Teaching Bunkai...

[Makalakumu]

How does your art do this?

Is it up to the students to find for themselves?
Are there standardized bunkai that are taught? How are these taught?
Does your instructor use "one steps" to teach bunkai?

What do your art do to teach applications in the forms?

 

[Eternal Beginner]

There is a basic bunkai that is explained to beginners for the kata. As the practitioner advances he/she is encouraged to look for other applications and then tests them out with other students to see if they actually work.

Most of the initial bunkai comes in when the student is first learning the form. For some people it is very hard to just memorize a series of moves but when they are explained as to what they are and how they fit together, learning kata becomes much more sensible to them. There is nothing more discouraging then having a senior say "follow me" and then proceed to blast through 20 or 30 moves that seem unrelated, and to a beginner, not even recognizable in some cases.

It is much easier (for some, not all) to be given a few moves, explain how one block flows into the next punch, understanding where your assailant is coming from, etc. Therefore, that is how bunkai is assimilated into kata training...gradually, along the way and eventually becomes up to the student to see how they would use those moves and what makes sense to them.

 

[stone_dragone]

At my instructor's school, the bunkai is fairly limited to the basic description of targets and attacks being blocked. In preparation for my Black belt test, I finally asked the question (to myself) "What is this again?" and "That doesn't make sense..." Thats when I began exploring much deeper into the bunkai of forms.

I generally teach principles of how to analyze the techniques with a basic demonstration of an application for the kata being taught (but I make sure that the students know that it isn't the only answer.)

 

[Henderson]

I generally teach principles of how to analyze the techniques with a basic demonstration of an application for the kata being taught (but I make sure that the students know that it isn't the only answer.)

Exactly, AC! There comes a certain point where the student should be finding applications on their own (even if they're wrong). At least it shows they're thinking.

 

[Brandon Fisher]

I will be using Yakusoku Kata (promise sparring) to teach bunkai of each kata once I get my black belts up to speed on it.

 

[Grenadier]

In the systems where we did use the bunkai / oyo, we'd simply start by having them learn the kata. After they had learned the sequence, and demonstrated the ability to perform the kata with good proficiency, we'd have them visualize attackers by telling them what would be coming their way.

Once they understood this, then we'd have them work with partners, where the kata performer would tell the partner / attacker what to do. This way, everyone is involved with learning the kata from an attacker's point of view as well as the performer's point of view.

Once they were proficient at this, then we'd have the attackers come in and attack without anyone saying anything.

 

[Nomad]

I'm giving a seminar on Bunkai (using Iain Abernethy's excellent books as a starting point) for a group of our students this summer with our head instructor's permission. The emphasis will be to look deeper into the kata and not just accept some of the "standard" explanations as they are often far from ideal. Combination of written seminar and hands on physical class to practice a few of the techniques that get the main points across.

It should be loads of fun.

 

[Wes Tasker]

One thing, in my opinion, that needs to be done is to make sure the bunkai does not become a "fixed" set of techniques. Bunkai are "examples" of what a move in a Kata can be. Oyo is the application of that move. You could conceivably come up with many bunkai / oyo for one move in a kata, but that would not be the essence of what Kata is teaching. The idea is to get at the "genri" or principle that the Kata or the part of the Kata is teaching. Once you have the "genri" then bunkai and oyo waza will manifest when you need them. To get to that point requires one to examine the hell out of a kata, take the bunkai and oyo and drill them in kumite both fixed (ippon, sanbon, etc.) and free (jiyu). The kata really teach genri (principles), ritsudo (rhythm), nagare (flow), and kotsu (essence). All these are tempered through hard training and eventually it is they that generate waza in application. So it is important to come up with bunkai/oyo for kata, but there's much further to go. My .02 worth anyway.....

-wes tasker

 

[Brandon Fisher]

Thats right I showed some bunkai for Pinan Sandan last night that people never even thought of because they were forgetting the way the arm and hand moves with chambering.

 

[Explorer]

We include bunkai in our tests. In the early tests we give the students specific bunkai they must master. In the middle stages there are required bunkai and a couple the student must wrestle from the assigned kata. In the upper ranks the karateka must break down a kata to the satisfaction of several judges who are allowed to challenge their interpretation. If thier bunkai doesn't pass this test, it's back to the drawing board.

We also make sure to regularly expose students to striking, grappling, throwing, pressure point, etc techniques, that relate to the kata in our system, to prime the pump a bit.

