About This Kata
| Name | Saifa [砕破] |
| Translation | Smash and Tear / Break and Destroy |
| Style | Gōjū-ryū |
| Level | Intermediate |
| History | Saifa is one of the classical Gōjū-ryū kata with roots in Chinese martial arts, particularly White Crane and Tiger styles from Fujian Province, transmitted to Okinawa through Higaonna Kanryō during his studies in China in the 1870s. It is characterised by powerful breaking and tearing techniques. Saifa is typically the first classical kata taught after the Gekisai forms. Also known as Saiha. |
| Lineage | Chinese martial arts → Higaonna Kanryō (Naha-te) → Chōjun Miyagi (Gōjū-ryū) |
Step-by-step movements
| Step | Technique | Translation | Stance | Stance translation | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yoi | yoi | ready position | musubi-dachi | standing stance | Cross the hands in front of the abdomen. Begin the first technique directly from this position. |
| 1 | hazushi-waza (hazushi-te) | freeing / pull-away hand technique | zenkutsu-dachi → musubi-dachi | front stance → standing stance | Step the right foot forward at 45° into right zenkutsu-dachi. The open left hand holds the right fist in hikite, with the palm side of the fist toward the body. Pivot left on the right foot, draw the left foot in, and drive the joined hands sharply to the left. |
| 2 | hidari chudan osae-uke / migi jodan uraken-uchi | left middle-level pressing block / right upper-level back fist strike | shiko-dachi | square stance | Step the left foot back. Press down with the left palm while striking with the right back fist. Look towards the front of the kata. |
| 3 | hazushi-waza (hazushi-te) | freeing / pull-away hand technique | zenkutsu-dachi → musubi-dachi | front stance → standing stance | Repeat Step 1 on the opposite side: step the left foot forward at 45°, pivot right, draw the right foot in, and drive the joined hands sharply to the right. |
| 4 | migi chudan osae-uke / hidari jodan uraken-uchi | right middle-level pressing block / left upper-level back fist strike | shiko-dachi | square stance | Step the right foot back and perform the mirror image of Step 2. |
| 5 | hazushi-waza (hazushi-te) | freeing / pull-away hand technique | zenkutsu-dachi → musubi-dachi | front stance → standing stance | Repeat the first freeing sequence: step the right foot forward at 45°, pivot left, draw the left foot in, and drive the joined hands to the left. |
| 6 | hidari chudan osae-uke / migi jodan uraken-uchi | left middle-level pressing block / right upper-level back fist strike | shiko-dachi | square stance | Step the left foot back and repeat Step 2. |
| 7 | hidari chudan sukui-uke / migi gedan shotei-barai | left lower scooping block / right lower-level palm-heel sweep | hachiji-dachi → sagi-ashi-dachi | natural stance → heron leg stance | Bring the left foot level with the right, about one-and-a-half hip widths apart, making the left leg the support leg. Turn the head to the right, raise the right knee very high, and perform the left chudan sukui-uke with the right gedan shotei-barai. |
| 8 | migi chudan mae-geri | right middle-level front kick | sagi-ashi-dachi | heron leg stance | From the high-knee position, kick forward with the right leg. |
| 9 | migi chudan sukui-uke / hidari gedan shotei-barai | right lower scooping block / left lower-level palm-heel sweep | hachiji-dachi → sagi-ashi-dachi | natural stance → heron leg stance | Set the right foot down level with the left. Turn the head to the left, raise the left knee very high, and perform the mirror-image hand techniques. |
| 10 | hidari chudan mae-geri | left middle-level front kick | sagi-ashi-dachi | heron leg stance | From the high-knee position, kick forward with the left leg. |
| 11 | morote-heiko-zuki (morote-zuki) | double parallel punch | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Step the left foot back onto the central line and pull both fists to hikite, palms down. Punch simultaneously at collarbone level; the original target may be interpreted as the face. |
| 12 | migi gedan furi-uchi | right lower-level swinging fist strike | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Without changing stance, swing the right fist in a circular path down into the open left palm at lower level. |
| 13 | mawaru / ryoken-hikite | turn / double pull back (chest) | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Pivot 180° to the left on the left foot, carrying the right foot around into the opposite front stance. During the turn, bring the left hand beneath the right elbow; finish with both fists pulled to hikite, palms down. |
| 14 | morote-heiko-zuki (morote-zuki) | double parallel punch | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Repeat the double punch in the opposite direction. |
| 15 | hidari gedan furi-uchi | left lower-level swinging fist strike | zenkutsu-dachi | front stance | Without changing stance, swing the left fist in a circular path down into the open right palm at lower level. |
| 16 | migi ashi-barai / migi jodan tettsui-uchi | right leg sweep / right upper-level hammer fist strike | hachiji-dachi | natural stance | Turn right on the left foot. Hook or sweep the right foot back, then place it in natural stance while delivering the right hammer fist. |
| 17 | migi jodan kake-uke / migi tsukami-hikite / hidari chudan yoko-ura-zuki | right upper-level hook block / right grasping pull-back / left middle-level side uppercut | hachiji-dachi | natural stance | At the same spot, hook with the right hand, grasp and pull it to the right side, and strike with the left fist. Close the right fist in hikite. |
| 18 | hidari ashi-barai / hidari jodan tettsui-uchi | left leg sweep / left upper-level hammer fist strike | hachiji-dachi | natural stance | Repeat Step 16 on the opposite side. |
| 19 | hidari jodan kake-uke / hidari tsukami-hikite / migi chudan yoko-ura-zuki | left upper-level hook block / left grasping pull-back / right middle-level side uppercut | hachiji-dachi | natural stance | Repeat Step 17 on the opposite side. |
| 20 | hidari jodan gyaku-zuki / migi haito-uchi | left upper-level reverse punch / right sweeping ridge hand strike | han-zenkutsu-dachi → neko-ashi-dachi | shortened front stance → cat stance | Step forward into right han-zenkutsu-dachi and punch towards the rear of the kata line. Cross the left foot widely in front of the right, turn right, and draw the right foot around into cat stance while whipping the right ridge hand to the left. |
| 21 | mawashi-uke / morote-teisho-zuki (tora-guchi) | two-handed spinning circular technique / double palm hand strike | neko-ashi-dachi | cat stance | At the same spot perform mawashi-uke, followed immediately by tora-guchi. This final action is also called morote teisho-uchi in some versions; morote-teisho-zuki is retained here to match the Kata Step By Step glossary. |
| Yame | naore / rei | return / bow | musubi-dachi | standing stance | Lift the left hand beneath the right. Bring the right foot to the left, rotate the hands around one another, lower them in front of the abdomen, and bow. |
Variation note
Saifa is practised with recognised differences between Gōjū-ryū lineages and organisations. This table records one coherent version for use on Kata Step By Step.
Other versions may differ in how the movements are grouped into counts, in the stance labels used for the raised-knee or kicking positions, and in the way some transitional hand movements are named. Notable variations include whether the foot action before the hammerfist sections is described as ashi-barai, fumikomi, or an evasive stepping action; whether the turning pullback is labelled as hiki-uke, hikite or a preparatory turn; and whether the final section is described as haito-uchi, teisho-uchi, morote-teisho-zuki, mawashi-uke or tora-guchi.
These differences should generally be understood as lineage and terminology variations rather than errors.
Kata steps and diagrams to come. If you would like to help completing this page, please contact me (mark.loftusuk@gmail.com).