Working a lot on my own on stances recently, particularly on transitions. I've been doing some work on simple things like moving from one stance to another. Although we 'walk' using a half-moon style step (the rear foot traces a semi-circular path towards the center, then back out again before becoming the lead foot), I had only recently noticed that some of my senior instructors seem to have the half-moon step in their stance transitions as well. I saw it most clearly in a transition from a 'seisan dachi' to a 'shiko dachi' in the Isshin Ryu kata 'Chinto' and asked about it.
Now that I am looking, I am seeing it everywhere. It seems to me that one can use the semi-circular or half-moon step (sometimes called a hangetsu step) in all or nearly all stance transitions.
As I experiment, I am finding what appears to be better stability and smoother, faster transitions. More 'clean' for lack of a better term.
Anyone else experience this? Am I late to the party, discovering what everyone already knew? Or is this just an example of me thinking too much about transitions from one stance to another?
Now that I am looking, I am seeing it everywhere. It seems to me that one can use the semi-circular or half-moon step (sometimes called a hangetsu step) in all or nearly all stance transitions.
As I experiment, I am finding what appears to be better stability and smoother, faster transitions. More 'clean' for lack of a better term.
Anyone else experience this? Am I late to the party, discovering what everyone already knew? Or is this just an example of me thinking too much about transitions from one stance to another?