White Crane Series

White Crane Hakatsuru

Well, you probably saw this one coming; how can we have last week's Snake series without a Crane series this week?
We open this series with Grahm Moughton demonstrating an Okinawan Crane form. I really like this one, most White Crane stuff is a little more "flowery" and this one has a distinct Okinawan feel. Here is what he says about it:

"Matayoshi ryu is an old school of To-de. Dated to the Crane master Go Ken Ki. What must be remembered there is pre 1940 and post 1940 karate. Post 1900 is the ancient precursor of the modern traditions like the Shitoryu schools, however the modern schools are intrinsincly linked through karate geneology, but the focus on Kata, technique and applications have been re-designed. Many Thanks. Glad you like the form. This form has historical links to Fujihan Ba He (Southern Chinese White Crane)".
(D.R.) --Hence the historical cultural connection between Okinawa and Southern China... Also, the Tai Chi Chuan people out there will notice "Needle to Sea-bottom" in this form.