Kata Seisan

The Seisan kata means “Thirteen Hands” and is thought to be one of the oldest kata. There are numerous theories regarding the name of the kata. These include the number of steps originally in the kata, the number of different types of ‘power’ or ‘energy’ in the kata, the number of applications, or that the kata represents defense against 13 specific types of attack. None of these explanations have actual historical support.