How do you feel about the Bunkai Craze?

I could write a book on my feelings about this subject. I'll try to answer the question as best I can and still keep it short.... From 1967 to the early 1980's i had heard the term Bunkai only a few times. In the 1980's the term started to be hear much more often. The terms Kyusho-Jitsu and Tuite-Jitsu suddenly became common. Every thing I remember and have read seems to indicate that Seiyu Oyata is the reason for the sudden awareness of these things in the U.S.A. Oyata freely taught these things to anyone that would open their mind and listen. Oyata is one of the best, if not the best, authorities on the subject. Many others either got their start with Oyata or one of the guys that did study with Oyata. HOWEVER, many of these guys are not teaching what Oyata taught them. One famous martial artist learned a little from Oyata then quickly broke away and started teaching what he says is the real deal, but is not the same thing Oyata teaches. The definition of what Bunkai is varies greatly. To some if you look at a Kata move and it looks like a block, then they think that that belief is the Bunkai. But it is not. Kata teaches the mechanics of m0vement needed to learn the real Bunkai. The real bunkai is always something other than what the move appears to be. That is simply because the original creators of Kata wanted to teach the mechanics of proper movement. Yet they also wanted a way to keep the real hidden applications from being lost to future generations. The real bunkai containing both Kyusho and Tuite techniques still remains hidden to everyone until someone that understands them decides to teach the real use of these things.

So what we have today is many people spouting off that they teach the real bunkai. but often what they teach is made up and far off the track. I do believe that there are multiple different applications or ways that any technique can be interpreted as legitimate techniques. However that does not mean that everyone is correct in their own use of the original techniques. What we are left with is much that most people must either accept as being realistic bunkai or not. There is no master text that we could use to look up a technique and see what hidden applications are correct and which are not. I will only say this for sure. I would be very, very cautious when believing "anyone" that says that they are teaching the "Real Bunkai". Many or incorrect. Many are outright frauds relying on the fact that they know most people can't tell the real from the fake. And lastly there are guys that have incorrect applications that they sincerely believe is the real bunkai. However, sincerity is no guarantee of truth. We have all been ripped off by people that were sincere.

....

I study matsubayashi Ryu. Accodring to the son of the founder, Soke Nagamine say that there are over 1,000 applications in a kata. One kata would have been studied for over a year before moving to the next kata.

Today we are in such a hurry. We don't feel like we are getting anything if we were taught at that pace. Because of this we miss so much. It would take 1 to 3 to really know our kata. We know the moves of the kata, but we don't know the kata because we don't spend enough time on one kata before we begin to learn the next kata.

Martial arts (karate) are meant to evolve. It is not so static that it is limited to just a few interpretations.It is static in the sense that the kata does not change, but not static because the application does change based upon the circumstance.

Good Question!

It is said to take 3 year to learn the most basic kata, that is not because to you are merely memorizing a set of movements, and a simple bunkai for a hand full of movements. its because you are learning a fighting system.

each kata is a separate style. in the past kata were refereed to ryu like passai ryu naihanchin ryu, sanchin ryu and so forth. in the past masters only learned one or two kata, that was all that was needed to defend yourself and still is.

kata was intend to be a self defense system, a manual to the style everything you need is in kata.

each kata ofter its own unique applications, tactics, and concepts.

its not the number of kata you know its how well you know and understand the kata. anybody can memorize the kata in a few days if not less. understanding a kata takes years if not decades.

concepts of techniques are an important part of learning, one technique has a vast number of applications. not just limiting it to one application

JWbulldog makes an excellent point every one is in such a rush to move to the next kata they never learn the first. i read on blogs a lot people boasting i know 150 kata and im only a purple belt... and so forth. i know i got caught in the same trap once my self, when i was a nidan i had learned over 300 kata. i have forgot many by this point. i am only focusing on a few now a days.

how many kata do you really need?

a hand full of kata will give you all the techniques you need

bunkai needs to be practical and make sense. it needs to be useful in dealing with an opponent.

It's moot to ask about the "intent" of the people who created the kata. The more important question is, does doing the kata WITHOUT KNOWING this stuff, confer on the practitioner all the applications and skills that are purportedly hidden therein? No. So who cares?

It's a good start. It's getting karateka to want to think more about applications.

