Bunkai
“Bunkai
(分解), literally
meaning "analysis"[1] or "disassembly",[2] is a term used
in Japanese martial arts referring to process of analysing kata and extracting
fighting techniques from the movements of a "form" (kata). The
extracted fighting techniques are called Oyo.
Bunkai is usually performed with a partner or a group of partners which execute
predefined attacks, and the student performing the kata responds with defenses,
counterattacks, or other actions, based on a part of the kata. This allows the
student in the middle to understand what the movements in kata are meant to
accomplish. It also illustrates how to improve the technique by adjusting
distances (Maai), timing, rhythm (Ritsudo) and fluidity (Nagare) in combat
properly, in order to adapt and adjust any technique depending on the size of
an opponent.
Some kata have another layer of application that is taught using an Oyo Bunkai,
an "application of the kata in ways other than the standard
bunkai."[3] Different practitioners will learn or discover alternative
applications, but the bunkai, like the kata, varies based on the style and the
teacher.”
Back
in the mid 1970's when I was a student bunkai was never mentioned. Except for
occasional basic explanations of kata moves, the application of kata was not
part of my studies. Then when I made black belt and was on my own, even
training many places in many systems mention of bunkai was not mentioned, nor
at the many tournaments I attended. Likely the first reference to form movement
explanations was from Ernest Rothrock in than the many forms I studied had but
one application for the movements. Of course those systems had many times many
forms, so they had a great deal of applications to learn. My studies were not
in applications.
When
I met Tristan Sutrisno as a competitor and became friends over a year competing
together, only when I started visiting and training with him did I hear him
about bunkai. Most often remarking he did not believe the masters he met did
not know what bunkai was as he studied it.
To
be completely honest, it could be that those I visited just never showed those
studies when I was there, as I was a
guest. I have no idea, just that I never heard the term uttered. But I
had noticed all the magazine articles on Okinawan instructors always had them
demonstrating uses of kata technique. That did get me wondering. There was no
definition of bunkai in those articles.
After
a while training with Tristan I learned how bunkai was defined for his system.
I have gone on about that before on this blog, suffice it to say it was a
unique paradigm, explosive and effective, and was dan study. Kyu did not study
bunkai having many more important stills to acquire. The simplest explanation of that paradigm was
no one observing a kata performance could ever intuit what the bunkai was. And
at each of his family’s system there was an entirely different bunkai for each
movement point in their kata.
I
was shown some, but nothing like the full thing. Just enough to make me aware
of what was there.
Time
reference, it was about that time Seryu Oyata became known with is arts, and
shortly George Dillman began his own path. Just about that time all the magazines
had articles defining bunkai (similar to the above description) and showing
examples from Japan.
Bunkai
was becoming the buzz word for Katate. I remember articles about Americans
hearing of Bunkai from the Japanese systems, began to return to Okinawa and ask
their original instructors about why they were not shown bunkai. The article said at first the instructors
didn’t recognize the use of the word, but quickly began to show bunkai. A I have read more
out of politeness, they began to use that term.
Historical
note – When Mabuni Kenwa began to write
in Japan about karate, he first explained uses of the movements from Seiunchin
kata as bunkai. I have translated that book from the French edition. It is
plausible that his descriptions later influenced other Japanese systems to use
that term.
Now
back to me. So I was being instructed in ‘bunkai Sutrisno, which had little
relationship to what others were calling bunkai. As Tris defined the word first to me, his definition
was the only ‘bunkai’ definition for me.
But
I also realized while he shared much with me, I was really not a student of his
way. Especially after I moved to NH I began to have a different thought. I
realized how incredible what he had was, but I also had great faith in my own
Isshinryu. So slowly I began to take all the skills in many systems I had
acquired and work on what the applications for Isshinryu could be. I started
easy, then deeper and deeper study on just one movement, the opening of Seisan
kata, and before long I had over 100 ways to use it to disrupt any attack.
So step by step I took my understanding that was
growing of what kata technique application could be and worked and worked.
About 5 or so years later one who would become a friend that I had met at a
local tournament came to visit my school. He participated in our adult training
and observed that what I was doing was much like his current instructor Sherman
Harrill was doing. He then demonstrated several examples and later invited me
to attend a clinic that he was having with Sherman on Isshinryu kata
applications that he was having.
The
first thing I discovered was my instructor Tom Lewis had been friends with
Sherman back in Agena when they trained with Shimabuku Tatsuo. Then I was blown away by the clinic Sherman
held, countless kata application studies. Really amazing, it did resemble what
I was doing but 40 years advanced from where I was. After that Garry and I co
hosted a series of annual seminars with Sherman for many years, and I attended
whatever clinics with him across New England that I could travel to.
My
students and I became friends with Sherman. For the next few years I probably
spent 50 or 60 hours at his clinics learning whatever I could from him. I was permitted
to film the clinics at mu school I hosted, and made copious notes from the others. He
definitely influenced what I saw kata applications could become.
Over
the next 9 years I attended and helped hold as many clinics with him as
possible. Always realizing as he told me they were not the same as being
trained by him. I learned so much, and it definitely influenced my own studies,
which had never ceased. But even great clinics come with a price. There was so
much shared but I very strongly believed in my adult program and much that I
saw never had the time to enter my program.
Then
the unfortunate reality struck and Sherman died. I was filled with grief and as
a result spent 3 months collecting and typing up my notes and viewing every
scrap of video I had of Sherman and transcribing those tapes by kata. I ended
up with a literal encyclopedia of Sherman clinics. Discussions, over 800
different kata applications, principles Sherman used to find those techniques,
and much more. While I had never met his senior student, John Kerker, I sent
him a copy of what I had written. His reply was thank you and that was most
likely correct, but not containing maybe 500 additional techniques from his
classes.
It
was so much yet only a small part of what Sherman meant to me.
So
I continued on my own. I participated in various internet discussions which
often got around to bunkai. I came to feel what I had seen to date was nothing
like the use of the term bunkai that people were discussing.
5
years later I finally met John Kerker at a clinic in Chicopee, Mass. What I saw
was so different from Sherman at his clinics. The uke John was using was struck
repeatedly harder than anyone I had ever seen anyone strike another and each
time his uke rose to attack and be struck again. I really saw what it was to be
a true student of Sherman.
As
the years passed I attended annual clinics John held in Chicopee. And learn so
much Sherman hinted at about the training of his students. John filled in so
many gaps. And I continued to learn so much more. That first clinic I attended
later that night I wrote up my notes and sent them to John.
In
many ways my understanding changed. I began not to use the term Bunkai as I was
not doing the Sutrisno version I had first been shown. And I was not really
doing what others were doing. So I derived my own description of what I was
doing.
I
considered the first step to understanding kata application potential to look
at every possible use a techniques could be used for. But this was just the
first step.
The
next step was working towards kata
application realization. The more difficult study to actually apply that to any
attack and conclude that attack.
In
a very real sense that kata application became almost an infinite study..
Starting
at Sho Dan the student would focus on say 50 applications for the first
movement of Seisan kata and of course developing skill to use all of them.
After that there was no set order, it just moved forward, focusing on the
underlying principles behind the applications.
Movement
after movement, kata after kata. A very long range study.
Not
to know a thousand applications, but to gain experience so that the first
movement could be used to stop any attack, then more and more an open ended
study.
The
goal was to be eventually able to take any movement at all to conclude any
attack. Which was of course also maximum unpredictibality.
Did I succeed?
The goal was never to finish rather to
keep moving forward and learning, never stopping.
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