My Principles of Kata technique applicaton I - Applied to Kata Seisan

 

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.