Thanks so much, but i have a problem, i don't know the form of this KATA because i don't practice KARATE. Your explanation, and target into all applications is very very good ! Thanks a lot !
Greetings from JKA 4 dan Excellent bunkai lads respect I will not say Oss because I know you Okinawa te regard it disrespectful ( although to us mainlanders u understand it’s a term of respect and acknowledge ) Brilliant explanation of an ancient kata Domo arigato
try a couple of classes in each style you can find in your area and see whch you feel best suits you. Better yet if you can afford it, train more than one style.
Jason Aaberg ...can Ben Hogan hit 90 mph fast ball, would Wayne Gretzky go for it on 4th and 1, would Dale Earnhardt go for a 7-10 split on the last frame... is the turducken the greatest thing that mankind has ever created... I just don’t know
I love all the interpretations and appreciate you guys bringing some creative ideas to the table. But to me this mystique of kata bunkai is kind of counter intuitive. No one really knows what the moves truly mean, and that karateka are constantly creating new interpretations on the daily. And I see a lot of application has to do with grappling and close in non-traditional techniques. I mean, you don't really learn seoi nage in most karate dojo, that's why they have judo and jiu jitsu schools. I'm sure back in the day training was more diversified and less competition based. What I'm saying is this can be very useful, but if you want to learn how to throw, then learn it from a judo school. If you want to learn empty hand forms, and develop strong bio mechanic basics karate is the way to go.
Jason Leung I agree, there is a lot of reverse engineering done today in karate bunkai. It's interesting, however, that you refer to the grappling/close-quarter applications as non-traditional, because before karate hit mainland Japan, it was much more of hybrid form of combat than the modern version we see today (by modern, I mean post-WWII). Throws, takedowns joint locks, grabs, chokes, cranks, etc....karateka back then were all taught, explained, and practiced in the various applications of kata and live partner drills. Close-quarter and in-fighting was always in the kata...but nowadays, many modern karateka woukd indeed have to at least collaborate or cross-train with a judo/aikido/jujitsu specialist just to get some understanding of basic grappling. Sadly, as you pointed out, too many instructors have not been schooled in the proper basic principles of bunkai, and just guess-stimate and make up applications that look cool, but are combat ineffective.
this is exactly what I was thinking when I read the comment. some of the key original bunkai is still available in the writings of the Okinawan masters. Throwing and grappling are apart of the essence of karate originally. is is good to look at the other systems because a good throw follows the same principles no matter what the system, but you can gain the skills solely through karate if you have the right sources as the skill developed independent of one another. All combat is restricted by human movement which is why we see similar techniques across martial arts if they were developed in real combat or self defense(police arts etc).
Jason Leung Yes - I kind of agree. However - Karate developed in Okinawa. Judo in Japan.I think if you want to learn to throw like a Judoka learn Judo. But if you want to learn to throw like a Karateka learn karate. It's just that most schools (even many Okinawan schools since WW2) have been marginalised by the Japan martial establishment. The Japanese took the same attitude." We don't need grappling and throwing because we have Judo,Jiujutsu ,Aikido etc. We don't need weapons because we have the samurai arts. What we want is striking."So that's what karate was reduced to. In much the same way as western boxing once included grappling and even at some points in history,weapons. It is a reductionist approach which works well for sport.
I would say you're talking from the shotokan perspective since it does not teach bunkai but just kumite. As others have mentioned Okinawan karate had throws, joint locks and other grappling methods. They still teach this stuff to this day...just look up Goju Ryu to see what I mean.
