Any comment on my assertion that the movements of the kata were fundamentally not the same as the movements of the demonstrated bunkai?
Interesting assertion, and one that provokes some questions:
Did the creators of the kata not have a specific idea of what the movements of the kata were meant to represent?
If the movements were intended to represent generalized movement patterns that could represent a variety of different techniques as interpreted by the practitioner rather than a set, specific function, then does the exact sequence of those movements in the kata matter (as some insist they do)? If so, why?
How close does a movement in the kata have to be to its intended application in order to gain any benefit in skill for the intended application? For example, in the bunkai video by Mr. Ando, do you feel you could improve your skill in the demonstrated ground-fighting applications by practicing the kata with those applications in mind?
Should performance of a kata look different depending on what applications you are visualizing as you practice it? For example, if the practitioner intends a given movement to be a throw, should it look different than if he intends it to be a block? If not, why not?
I believe the movement he was intending as using was more of the opening to shodan than the first moves. I.e. the prepping for chumbee, as in the knees come together (from standing you lift onto your toes) and the hands come up(in most styles. Some they come steaught up, some they come out from the face abit such as our where they go just out from your brow before coming back down, and some schools don't raise the hands at all). I could also be wrong with An do video. Such is why I've tried to walk through other forms grounder bunko where I could not find video. I.e. Gi choke in our form Pina odan. Not as street applicable as Samoan from the thesis someone else showed, but the gi choke takes virtually no change in technique. It'so actually simpler from the ground because the block\punch isn't really necessary. The wrap for it provides better coverage while also allowing you to crash or control the head and get you hands near the collar. Where as standing, the hands aren't both there without sliding in farther.
as for your other questions:
I'm sure the was some idea but more so on the individual techniques.
I.e. Pina odan. the literal movement in the hidden fist chamber is a called a setup move. When teahcing its a simple side block, punch. Done with a partner, these first 3 moves are easily seen as a choke on a single opponent.
The next 3 moves are the same thing mirrored to the other side.
It's unlikely that they accidentally put in a gi choke, even if the movement equating to the actual choke is considered a set up move. Did they intend this choke to be used from your back? I can't say. But it can be done fairly easily without a huge warp of the movement.
I would say the literal interpretations are important for learning proper waist, technique, targeting, angles, in many schools cases conditioning i.e. if a series of attacks is done from a deep stance in your school not shortchanging helps build considerable muscle. Many moves in forms done out of order will throw off your angles and positioning. This is where I believe it's important to do forms with other people. Sometimes a student won't understand why being a little out of position is important, but they do when I can step in and show them that out of position they may still be in range to get hit, their opponent may be out of range, or they may have no leverage.
Imo, one of the most important is learning simple combinations and bunkai. At white belt, student have specific things for SD. At gold belt we tell students to start looking at forms As a way of easing them into understanding how to adapt forms. If they learn a move as a basic block to the down then punch, it's far simpler for them to understand how that is then a takedown and now they understand the technique of it. Students go from learning to use the block-step in- punch, to then seeing how it's a takedown.
This question is one of opinion moreso than fact. While I don't feel that a move in forms needs to exactly the same, the mechanics should be Or should be very close. Keecho IL boo and the Block to the down punch is a good example. As a takedown, tends to look a little different then the form. But the block, stepping in and deep for the trip is nearly the same lower body movement.
In the form it's very distinct whereas in bunks it isn't as pretty, but the positioning and body mechanics are the nearly same. With the takedown method putting more emphasis on a deep stance and being hip to hip if you choose to do it on the outside. But then, it doesn't look as much like the form. Although the actual trip is very similar. I'd if it's been posted here but Aberethy did a good video on this exact application.
For me, performance of Kata as you are describing is training the whole Kata either by myself or with an instructor or fellow student. For this, I would say no For the simple fact that aside from minor adaption it'd be bad for me to change a move completely from what I was taught during forms at a tourney or test.They'd wanna see the form as its taught, not bunkai.
As bunkai, you should be drilling it as however you intend the move to be. Take the previous takedown example. In forms, a very distinct block to the down followed by a very distinct punch to the solar plexus.
As a takedown in bunkai, I'm more likely to push in with more of boxing style block and jab while i step my leg into position behind theirs for the trip. I personally now prefer to block and go for the collargrab/elbow while going for the trip, but the trip itself remains the same.
As a brief disclaimer, your last two questions are more opinion than anything. I personally have been able to apply bunkai from taken from Kata and adapt them if need be as easily as when I was learning the very straightforward way back in boxing.
This is not everyone and makes it difficult to say if forms should or should be a certain way.
Imo, when you limit something to only being used "this way" or being specifically "this" you affect your students ability to change or adapt in in various situations thus affecting their ability to grow as a martial artist and find a fighting style best suited to them.
I.e and examples for grappling would be saying you could only run an omoplata from guard, or could only run a headlock in wrestling if you chained it from a Cowboy. When obviously you could run it from a failed Peterson or roll or found the position in general scrambling
