a low block and the right resembling a middle block with the hands open
The karate ka looks to the left and then quickly kick with the leading left leg
At the end of the kick the left leg steps back into a front stance with the right leg in front
Both hands reach out in front and grab
Alternatively: the left crosses over the right grabbing around at the left shoulder of an imaginary opponent and the right hand grabbing at the left shoulder of an imaginary opponent
The hands pull back into fists at about chest level and then punch at chest level
Alternatively: two panther strikes can be used at roughly neck level
The fists then pull back at around chest level
Then the hands swing together just above the right knee with the right hand closed in a fist with the pal facing upwards and the left hand open palm facing to the right
The right leg slides over to the left about two fee or so, enough so that the karate ka can then pivot on both feet ending up with their body turned 180 degrees and their left foot forward in a front stance without bringing their feet off of the ground
As the right leg steps over to the left the left hand slides under the right arm, just above the elbow with the back of the left hand on the arm
As you pivot turning 180 degrees the back of the left hand slides against the right arm until the end of the arm and the hands pull back grabbing once the next front stance is reached
Then a double punch with both hands at about chest level
Alternatively: two panther strikes can be used at about neck level
The hands then pull back at around shoulder level and then circle down over the left knee
The hands are swung together with the left hand closed with the palm facing up and the right hand open with the palm facing to the left
The right foot (back leg) lifts up as if avoiding a sweep and stops on the ground (about a foot) next to the left foot as the body turns 90 degrees to the right
Alternatively: the right back leg can just step up to the left as the body turns to the right
With the stomp the right hand lifts up and comes down for a hammer fist aimed to the head 180 degrees from the direction of the previous front stance, the head turns in this direction as well
And the left hand moves into chamber
The right hand then pulls down as if pulling on the hair of the opponent down to the hip
And the left hand crosses the stomach like an horizontal uppercut
The left foot then lifts up as if avoiding a sweep and stops on the ground (about a foot) next to the right as the head turns 180 degrees to the left
With the stomp the left hand lifts up and comes down for a hammer fist aimed to the head 180 degrees from the previous hammer fist
The head also looks in the direction of the hammer fist
And the right hand moves to chamber
The left hand then pulls down as if pulling on the hair of the opponent down to the hip
And the right hand crosses the stomach like a horizontal uppercut
The karateka then steps (in the direction that they are looking) forward with the right and punches with the left
Alternatively: they may middle block with the right while stepping forward and then punch with the left with the right hand returning to chamber
Alternatively: they may middle block and hook with the right while stepping forward and then punch with the left with the right hand returning to chamber
The left foot steps in front of the right and you pivot on the feet 180 degrees into a cat stance with the right leg in front
Alternatively: the left foot may circle forward as if trying to sweep an opponent and then turn into the cat stance
During the turn the left hand of the out stretched arm opens and the arm bends so that the left hand is above the right (in chamber) and the right hand opens
The hands then rotate so that they are on the opposite (left) side of the body wit the left hand in chamber with the hand open and palm up and the right arm is across the body with the right hand palm down over the left
The right hand circles across the top of the chest to the right shoulder with the palm facing forward
The left hand pulls down so that the palm is also facing forward at the same time
The hands stay on the same side of the body but circle to swap places so that the right hand is down by the hip palm forward and the left hand is up by the left shoulder palm forward
Both palms keep their orientation and extend to a double palm heel strike
Both hands raise to shoulder level palms down then turn and come together right into left and turn as you step back into attention hands left over right
