Bunkai

[devil dog]

I was talking to one of my fellow instructors and the subject of when to teach bunkai came up.

When do you start to teach your students Bunkai? Or should I say at what Kyu or Dan level?

[mal103]

I think it's good to add in applications from an early stage as some students need to know the "why" part of anything they do.

I start showing basic applications to kata from early stages, I start showing the closer or more advanced applications from mid kyu level. Certainly by 4th kyu and brown belts I will show applications but ensure they are varied, especially advanced ones, ideally you are trying to teach them to explore them themselves.

[Nidan Melbourne]

We start showing students the applications at blue belt (for juniors) and white (for adults). We do that as adults can understand it easier than the juniors.

But they start being tested for it at 1st kyu. they do gekesai bunkai for their black belt and shodan. saifa bunkai is also required for grading to shodan.

[Harkon72]

Kata Bunkai is the root of our Karate; we teach it appropriate to grade and maturity from the start. One Wado Ryu Sensei said to me that Bunkai was for Gangsters! He said that there was no need to teach it, only to the most advanced inner circle only. I almost laughed, what do they teach then? This is where the karatedo is! Without application; you might as well teach aerobics!

[Zaine]

I teach it from the start. If a student learns a kata, I think that they should know exactly what each move is for. This way it is not only easier to commit to memory but they can use those techniques more effectively should they every need to.

[Nidan Melbourne]

most of the kata at my school we don't really have bunkai for as they aren't really variable like other kata. but it doesn't mean that there is no bunkai for it, but will be very small.

But it would have some very complex movements to it that lower ranked students wouldn't be able to perform. But the more senior students would be able to understand those applications and apply them properly.

[Harkon72]

In my Opinion as a Traditional old Toad , if it has no Bunkai; it is not a Kata!

[Nidan Melbourne]

for a few of our katas they are of the Taikyoku Series so there are (potentially) unlimited uses for it. such as this one

which is Taikyoku Jodan.

[Harkon72]

What an interesting Video! The Karateka uses Zanchin Dachi during the block! Wow! So it can be a very advanced Kata indeed!

[Nidan Melbourne]

the karateka is actually my sensei as well, hence why we only really have more advanced students to do bunkai with it more safely.

Taikyoku Jodan and Taikyoku Chudan utilize the same stances. The main differences are in Jodan you use Jodan Uke (Upper Block) and a jodan tsuki (upper punch) whilst in Taikyoku Chudan you use Chudan Uke (Middle Block) and Chudan Tsuki (middle Punch).

Taikyoku Gedan you are in Shiko dachi for the duration of the kata. and you use Gedan uke (lower block) and gedan tsuki* (lower punch)

*whilst in shiko dachi, the gedan tsuki turns into a chudan tsuki due to the change in stance (from say sanchin dachi or zenkutsu dachi).