September 14, 1998
I’d like to take some principals of Bunkai I’ve
developed and apply them to Kata Seisan.
I believe this will be helpful to direct your own researches. Of course I did not spring forth from a
vacuum to develop them. Patient instruction
by many people, as well as my own logical analysis was involved in their
genesis. Most especially I owe debts to
Ernest Rothrock, Tris Sutrisno and Sherman Harrill for their contributions to
this process. They may find a piece of
their own work reflecting in my studies, but I’ve tried to keep their concepts
separate in my studies. I alone bear all responsibility to explain what I’m
presenting.
Most especially I’d like to note the immense influence
from Sherman Harrill. I consider his bunkai exceedingly superior. But I believe in taking things step by step
and there is merit to what I’m showing here.
In that he conducts incredible seminars on Isshinryu and its bunkai, I
prefer to leave his explanations to him.
First Rule, any technique should be able to stop any
attack. I know there are some exceptions to this, but
basically if you really know a technique you should be able to stop anything
with it, or you need to study/train harder.
Second Rule, Movement Flow Analysis. I see any technique from a ‘Bunkai’ Point of
view, from the concept of movement flow analysis (my own term). I look at the entire flow of the movement to
see what can be used and where.
Third Rule, Unlocking Principle(again my term). To understand a technique you should try and
apply it under the minimum following circumstances.
Against
a Grab/Punch <the punch and the grab
are basically the
same
attack, one’s just a little faster>
Interior
Line of Defense
1. Straight On
2. Turning 20 degrees into the line of attack
3. Turning 90 degrees into the line of attack
4. Turning 110 degrees into the line of attack
5. Shifting 180 degrees (either inside or
outside shift)
Exterior
Line of Defense
1. Straight On
2. Turning 20 degrees into the line of attack
3. Turning 90 degrees into the line of attack
4. Turning 110 degrees into the line of attack
5. Shifting 180 degrees (either inside or
outside shift)
Now we take 1 technique and apply the above.
Seisan
Kata Opening Section to ‘Bunkai’
1. Left Foot Forward, Left Side Block
2. Right Reverse Punch
3. Right Foot Forward
BUNKAI
A. Uke -
Right Foot Forward - Right Grab/lead hand Punch
First
shift about 20 degrees to the left
1. Left Foot Forward, Left Side Block
the Left Side Block is a Left Middle
Knuckle
strike to Uke’s Right Bicep.
2. Right Reverse Punch
The Vertical Reverse Punch is a Knuckle
Strike
at any of a number of chest areas, ie.solar
plexus
Not hitting with the flat fist becomes a
more
punishing strike.
3. Right Foot Forward
The use of the crescent kick as a sweep
against
uke’s right leg. The more exacting the
crescent
kick, the more devastating the sweep.
Of course this completes a takedown.
The
harder they punch the harder they strike themselves in
the biceps. This came from Rothrock’s Shaolin and
especially Surisno’s Tjimande. Then
Sherman Harrill suggested that you can raise the arm higher and use the single
bone of the side forearm for the
same purpose. Experiment to seew which hits
harder. Then apologize to your uke.
The Vertical punch on an angle is unique
to Sherman Harrill, in my studies. It changes the entire nature of
my striking.
With
this the 20 degree shift, I had already been working
on
it to take advantage of the crescent sweep step. Mr.
Harrill
just re-inforced it to the point that I believe it
is
the true key to all bunkai, whether karate, aikido,
eagle
claw, tai chi, etc.
I
don’t want to forget the slicing/kicking techniques
contained
within the front kick. You can slice
their
shin
with your instep as you move your foot forward to
complete
the sweep.
B. Uke -
Left Foot Forward - Right Grab/Reverse Punch
Same
bunkai. Just sweeping the Uke’s left
foot.
C. Uke -
Left Foot Forward - Left Grab/Lead Hand Punch
First
shift about 20 degrees to the left
1. Left Foot Forward, Left Side Block
the Left Side Block is a Left Middle
Knuckle
strike to outside of Uke’s bicep.
