Bunkai 分解
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Iain Abernethy is one of the world’s leading authorities on Bunkai |
We might practice Kihon and Kata on our own, but the reason we practice them is so we can use them to defend ourselves against another person, if need be. It is the idea that the techniques have to work against an aggressive opponent, this is the point Bunkai... and Bunkai is the point of Budo.
It has been said that kata can be likened to a car and the Bunkai is the motor. You can polish it, repaint it, do up its body and make it look as nice as you want (it may even win awards if it looks nice enough), but without the motor you are unable to use the car for its true purpose, transportation.
The same is true of Kata and Bunkai. Bunkai is the true purpose of Kata training. Without the Bunkai you might as well be dancing, as Gichin Funakoshi said "You may train for a long time, but if you merely move your hands and feet and jump up and down like a puppet, learning karate is not very different from learning a dance. You will never have reached the heart of the matter; you will have failed to grasp the quintessence of karate-do."
Simple knowledge of what the Bunkai should be is not good enough.
To be proficient in the practicality of the techniques, a Budoka needs to practice with a partner many times, repeatedly. Having a partner is important as there are techniques and understanding that can only be gained through this training.
It has been said "If it works, it's a Bunkai".
Over 90% of the information and records of old Okinawa has been lost (especially during WWII).
If there was any writing by the old masters about what the techniques are for, it has been lost many years ago.
The closest anyone can get is the Bubishi, a book of martial techniques from ancient China that many of the masters used as a reference for their own martial study.
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| One of the 48 self-defense diagrams From the Bubishi |
With such little actual solid writings from when the kata were first taught, any Bunkai that anyone comes up with is pure speculation.
Even if there is an unbroken line from instructor to student going back to certain masters, due to the effect of 'Chinese whispers', this isn't as reliable as it might seem. We can't know for sure, so in modern times all Bunkai are assumptions.
In some cases, what we do practice could be a fairly good assumption (given the knowledge that does exist with modern masters today), but still, we can't know what a person was thinking 200 years ago when they came up with a particular technique.
Even if the purpose of the technique looks obvious, it is not possible for a Budoka today to know for sure.
Fortunately the 'original purpose' doesn't matter that much, because "if it works it's a Bunkai". Any section of a kata or single technique can have many different interpretations and they are all correct, as long as they do work.
The unfortunate thing is that this attitude can also lead to certain ignorant instructors interpreting the techniques badly, leading to Bunkai that is impractical.
This is dangerous as it can lead to a false sense of security in the students, leaving them ill-equipped to deal with real life martial situations.
This is another reason students need to be able to think for themselves and not just rely on the instructors teachings.
On the surface, Okinawa-Te appears to be primarily a ‘striking art’, hitting the opponent with punches or kicks,
For an advanced Budoka, Okinawa-te has more elements similar Aikido and Judo with many of the techniques actually involving locks, breaks, joint manipulation and throws also incorporating strikes to vulnerable areas and vital points.
We can only find the various different Bunkai, beyond the simple strikes, with lots of practice with partners and on your own, analysing each move with an open mind.
Remember: For it to be a real practical 'Bunkai', It must work effectively and efficiently.
Be mindful and avoid long drawn out Bunkai with several (or more) different complex techniques.
It makes us martial artists feel "advanced", but long complex Bunkai rarely work in real life.
We all know the 'KISS' rule:
Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have. :)
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