Catalog of Patterns: Structural Patterns / Foot and Arm Combinations

Open-retreat (hiraki)

The Open-retreat pattern (hiraki) combines spreading the arms with three back steps. In this video it concludes with the Standing position (kamae).

This is one of the most common patterns. It does not have a specific time or spatial points within a dance. Because of its ‘retreat’ motion (three back steps), it is usually preceded by a forward pattern such as the Forward Point (shikake), Scooping Point (kaikomi), or a Zigzag (ōzayu), among others. Originally, the pointing pattern was used to identify an object to contemplate, and the Open-retreat was a stepping back motion to better contemplate the identified object. In this video, it is preceded by the Forward Point pattern (shikake).