 

[Brandon Fisher]

Thats a interesting way to do it. I to teach bunkai and relate it to self defense techniques and many of my upper ranks are starting to recognize it I may work out something like what you are talking about. Thats a really good idea.

 

[Explorer]

Thats a interesting way to do it. I to teach bunkai and relate it to self defense techniques and many of my upper ranks are starting to recognize it I may work out something like what you are talking about. Thats a really good idea.

If it works for your students, great. If not, feel free to ignore me completely!

 

[Brandon Fisher]

Nope your not worth ignoring. Thats a good idea.

 

[Robert Lee]

When I trained karate. Kata was the one man form Bunki the two man form being taught both offence and defence motion. Of the kata training to show application. We had kiso kumite prearranged self defence sets. Then the regular open training. Plus jyu kumite Free style spar. Bunki was taught after a person learned the kata well enough to have the application moves down well enough to have smoothed it out. All kata was taught in steps And bunki the same way But so was kiso kumite. Mostly 3 steps to be showed the complete Kata, bunki, and kiskumite. Good thing about Bunki it did show application. As when you do Kata Some of the applications are well hidden that show better when you are taught the bunki. Kata is the key bunki helps unlock the door and jyu kumite opens the door Thats if you train more traditional and want to learn your art well. Now TKD it has 1 step 2 step 3 step spars They are more like kiso kumite rather then Bunki.

 

[fnorfurfoot]

When I was with my original instructor, I went through eleven years of instruction without even hearing the word bunkai. It was only two years ago when I started taking Goju that I learned what that meant.

Anyway, he never really spent much time teaching bunkai. At the most, he would explain what you were doing with a single move. In fact, I remember learning 2 kata and I asked him why I was punching down to the ground at the end. I asked him where this person came from that I have to hit. His answer was a simple, "I don't know." That helped show me that he didn't understand some of what he was teaching. Since then, having taught the form for many years, I have come to understand a number of possibilities within each move in the forms. But I've had to do this on my own.

 

[Brandon Fisher]

When I was with my original instructor, I went through eleven years of instruction without even hearing the word bunkai. It was only two years ago when I started taking Goju that I learned what that meant.

Anyway, he never really spent much time teaching bunkai. At the most, he would explain what you were doing with a single move. In fact, I remember learning 2 kata and I asked him why I was punching down to the ground at the end. I asked him where this person came from that I have to hit. His answer was a simple, "I don't know." That helped show me that he didn't understand some of what he was teaching. Since then, having taught the form for many years, I have come to understand a number of possibilities within each move in the forms. But I've had to do this on my own.

That sounds very familar.

 

[Dark]

My old shotokan sensei was big on bunkai, never called that but he would explain where shoulder dislocations and arm breaks were hidden in the kihon kata, then tell use to find 3 more "secret techniques" in the kata. I loved it, but at some point I out grew him.

I still visit and train with him, but now he's learning things from me. It's kinda funny...

 

[Robert Lee]

When I was with my original instructor, I went through eleven years of instruction without even hearing the word bunkai. It was only two years ago when I started taking Goju that I learned what that meant.

Anyway, he never really spent much time teaching bunkai. At the most, he would explain what you were doing with a single move. In fact, I remember learning 2 kata and I asked him why I was punching down to the ground at the end. I asked him where this person came from that I have to hit. His answer was a simple, "I don't know." That helped show me that he didn't understand some of what he was teaching. Since then, having taught the form for many years, I have come to understand a number of possibilities within each move in the forms. But I've had to do this on my own.

Yes each move can work in different aspects You are the one that has to find that out. Each move is a seperate application. Bunki you are showed some of those aspects. And yes some instructors learned moves that they did not have tha application. They did not learn the bunki or was not told more about there kata. What kata in go ju was you punching low in. I know seishochin You do a sweep while you have stoped and controled a kicking leg then punch low While the person is on the ground If I remember right Its a doble punch urekan fist strike to the solar plex and throat. Its been a few years since I worked kata so I could be wrong Thats 1 Go ju kata that you low ground punch in. There are others where you do groin strikes hammer strikes What was the kata or kata bunki named. Because like sifa kata thers a leg sweep arm bar low head strike while you hold the armbar in its bunki also. Hidden well in the kata.

 

[chinto]

How does your art do this?

Is it up to the students to find for themselves?
Are there standardized bunkai that are taught? How are these taught?
Does your instructor use "one steps" to teach bunkai?

What do your art do to teach applications in the forms?

the basic or kihon bunkai is tought to the student along with the kata, but then we are encorreged to find more,and told there are at least 5 more to find for almost every move. ( we do the old kata that have not been changed for sport or any thing. same as tought by kyan )

 

[Chizikunbo]

How does your art do this?

