Shoto uke kokutsu dachi

I stopped my karate training 28 years ago. I had studied Chidokan, a development of Shotokan, since I was about eight - so for about eight years, attaining the rank of shodan. I still recall my obi test, which was held a year after successfully attaining shodan - to make sure one was still up to standard, and could be allowed to keep the dan grade. I was just old enough that I had to sit with the adults, but I was a lanky just-growth-spurted fifteen-year-old whose muscles hadn't caught up to my height; 100 sit-ups, 40 press-ups (40 on the knuckles that was, plus the finger-tip ones...) and all the sparring with adults and so forth ... I remain immensely pleased that I managed to pass that, and keep my dan.

Anyway, one of the Pentax Forums crew's recent post started me obsessing about the lack of karate in my life. Today, home with a lurg, I got rid of some rubbish in this area by the roses, which just happens to be exactly the right width for kata. 8) So this will be my karate space (I can't really go calling it a dojo..). I can't find a Shotokan or related school anywhere I can get to, so I'll just have to practice what I can remember, and remind myself with videos and such. In many ways not satisfactory, but way better than nothing.

I was in no condition to actually do any more than pose today, but I thought I'd sit the camera on the water tank, pop on the timer, and jump into stance:

Maybe better on Flickr.

SMC Pentax-DA L 35 mm f2.4 AL; Pentax K-30; Tonality for the B&W.