But if they use it as a reason to keep training solo forms as dead patterns, it will take them backward. Just training the form while visualizing that what you're doing is actually an armbar or takedown, doesn't improve your skill at doing the armbar or takedown against a live, moving, resisting opponent.

If they take it to the next step, it will be to practice them with speed against a live, moving, resisting opponent (whether in a somewhat safe, "sporting" manner similar to MMA, or with safety parameters set by armour and other equipment, like RBSD).This will help them to both pin down which applications are realistic, and to actually cultivate the ability to do them against an attacker.

Then the karate guys will be doing what the rest of us have been doing. Imagine that!

It goes something like this.

1. A principle contains several orders of magnitude greater numbers of applications, movements, and techniques.

2. Each application contains a greater number of movements and techniques.

3. Each movement contains a greater number of techniques, by a 10^X degree.

4. Each technique has a thousand or so variations, changing the movement and application slightly.

5. Each variation rests upon the same base principle.

Now you just recycle and you have everything.

In shorter format, principles contain all movements. One movement contain many techniques. One technique has a thousand variations. It's an upside down pyramid essentially, with the "base" being a small number of principles that just balloon. Growing like yggdrasil, the World Tree.

I think a style is not complete until a person is able to disassemble anything in existence and make their own katas for individual solo practice. Those still learning by copying other people's kata or still using kata as a base foundation, are not yet capable of walking their own road just yet. The other option is I think there are no complete styles in existence. I believe in the value of transparency. Not in trying to figure out some code dead people left over, and make something out of it than what it can be. Those that can reverse engineer techniques to base principles, no longer need to copy other people's kata.

Outstanding question of the decade.

I believe both that both sides of this phenomenon are correct.

I am seeing it from the Chinese aspect as well, as I studied under a Taiwanese Master in Sun style Hsing I Chuan, and Chinna theory of Taiji and Bagua. He taught that they are related and training in one can lead to the discovery of application in all.

The study of bunkai has always been taught in the Chinese Arts and it was something that the Okinawans eventually learned and figured out.

The reverse engineering this is new to us and most modern Okinawans because the founders who developed kata knew the techniques, as you said - "the application came before the kata." That's absolutely true.

But if bunkai is more modern, how do we account for arts like Udundi? The Motobu family's art? How old is it and how did they become the holders of that knowledge?

People go astray because of their own shortcomings, not because they learn so much. And I tend to believe that some are being lead stray because of unscrupulous bunkai hoarders that create a huge following for themselves all in the name of spreading the knowledge - which is code for filling their pockets. Don't get me wrong - I have nothing against making money with your knowledge, but make sure you don't leave any stragglers behind. Help everybody go forward.

I also believe that bunkai should be practiced BOTH as individual technique and as a sequence of techniques. To me, they both have merit. I see sequence training as a sort of kakie - sensitivity training.

You're absolutely right on that "each kata is teaching/recording strategy, manuevering, and principle as well as technique."

I don't even teach Kihon except for Footwork, which is usually what most people have a difficult time with. I teach footwrk as a kihon before I begin teaching actual kata because it is the foundation of the body - the legs you stand on.

Uke, Tzuki and waza in general - I teach in the kata. I make them repeat the whole kata. As you said, each kata is a fighting system within itself.

I believe that each kata has its own unique lessons but I also believe that each individual technique is open to interpretation. This is the principle of Yin Yang.

Excellent question.

To me, all points are valid and I want to use them all and make sure anyone I teach understands this and why they are all valid.

In light of the freat answers by Daoshi and Kokoro, I will only say this. This "craze" is as old as martial art itself. Shysters can make something from anything, but learning the bunkai/oyo is absolutely necessary to martial art. Without bunkai/oyo you are only waving your arms around, and kata would be reduced to dance. I think some shysters have grabvbed on to the term Bunkai and use it for profit without really teaching it. Also not a craze, shysters go back into history all the way.

What good would your art do you if you didn't know what those movements really mean?

I pull my kata apart fairly often, I used to do it more.

But I always keep a thought in my head when I do it KISS and all its acronym glory. Keep It Simple Stupid or Keep It Simple and Savage. I use several combinations from Saiha and Sienchin katas in most competitions and others have seen use. I personally see a kata as more of a guide to positioning than a list of great battle strategy.

I think it is good when done by a QUALIFIED instructor.