Comments on: Building and Rebuilding Bunkai

By: Marc G.

Marc G. — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 02:44:05 +0000

An excellent post Matt! I completely agree. The main purpose of kata was the perfecting of technique and application of karate. In essence, becoming better able to use these techniques if needed. They are a basic blueprint for combat. But, because a fight can happen any of a thousand different ways, karate-ka have to be adaptable and so does kata training. There can't be any single correct bunkai. If there was kata would just be another performing art…not a Martial Art.

By: The True Kata Applications...Part 1 | ActionKarateArts.com

The True Kata Applications...Part 1 | ActionKarateArts.com — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 21:26:15 +0000

[...] of kata application and relevance. Ideas like: “Only a few select people are still alive who know the REAL bunkai for these kata”, “It is the OLD way of training and Karate has outgrown it”, and “It’s [...]

By: Marc G.

Marc G. — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 20:44:05 +0000

By: MikeOliveri

MikeOliveri — Tue, 12 May 2009 19:26:35 +0000

The training curriculum at my dojo is pretty straightforward: they teach the kata (the movements), then teach the interpretation (bunkai), then run it “rapid session” with attackers (a higher rank attacks in at least three places in the kata and you block/strike as appropriate — with control, of course!). I think this is mostly in convenience in teaching the kata (and the official Shuri-ryu interpretations) and fitting it into the curriculum than anything else.

That said, our school's director or my Sensei will often discuss alternative interpretations of each, sometimes stuff that we think we see or things we've picked up in other books or from other styles.

I'm still a rookie with most of this, but it is fun to explore other possibilities within the kata. I concentrate on the “official” interpretation within class for progression, but I still try to take the time to see where the kata came from and what they could mean. I also find it helps to learn some of the interpretation with the kata as it helps me remember the movements better. If I know what I'm supposed to be doing, it helps me visualize the attacker and the techniques.

By: Jordy Voesten

Jordy Voesten — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:34:18 +0000

Cool post I recognize it from my own shotkan practice. Our Sensei always shows us multiple bunkai that are possible for pieces of the kata and this is always related to the soon, sooner, soonest principle you talked about in an earlier blog. I love how all this stuff has so much thought and wisdom behind it and even though I am still a beginner this mountain of knowledge in front of me doesn't scare me because I see progress in little steps.

By: Matt__A

Matt__A — Sun, 10 May 2009 04:07:51 +0000

Thank you Sensei Hill! I very much agree with your sentiments there. I just spent a day training with Bill Hayes Sensei – I think his depth of knowledge about nai hanchi shodan is deeper than my knowledge of all my kata put together.

By: Matt__A

Matt__A — Sun, 10 May 2009 04:06:09 +0000

That's the tough question – what is the true nature of the technique? What are the underlying principles that make it work? Once you figure that out you'll know when you've stayed within the essence of the technique and when you've shifted to something different.

In order to figure this stuff out we have to keep probing, asking, and consulting those further down the path than us.

By: Matt__A

Matt__A — Sun, 10 May 2009 04:04:34 +0000

I know what you mean – it's amazing when we look back at ourselves only short whiles ago and think – man, I was really in the dark then! Which means I wonder how I'll look back on myself two years from now! haha

By: William Joseph Hill

William Joseph Hill — Sun, 10 May 2009 03:55:22 +0000

Excellent post. In my own practice, I've seen various teachers demonstrate many different interpretations for the same kata. In some cases, the really complicated and “cool” looking bunkai doesn't really fit if you perform the kata without modification. Sometimes the basic and obvious bunkai actually fits better. And sometimes the same movement in the kata would have different bunkai depending on whether the opponent was grabbing you or punching you. It would probably take decades just to sort out the different interpretations of Naihanchi Shodan, for example. That's why karate is a lifelong study.

By: blackbeltmama

blackbeltmama — Sun, 10 May 2009 02:35:37 +0000

Great post! I think that a lot of people (like me for example) get stuck sometimes (ok, always) because I'm unsure how far I'm allowed to stray from the kata to demonstrate my knowledge of the kata/bunkai. It's fun to play around, but when you're preparing for testing, how far of a stretch is too far of a stretch? Do you have to address every little pivot and move? Ugh, that's what trips me up frequently and I tend to limit myself and what I allow myself to do. I want it to fit so nicely into that kata box, that I won't allow myself to explore. So, how much variance is too much? My fear is that I do my bunkai and then people say, “What kata was that anyway?”