What is real?

[Alan Armstrong]

Beginners are not going to know what is real applications in a kata, they are usually more concerned about learning and remembering the sequences than anything else.

Applications will reveal themselves over time with the help and encouragement from the CI.

Movements can be practiced separately like calisthenics which help muscle memory and could be an opportunity to show some applications.

Practicing movements separately disguised as exercises makes it possible to practice them in public places.

Applications for these MA movements can have many possibilities as a throw or a strike or any number of useful uses.

If the student learns that he or she is only limited by the imagination of the user, then the student will start to grow in understanding and have a deeper appreciation for the moves.

The student should start feeling the "Eureka Effect" as using the right technique will happen automatically from within; a magical feeling of learning while doing a movement naturally without consciously thinking about it.

[MatsuShinshii]

Beginners are not going to know what is real applications in a kata, they are usually more concerned about learning and remembering the sequences than anything else.

You may be right. However there are ways to identify real combat effective applications. If you are a serious student looking for combat effective self defense you would want to know how to identify real effective applications?

Someone tells you what to look for.

Edited June 28, 2017 by MatsuShinshii

[MatsuShinshii]

Since I first posted this I have watched way too many Bunkai application videos to count and most I wish I hadn't ever seen because I think they killed off a lot of brain cells.

My point in starting this post was simple. I wanted to bring attention to the fact that there are differences between combat effective and basic or even made up very ineffective Bunkai.

The precursor to any real application is effectiveness. Simply put - does it have the potential to stop the fight?

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of legit video's out there and very legitimate instructors. In fact you can tell that some of the basic Bunkai are being performed by very proficient instructors.

I guess it's good since 20 years ago most Karateka did not even know what the word Bunkai meant unless you were in an old school art that taught them. However I do think its worth letting the, would be student watching these videos or even the Yudansha doing research, know that there is a difference between time tested combat effective applications and basic or even made up applications.

If you are going to study Bunkai I think you should study actual Bunkai.

So I guess I should end this post in asking another question... if a new student (let say with prior training in another martial art) were to ask you what videos to watch (specific to the instructor or style) what would you tell them?

I will give a shout out for Wastelanders (Noah Legel) videos. Love some of your other videos by the way as well. Not all are what I have been taught, but for the videos I watched they are effective and he and his teacher (?) do a nice job of teaching the material. Didn't know we had an internet start on the forums. I think I spent an entire night googling, reading and watching vids after I found the first video. Very insightful. You have a new fan.

I will mention one other that I found during my mind blowing youtube journey, Iain Abernethy. Even though I have never heard of this man or know what style (he teaches a lot of different styles as far as I can tell) he teaches, he does get you to think in terms of possibilities. He demonstrates different methods for the same application in some videos. And even though some are not fight enders the vast majority are very legit and effective. I would definitely recommend his videos.

[Wastelander]

So I guess I should end this post in asking another question... if a new student (let say with prior training in another martial art) were to ask you what videos to watch (specific to the instructor or style) what would you tell them?

I will give a shout out for Wastelanders (Noah Legel) videos. Love some of your other videos by the way as well. Not all are what I have been taught, but for the videos I watched they are effective and he and his teacher (?) do a nice job of teaching the material. Didn't know we had an internet start on the forums. I think I spent an entire night googling, reading and watching vids after I found the first video. Very insightful. You have a new fan.

I will mention one other that I found during my mind blowing youtube journey, Iain Abernethy. Even though I have never heard of this man or know what style (he teaches a lot of different styles as far as I can tell) he teaches, he does get you to think in terms of possibilities. He demonstrates different methods for the same application in some videos. And even though some are not fight enders the vast majority are very legit and effective. I would definitely recommend his videos.

Thank you! I'm glad you found some value in my ramblings, and the videos that my Sensei and I have put out. I don't know about being an Internet star, but thanks!

Iain Abernethy Sensei has some great stuff, and even when I don't agree with certain techniques or methods he likes to use, that is usually based on my personal preferences, rather than ineffectiveness. His base art was Wado-Ryu, but he also had some Shukokai Shito-Ryu influence, among other things. He is one of a growing number of instructors who have stopped carrying the label of their style with them, though.

For a rather similar approach, Vince Morris Sensei and several of his students have videos online going through applications to kata. Morris Sensei's methods and Abernethy Sensei's methods have a lot in common, although I find that Morris Sensei's tend to use flow drills less.

For some very good information on kata bunkai and body mechanics, Chris Denwood Sensei is a great resource. His public videos tend to be very detail-focused, and show very isolated examples of techniques and drills, but they are excellent starting points for beginners, and good jumping-off points for more advanced practitioners

With a bit of a bias, I would recommend looking at content put out by Ulf Karlsson Sensei (he is my KishimotoDi teacher, albeit mostly remotely) on YouTube, and by Jan Dam Sensei on his Genten Kai Facebook Page. Karlsson Sensei has a few videos out showing old-style Suidi (Shuri-Te) applications, particularly focusing on the Tachimura-lineage version of Naihanchi. Jan Dam Sensei is formerly a regional head of the Shinjinbukan, so his material comes from Onaga Yoshimitsu Sensei's approach to Ti, which is a combination of Kobayashi Shorin-Ryu, Goju-Ryu, and old Suidi and Nafadi (Naha-Te) principles and training methods.

Ryan Parker Sensei has some good, thorough videos on YouTube, and articles on his blog, regarding old-style Okinawan techniques and methods. Many of his videos are older--from the 90's and earlier--and he admits to having altered his views and approach since then, having grown in his study, but it still provides good food for thought.