No Bunkai???

[Dobbersky]

If you have ever trained a self-defence application or scenario in class, chances are it was a bunkai even if it was not referred to that way.

We do quite a bit of bunkai in kyokushin, some people like it, some do not. Its a far whack away from full-contact sparring most people associate with Kyokushin, but its there and we train it frequently. Ive done hundreds of repetitions of wrist locks and only after months and months finally learned that they come directly from kata... Its all in the eye of the beholder!

Osu

Its Strange as I am from Ashihara Karate, and we love Bunkai!!!

[Montana]

Some schools don't teach bunkai, and whereas I don't agree with that it's perfectly acceptable. However, Ryu schools usually have a good habit of doing so. That being said, you've been to six classes, it's not unusual to not hear about bunkai at this point. If you are curious about it, ask your instructor. They'll be able to answer all of your questions.

Agreed. 6 classes is a drop of water in the lake.

Personally, doibng kata and NOT teaching bunkai makes doing kata just a bunch of motions with no meaning. You have to know bunkai to make the kata come alive!

[Zaine]

Personally, doing kata and NOT teaching bunkai makes doing kata just a bunch of motions with no meaning. You have to know bunkai to make the kata come alive!

Agreed, you need to have the application to legitimize the work. Without it you are basically dancing. If he doesn't do bunkai, try using some online resource or just try to break it down yourself. Usually beginning katas have the lovely trait of being rather straight forward in their application.

[Alaskandude]

It has since been brought to my attention that I may be receiving bunkai training by a different name "self defence applications" and/or bunkai training may not come until I have advanced byond orange belt. So, I'll keep at it, and we'll see.

Edited March 30, 2012 by Alaskandude

[Zaine]

It has since been brought to my attention that I may be receiving bunkai training by a different name "self defense applications" and/or bunkai training may not come until I have advanced beyond orange belt. So, I'll keep at it, and we'll see.

It is possible that you aren't using the name bunkai, which would explain your orange belt being ignorant to the term. "Self-Defense Applications" is a common western phrase for the bunkai, and it may be the case that they mean the same thing. Again, ask your instructor, I can't emphasis that enough. He/She is going to have the answer that you need.

[sojobo]

I wouldn't get too hung up on it.

Not only are you just starting out, but actually, people wrongly assume that if you practice a Kata based karate, you should utilise the process of Bunkai.

However it tends to be something that is utilised more by Okinawan Karate styles like Goju ryu. In the most part, Japanese Karate styles do not (or at least did not) utilise the method in quite the same way, and in fact the word “Bunkai” has been adopted relatively recently by Japanese Karate groups.

If your dojo is part of the Shindo Jinen Ryu, it’s interesting to note that prior to learning Karate with the likes of Funakoshi and Mabuni, its founder was schooled in traditional Japanese budo like Aikido, Kendo and even Takenouchi ryu (Koryu Jujustu).

It therefore surprises me even less that Bunkai isn't a common word in your Dojo.

Sojobo

[unknownstyle]

Traditional Japanese schools tend to teach very basic or no bunkai at all. However, Okinawan style rely very heavily on bunkai and kata.

[Dobbersky]

Traditional Japanese schools tend to teach very basic or no bunkai at all. However, Okinawan style rely very heavily on bunkai and kata.

To a point, Ashihara & Enshin Karate are definately Japanese but we do love bunkai!!!

[unknownstyle]

I didn't say none of them teach it. They just tend to teach very simplified versions of the bunkai. More taking the kata for face value instead of exploring the options and being creative.

[scohen.mma]

My Sensei's do Bunkai maybe once or twice a month. I attend a lot of the classes, so i've done Bunkai maybe 7 or 8 times, only for 2 different Kata's. And, they dont teach them every day (obviously) so it could have been that the orange belt you talked to (haha, i'm an orange belt too ) just wasnt there the day your Sensei's had the class do Bunkai or maybe you even missed a day that they had your class do Bunkai. you never know.

Also, i think Bunkai SHOULD be used in every school, although as a lot of the martial artists above me said, its really okay if they dont. it just gives me a better understanding of how i should perform each part of the Kata, and so i can understand what kind of Kata it really is. also, it shows me what i'm really doing! some people know Kata, have it memorized, and dont even know what their doing (that was me a few months ago).

For example, in Fudaygata Ni <-- i may have spelled that wrong, but anyway, theres a part at the end, where you do a double outer chest block, then bring both hands into the pocket, and then punch both arms out. When we did Bunkai for this, our Sensei had our opponent come at us to do a bear hug or push us so we did the double outer chest block to get their arms away from us, then pocket the hands, and launch both hands into your partners solar plexus area. before we had a Bunkai session for the Kata, i had absolutely NO idea why i did that part of teh Kata!