# Bunkai in Kyokushinkai Kata



## Kittan Bachika (Jan 9, 2011)

Been watching a lot of Kyokushinkai Karate videos and it is quite impressive. I know that Kyokushinkai has kata but I have not seen any Bunkai of the kata. 

For the Kyokushinkai stylists here, can you tell me anything about the Bunkai in Kyokushinkai Kata? How is it used in sparring?


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## Martin h (Jan 21, 2011)

The sad truth is that it is not. 
Bunkai has near to no place in kyokushin. It is just not done.  

Kata and kumite lives two completely separate lives in kyokushin.  You train formal kata, then you go on to sparring and competition kumite training. There is no connection made between the two.   

You might get to see some bunkai at seminars, but not very often. 
And with very, VERY, few exceptions, what little bunkai Ive seen in kyokushin (over my 23 years and counting training the style) is.... unconvincing in realism (basically the stuff where the opponent must help out in order to make the bunkai work).   

There is no official bunkai, anything you see is the result of the individual instructors interest in the subject -and in kyokushin interest tend to be focused on competition sparring and kumite. 

I wish it were different as I am a great believer in Bunkai (Iain Abernethy style bunkai), but..


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## Bill Mattocks (Jan 21, 2011)

That's very interesting!  Personally, I enjoy learning new applications all the time. My eyes are perpetually being opened to new applications of various moves from the kata.  Quite often, we'll practice a self-defense move, and sensei will ask _"What kata is this from?"_  Sometimes it's obvious to us; sometimes he has to explain it; but once he does, we get it.  The light bulb goes on!

Last night, we practiced a self-defense move from a straight punch.  We step to the outside and change angle so that we're facing across the front of the attacker and his fist is across the front of our chest.  Grab the hand or guide into it with our outside hand, turn the wrist, and run the inside arm hard across the top of the opponent's extended arm, while rotating it straight down.  The attacker goes face-first into the ground at your feet; it's a beauty.  Follow up with a fumi-komi stomp to the back of the head.  Where is the move from?  It's that so-called 'useless' dumping form inside Wansu kata.  Yes, it's modified slightly, since you're not lifting the guy up.  But the arm movements are exactly the same.  Extend one arm to lock his arm out after deflecting the blow and DUMP straight down on the top/back of his upper arm/shoulder and he drops at your feet face down.  You end up in a Seuinchin stance over his face-down body.  Bam. Wansu.

I love that stuff!


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## poph0ly (Jul 2, 2011)

Kittan Bachika said:


> Been watching a lot of Kyokushinkai Karate videos and it is quite impressive. I know that Kyokushinkai has kata but I have not seen any Bunkai of the kata.
> 
> For the Kyokushinkai stylists here, can you tell me anything about the Bunkai in Kyokushinkai Kata? How is it used in sparring?


It depends on your masters
I think in U.S , Bunkai is not serious and only Kumite is important (personal opinion)
anyway , You can buy or download the "Kyokushin Karate Encyclopedia (Iko1-Matsui)" series and see several bunkai.
I had found the download links in isohunt.


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