2. Right Reverse Punch
The Vertical Reverse Punch is a Knuckle
Strike
at any of a number of side of the chest
areas.
i.e. the armpit, the floating ribs, or even
a strike straight into uke’s left thigh
(even
a light strike into the bone will cause a
charley horse dropping them)
3. Right Foot Forward (if still necessary)
The use of the crescent kick as a sweep
against
uke’s left leg. The more exacting the
crescent
kick, the more devastating the sweep.
D. Uke - Right Foot Forward, Left Grab/Reverse
Punch
Same
bunkai as above, except punches only to side of chest.
E. Uke Right
Foot Forward, Right hand Grabs your left wrist.
Same
Bunkai as A. except you use the 1. opening side block
to
roll their arm up. Then Number 2 and 3
as before.
F. Uke Right
Foot Forward, Right Hand Grabs your Right Wrist.
1.
Left Foot Forward and left Outside Block as an opening
arm break is one possibility. Follow-up as before.
G. Uke Right
Foot Forward, Double Wrist Grab
H. Uke Right
Front Kick
By
proper angling, etc., the left hand back knuckle strike
into
the bone of the thigh, creates an opening to continue
with
the rest of the bunkai.
I. Uke
Right Roundhouse kick.
Etc.
Etc. I’m sure you can see how this can
J. Uke
Right Foot Forward, Right Lead Hand Punch
Open as
number A. But instead of punching the
chest for 2.
instead
use the Vertical punch thumb to strike across under
the
attacker’s triceps....Then as the right foot steps forward
grab
the attackers wrist with your left hand pulling down while
rotating the wrist away from you, then
you raise up with your right arm. In effect this places the attacker in a
vertical arm bar, locking them up.
K. A separate issue would be ‘kakushite’
hidden strikes, and where to insert them. Of course the Shorin Seisan which goes
1.
Lft. Foot For. Left Side Block
2.
Right Reverse Punch
3.
Right Side Block
4.
Right Foot Forward
could
have the right side block be considered a hidden strike in
Isshinryu
Seisan.
L. Then
there is the issue that from this bunkai, you can enter every
aikido
lock and/or throw on the completion of the technique.
Now
except for a concept or two, this is based solely on my own bunkai analysis.
Sherman Harrill’s technique is even more interesting, etc. But beyond this
initial discussion. The key to his
analysis is when he finds his bunkai, he applies it, as I do, with my Unlocking
Principle.
Fifth Rule - Many interesting bunkai exist starting in
the middle of one basic technique, and goes to a the middle of the next
technique.
Such
as Right foot Forward (crescent Step)
Then
Left Reverse Punch
Finally
Left foot forward (crescent Step)
This is where the next section of the kata is broken
down a little differently from where most people address it. Try to work this
out on your own.
Take my word, when you get into this and develop many
bunkai different things will happen.
Sixth Rule - ISSHINJUTSU (my own
concept)..A Block(break) is followed by a strike (stop hit) is followed by a
takedown(fall) to describe a complete technique. To fully look at a technique you need to see
all these components.
Dr. Yang (YMAA) who writes so volumously on the
Chinese martial arts, makes the point in his Advanced Tai Chi II, that a
technique can be analyzed by 1) how it is used to lock <chin na> an
opponent, or by 2) how it is used to down an opponent <levered takedowns
through follow up movement> or 3) how it is used to strike pressure points,
etc. And that every technique has
these components. You can choose which to emphasize, etc.
With this type of understanding, any technique can be
an ULTIMATE technique. Thereby Kata,
really aren’t a technique repository in my mind. For there are more techniques
than those shown in kata.
Seventh Rule. I
look from the Chinese Point of View, and believe the real reasons for forms,
is to develop the energy of the practitioner. The higher level of performance, the higher
level of energy being developed. The
role of bunkai is to learn how to take the energy being developed and then
apply that to the attacker. (Again my
concepts).
Eighth Rule.
From a post on CD several weeks ago, where John Anthony
(anthony@dplus.net) talked about Oyata Sensei defining bunkai as
"breaking down the movements to their most basic units and then
recombining them to form usable techniques appropriate for different
situations." I am still working at incorporating this into my studies,
and Expect many years will pass before I can understand this.
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