Sensei Brien shared a new, new to me anyway, kata today. We worked on Hangetsu.
Warm up the hips….
Sensei had us work on many kicking drills to get the hips warmed up.  We stood next to our partner, held on to their shoulder and started with stationary front snap kicks. Next, we did roundhouse kicks the same way. Then came front snap kicks with roundhouse kicks and finally front snap kick and side thrust kick.
Hangetsu….
We spent the rest of the class working on Hangetsu. This is one kata that I have wanted to work on for many years now.  I like the strong, powerful feeling along with the deep breathing. I was told before that this is an internal kata because of the isometric contractions and the timed, deep breathing. I also like the combination of very slow and very fast movements. I plan on spending a lot time working on this kata for the health benefits alone. It reminds me of Tai chi on steroids.
As always, Sensei Brien makes learning a new kata a great experience. He not only tells us what the moves are but also why they are that way.
This article was originally posted on www.shotokanplanet.org. Any reproduction on any other site is prohibited and a violation of copyright laws.
Hi Doug,
I’m really glad I came across your blog. I’ve been trying to find others who blog about their experiences in Shotokan Karate and I read some of your entries with great interest. The more I read and the more I write my own blog, I realize we are all, as students, experiencing the same things no matter where we are.
I too wrote an entry about Hangetsu – althought I call it my Nemesis – you seem to have a greater affection for it than I do. 🙂
Keep blogging and if you are interested in my own point of view I am at – http://journeytoshodan.blogspot.com/. I’ll check back to read up on your progress. Great blog!
Thanks,
Karen