Gankaku (Crane on a Rock)

Gankaku has one of the most interesting histories of the Shotokan Karate kata. As the story goes, it was used by a Kung Fu master called Chinto—for whom the kata was originally named—to fight karate master Matsumura to a draw. The two martial arts became friends, and the kata was adopted into Shotokan, eventually renamed Gankaku by sensei Funakoshi, who wanted to remove the original name’s connotation to war.

As the name implies, you’ll need to perfect your grace and balance while mastering this kata. You’ll need to pivot on a single foot, use the crane stance (tsuru-dachi), and execute forward spins.

I’ve seen karateka accidentally kick their feet out from under them while practicing Gankaku. You’ll need to practice your balance extensively, particularly since you’ll use it for grading, through 3rd Dan.