hi, new here

[zalexia]

Currently am a 35 year old mother of 2. I received my brown belt this year for shito ryu karate style and am loving every minute of it. Although my shihan is cautious w/ the throws w/ me as i have multiple sclerosis.

Origionally started out w/ my daughter doing it but she lost interest (so sad).

Anyway i have a question. i try to look at many of the bunkai for the kata i am currently learning which is bassai dai. I have the basic kata down, but am learning technique now. I am also needing to know the bunkai. i watch some videos on line to help and did find a great one but some of what my shihan taught us is off from a lot of the videos and all the videos are different. i trust my shihans teaching as he is a 7th dan i think its called or 7th degree. he is very very strict about technique. so in bassai dai when u do the first arm break everyone acts like its a kick . i have seen the bunkai for it where its basically almost an akido style move where they flip the arm back (terms eluding me) then press on the arm socket to break the arm but it could be a misinterpretation could anyone direct me to what exactly that move is in bunkai? its basically the first arm break then in the other direction left shuto right shuto etc.. would be very curious to know thanks in advance. also any videos if u have them on kata's that are "current". i like staying on top as i'm older and the ms slows me down so i like to learn as i go.

sarah

[Wastelander]

Currently am a 35 year old mother of 2. I received my brown belt this year for shito ryu karate style and am loving every minute of it. Although my shihan is cautious w/ the throws w/ me as i have multiple sclerosis.

Origionally started out w/ my daughter doing it but she lost interest (so sad).

Anyway i have a question. i try to look at many of the bunkai for the kata i am currently learning which is bassai dai. I have the basic kata down, but am learning technique now. I am also needing to know the bunkai. i watch some videos on line to help and did find a great one but some of what my shihan taught us is off from a lot of the videos and all the videos are different. i trust my shihans teaching as he is a 7th dan i think its called or 7th degree. he is very very strict about technique. so in bassai dai when u do the first arm break everyone acts like its a kick . i have seen the bunkai for it where its basically almost an akido style move where they flip the arm back (terms eluding me) then press on the arm socket to break the arm but it could be a misinterpretation could anyone direct me to what exactly that move is in bunkai? its basically the first arm break then in the other direction left shuto right shuto etc.. would be very curious to know thanks in advance. also any videos if u have them on kata's that are "current". i like staying on top as i'm older and the ms slows me down so i like to learn as i go.

sarah

Having stopped actively training in Shuri-Ryu when I moved, before having learned Bassai Dai (Shuri-Ryu and Shito-Ryu kata are very much alike) I can't tell you from that specific experience. That said, there are different depths to bunkai. What you are seeing in videos as blocking a kick is more of a basic level interpretation of the kata, and an arm break instead is certainly a possibility for a more advanced level of interpretation. Remember that your kata can have multiple uses for most of the techniques, so it can be looked at several different ways. I think it would probably be best to ask your instructor because he is the only one who will know what specific interpretation you should be practicing at your level.

[zalexia]

could be seeing different variations of the kata . when i first took the ymca 's karate they were a diff style. so u could be right . their bassai dai is way down the road as was annanko.

Yet i am in the "advanced" class so maybe the arm breaks and as you meantioned are more advanced in what we're doing. wish they spent more time showing us why we learn the kata's . we do practice the moves individually in class but its nice to actually watch the bunkai. makes so much more sense when you see it done. ahh thats why i do that.

Also helps to see where to send ur center of gravity etc and how your stances should be exactly.

[sensei8]

First of all...Welcome to KF!!

Sorry for my answer in advance, and I'm sure that you are already quite aware of what I'm about to say in this post.

I'd like to refer you back to your Shihan because your Shihan knows the syllabus and he knows your abilities. Just ask him any and all questions concerning EVERYTHING.

However, I've done Bassai-dai about a billion times, and having said that, the Bunkai changes as much as the wind does. I could relate to you what I've discovered through Bunkai and Oyo Bunkai, but that discovery would be my own.

Even though Bunkai is done with a partner or with a group, you'll discover YOUR Bunkai when you least expect it. It'll be one of your Aha moments. We learn the Bunkai per the syllabus and then we start discovering "new" Bunkai on our own. By that I mean, through your discoveries you'll find what works for YOU and what doesn't work for YOU! What doesn't work; you'll discard them. You'll take Bassai-dai, for example, apart and put it back together over and over and over....until you discover YOUR Bunkai.

Bunkai, like kata, varies based on the style and the teacher and the practitioner.

[Jeffrey]

Welcome zalexia

[JohnASE]

I'd like to refer you back to your Shihan because your Shihan knows the syllabus and he knows your abilities. Just ask him any and all questions concerning EVERYTHING.

Different styles, even different branches of Shito Ryu, could do Bassai Dai differently, and have different bunkai. I agree with sensei8. Ask your Shihan. He's your sensei! Your karate should be his karate. It might be interesting to know how others interpret the kata, but your sensei's version is the important one. Plus, of course, if you're tested on this, you have to know HIS bunkai.

[sensei8]

I'd like to refer you back to your Shihan because your Shihan knows the syllabus and he knows your abilities. Just ask him any and all questions concerning EVERYTHING.

Different styles, even different branches of Shito Ryu, could do Bassai Dai differently, and have different bunkai. I agree with sensei8. Ask your Shihan. He's your sensei! Your karate should be his karate. It might be interesting to know how others interpret the kata, but your sensei's version is the important one. Plus, of course, if you're tested on this, you have to know HIS bunkai.

Solid post sir!!