Today was our first session and we focused on the first 4 heian kata, looking at some of the finer points of the kata. Although all moves in the kata are equally important, we want to start the kata strong. Heian 2-5 all start with back stance.
The feet are perpendicular to each other with the back foot pointing to the side and the front foot forward. The weight distribution is 30:70, with 70% of the weight being on your rear leg.
The rear leg is particularly important in this stance. You must ensure your rear hip is soft. The back must be straight, but you need to drop the hip of your rear leg like you're sitting - the front foot can then be placed correctly.
Drop your hips (focus on dropping your hips and not bending your knees, which pushes your center of gravity forward) keeping both hips soft, you can then place your front foot to the side, keeping the center of gravity back throughout the movement. This should help you get in to the correct position