Hi All, I have a question re the Bunkai of Bassai Dai. About the middle of the Kata (just after the first Kiai), we turn and do 2 knife hand blocks in Kokutsu Dachi. Then we pull back into upright stance and bring our fists together and raise above our head- possibly breaking someones grip on our collar. We then go into zenkutsu dachi and do the double tetsui to the kidneys. So far logic prevails. From here i get a little stuck....... We have just hit the opponent in the kidneys, and then we lunge forward and do an oi tsuki. But to who? If it is the opponent that we have just hit in the kidneys, then they are most likely too close for the lunge..... If it is someone else, then we need to drive the the kidney guy to hit the guy behind him. Any ideas???? Cheers Mick
First there are countless things that can be done with any movement in kata. Those kidney punches use the same motion as a lot of other things you can do. And would you really want to drop both hands, stick your head out and strike like that? You'd have a good chance of taking one in the face. Second kata are stylised, some styles more then others. Third try not to think of it as a choreographed fight but rather as a training tool. Some times you can put the different techniques together against the same person (if they "play along"), other times you can't.
Hi Mick I echo the things Andrew has said, but I'll also give some possible thoughts re: an application. Forget the breaking a grip to the collar. Or alternatively get a strong dojo mate to firmly hold your collars and see if you can use the upwards movement to break free. Not very likely in my opinion but try it and make your own mind up. One good rule of thumb for bunkai I think - if you have to be stronger than your attacker to make it work, then its probably not very useful. Instead do the same motion against a two handed shove or attempted grab. Your hands will come up between their arms moving them harmlessly out of the way. Now instead of striking to the kidneys strike both sides of the neck with your forearms. This is exceedingly dangerous to do, don't make contact in practice and use appropriate restraint in practice. You can get a feel for how effective it can be simply by placing both forearms on the neck (half way up) palm up, then suddenly press them together. Now for the 'punch'. Assuming your attacker has his right leg forwards use a c-step to place your right foot behind his. Push with your right hand on his left shoulder while pulling his upper right arm with your left hand. This will trip him over your right leg. There are more dangerous variations on the same theme but a public forum isn't the place to go into detail. Of course, this is only one possible meaning. There are other possible techniques and principles to explore. Mike
Message for Oz Bob: Bob If you're reading this, I only noticed the similarity between my Bassai bunkai and your Kusanku bunkai against a two handed shove/grab after I'd written it out. Talk about being slow to catch on Doh!
Hi Mike, No worries, take a look at p232 of Karate-Do Kyohan for the application Funakoshi presents to this section of the kata. The strike to the kidney region works well for a smaller defender if he adds the take down shown here and finishes with a boston crab (as taught by Patrick McCarthy). regards,
Hello All, You could look at that step from this point of view...maybe the uke of that movement backed up enough that your kidney strikes did not make their intended target. Then, the punch would be a precautionary 'follow-up' technique. I was able to work on the bunkai of this kata with Nishiyama Sensei, head of JKA. He mentioned, in the best English he could muster, that we should not accept the bunkai he showed us as the only concrete application for each kata...what he shows us works, and is what was taught to him, but there are many other ways these movements can express themselves applicably. It is up to you to explore and find some of these 'alternate' applications yourselves. Most of the time, this could mean countless repetition of the kata. Whatever the applications may be, good luck in your search. Sekai No Karate Do, Jamo
Bunkai Basi -Dai Hi, The part you are stuck in Basi-Dai, is when you come back into Heisoku Dachi ( Both feet together ) and block Morote-Age-Uge ( Jodan ) blocking a punch, you do not fully extend your stance when you strike Chudan Tetsui Hasami-Uchi to the rib cage only use half stance Zenkutsu-Dachi then move your front right foot ( Yori-Ashi ) and make a full stance back to a normal Zenkutsu-Dachi and perform a right hand oi-zuki, all this is against one opponent.