Is it up to the students to find for themselves?
Are there standardized bunkai that are taught? How are these taught?
Does your instructor use "one steps" to teach bunkai?

What do your art do to teach applications in the forms?

Hi John,
I will try to keep this as short as possible, as it is possible in giving even a very simple answer to expound many pages on the particular topic at hand.
The process of teaching and learning bunkai (or as you may know it better bunseok) is a process that spans a students entire career in the art. A unique aspect of the martial arts, bunkai takes on new levels of meaning and interpretation in of itself as a student progresses, practices, and studies.
To the beginner student, a form is a form as it appears to be, a series of strikes, and blocks. However as the student progresses and expands their mind to be able to accept, process, and understand more advanced concepts bunkai is introduced.
Due to the fact that their are numerous applications for anyone movement in the kata, there are few "standard" techniques taught; the technique shown is usually dependent on the student, and his/her needs and understanding, as well as technical ability. There are some base techniques for certain movements, but they are not necessarily standard. For instance in Naihanchi Shodan, Te hiri getami is usually the technique used to demonstrate how bunkai is found in forms.

In my personal teaching methodology (give it credence as you may) I use the old adage that "It is better to teach a man how to fish, rather than simply giving him a fish" because as you know "if you give a man a fish he will eat for a day, if you teach him how to fish he will never go hungry..."
Teachers are simply guides, and cannot show a student how to apply every movement. You can show a technique but it does not really give the student understanding. When a student learns how to see the inner contents of forms he can pull out his/her own interpretations of the movements, and those applications are those students. No two people's technique will ever be the same...we have different life experience, and minds. Technique is expressed through the body, dictated by the mind, which is in turn guided by the heart, which is led by the spirit. Technique is an expression of minbodyspirit togetherness. When bunkai is properly taught it allows a student to let technique flow from his/her body when they are in need of protection techniques., this is known as mushin…as state of mind in which you do not go through the thought process “okay here is attack B, I know that defense A will work, but defense C, and counter B would be more effective” there is simply no time for this in a real situation. You have no more than 3 seconds to respond to an attack, after that it is a down hill roll if you do not begin or fully overcome your opponent. Mushin is thus an exponent of bunkai and kata training. Why?
I believe that martial arts forms (kata, hyung, poomse, hsing-i, tul etc) were created by masters as conceptual works. Not exacting. For instance I dont believe that a true master would sit down and say okay this movement means this technique and this technique only. Rather I believe that the master would design a form in such a way that there were no definite applications, but rather definite concepts. Forms would thus be designed as exercises that allow students to expand there minds, and develop and open mind to receive and deal with any situation, without conscious effort. The practice of kata, and the study of bunsok grafts the concepts to the body, when a concept is understood fully it works subconsciously and allows technique to flow freely. Instead of knowing only how to perform an arm bar from a standing , prearranged sequence, you can maybe perform it on the ground, knowing that the concept is an arm does not bend in such a fashion in such a joint, if it does, the opponent will experience pain…with this truly understood, you can apply it in ways to numerous to contain in even a book form. A concept is the best technique(s), and a technique is expressed through a concept. This is really hard to express in words LOL
In short, a student must know how to fish, but to do this they have to 1.) know what a fish is (experience a few examples of what true technique is) and two they then must know the methods for catching a fish, how to cast, use the rod, snag etc. (in others words how to see technique in the kata, and not simply an “interpretation” to put in nicely, so in some ways finding techniques or practicing bunkai is also a concept LMAO). When you catch a fish, or find a technique it is yours, and its expression will be in your memory, not simply a static execution (copy) of something you’ve been shown. When something is yours it can be freely expressed, remembering that we never actually forget anything, but it is rather pushed to the subconscious, it is always there, and this is how the techniques can “flow out”.

After all of this is accomplished we move to your one steps (il soo shik dae ryun) questions…any technique we practice, true technique or not could be construed as “one steps” i.e. attack, response/neutralization. This practice helps the student further understand the basics of attack and defense, how to respond to see an opening/weakness and go for it…this is committed to the memory as a concept that can be applied universally…standing, on the ground, where ever. It can also be applied to every day situations, on a different level, how to deal with stress, how to deal with challenges, and how to find answers to perplexing problems. These concepts are universal…we must keep in mind in this regards that martial arts are first a way to protect life, and secondly a way to enhance life (on all levels)…

I hope this helps,
Take care,
--Josh

p.s. GREAT thread