Old Okinawan Funakoshi Sesan

Another performance of Okinawan-style Funakoshi sesan (hangetsu), based, as usual, on direct instruction combined with ongoing study of the teachings of Master Gichin Funakoshi, specifically focusing on his old Okinawan teachings. In this illustration, I have emphasised the yoriashi during the jabs, and altered the final technique. This is based on Master Gichin Funakoshi's writings and Master Otsuka's demonstration and Sensei Ohshima's illustrations. I believe this is correct. 

The signature stance varies depending on the source and exponent. The old way in Funakoshi karate is, evidently, a short front-stance. By 1935, Master Funakoshi lengthened the zenkutsu-shitsu dachi used in his sesan (hangetsu). And by the time of the second edition of Karate-Do: Kyohan, in 1958, Master Funakoshi described the stance also as a front stance but added that it is not like other front stances. There is a feeling of solidity. This is like the feeling of what became known as hangetsu-dachi, which is not just a later-developed stance but one used by, for example, one of Master Funakoshi's first Japanese students, Hironori Otsuka. His earlier version you might rather call sesan-dachi, but it is really a type of sanchin-dachi. There is a similarity between sanchin-dachi, hangetsu-dachi, han-zenkutsu-shitsu dachi and naihanchi-dachi. They all require and train solidity which needs a feeling of pulling inwards. An additional note is that using a short front-stance for this kata, for instance, is comparable with the Chinese sanzhan stance which varies in motion but partly resembles a short front-stance. 

SRM