1a. Kihon Shodan

Natural Stance (Shizentai Dachi)

Natural Stance is done by placing both feet shoulder width apart. The front foot (we shall assume left for this example) is also about shoulder width in front of the rear foot. The front knee is bent slightly and the toes are pointed forward. The rear leg is relatively straight and the toes are pointed at a 45 degree angle outwards away from the body. Your weight distribution is 60% forward and 40% to the back.

Middle Reverse Punch (Chudan Gyakuzuki)

To perform a middle reverse punch, chamber your right hand against your hip (on or slightly above the belt). Step forward with your left foot into natural stance (shizentai dachi). The right hand shoots outward with the palm pointed towards the ceiling until the arm is fully extended. At this point, the hand rotates 180 degrees so that the palm is now facing the ground. The striking surface is the knuckles of the index and middle finger. Your target area is the sternum (where the left and right rib cage meet) of an imaginary opponent who is exactly the same height as you. To perform this movement with the left hand, simply do the opposite of everything (including stepping with the right foot).

Hook Block (Kage Uke)

The hook block in the kata is performed by crossing  the forearms slightly off center of the body in the opposite direction that the karateka intends to block (left side of the body if the right arm is blocking). Using the push-pull concept, the non-blocking arm is pulled quickly to the hip in a chamber position while the blocking arm moves across the body to block an oncoming attack.