Hangetsu

半月

The name Hangetsu (or 半月 in Japanese) means ‘Half Moon’, referring to a semi-circle. This name is based upon the semi-circular shapes traced by the karateka’s feet and hands during the first three steps forwards. Derived from this kata, this Half Moon stance is known as Hangetsu-Dachi. In the video embedded below (recorded on 26 June 2023), budoka Johan Oldenkamp, a former national runner-up from the Netherlands, performs this Half Moon stance kata of Shotokan ( 松濤館 ) Karate-do ( 空手道 ).