Embusen Explained! A vital key to kata bunkai.

www.iainabernethy.co.uk/ Embusen Explained! A vital key to kata bunkai. This video covers what the angles in kata mean, how that relates to the application of the kata (bunkai), and the combative principles they illustrate. The angles in the kata do NOT show the angle the enemy is attacking you from (Mabuni, Miyagi, Motobu, Taguchi, etc), nor are the angles meaningless. Also covered in the video is how the angle really applies to multiple enemies.
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[@davidyoung745]

There’s so much great important info in this one video. So many people train for years without getting exposed to this kind of fundamental information.

[@youngmf6052]

Fascinating. I love learning how other systems break down their training. Often people can’t even explain what they are doing let alone why. I love how detailed you get, shows serious long term study.

[@user-rv3jg7wh3e]

Come to South Africa, please. Karatekas here need this information, and your passion for it has definitely reignited a passion for karate that I thought long smothered.

[@johnhomerstone5497]

Since Kata is the culmination of the training done with a training partner(s), the footwork to either get into position for the application or the experience of actual realistic sparring teaches one all they need to know about the footwork aspect. This can then be applied to the Kata as the Kata is just really a memory device so help retain the knowledge learned from the sparring practice. That's how I think of Kata, hope its helpful.

[@MartialistKS]

11:22 this bit is so important and gets lost on many people. To your point it affects how people think about the angles but also how they think about the techniques. If they think about a gedan-barai using the latter context they will think about blocking a kick, in the former context that doesn't make sense anymore. A few years ago I was able to have a conversation with a sergeant from my local police force and I asked him what he believed the most common attacks were on the street, none were kicks. I made a point to ask him if anyone had ever tried to kick him in the groin. He replied "No, kicking is something you have to be trained for. For most people kicking is exhausting" That really changed how I viewed those "low block" movements in my kata when I stopped assuming a kick had to be involved.

[@bashlivingstonstampededojo882]

I agree most people in a self-defense situation most people that attack you certainly don't try to kick you I have never had anyone try to kick me unless it's in sparring LOL

[@sramdeojohn4428]

The older I get, the more precious these information are getting... Thanks for your patience and time to make these videos available. 🥋👏🙌✌️📖 Oss! Train smart - fight smarter! "Parting the clouds seeing the way!" love this guy! 👏🙌✌️🥋❤️ Excellent Analysis "Self - Protection"

[@andreipacurariu2013]

Thanks for another great video! Your skill of explaining concepts is top class. I always look forward to learning more.

[@romanvonbrux1122]

Very good points Ian, thanks for sharing it.

[@FirstDan2000]

Great video. Thanks for uploading it.

[@marcodevries7708]

Great, as usual. Thank you Iain.

[@YoukaiSlayer12]

Thanks for doing this video . I have been looking forward to seeing a new one. Also I liked the grey hoodie.

[@brianrowe8028]

Great video. Very helpful!

[@rabukan5842]

Great points Brother Iain from Okinawa! Happy New Year to you and yours! Be in touch soon....

[@andrewmthomson0191]

Nice I like that. I like the point about the distancing and timing coming from your drills and partner work not the kata. As styles like mine tend to treat the kata as the whole package on its own.

[@ivanlandivar1741]

Great explanation, thank you.

[@davidg9682]

Thanks for the great content. You have already mentioned that principle quite often but there's still plenty to learn around that principle. Would you think the linking step could also be a whole technique (e.g. the third gedan barai in heran shodan)?

[@martialartsensei9577]

Thank you,das ist eine realistische Begründung für die ecken der katas.

[@gregorioescobar2847]

Excellent explain all detalled

[@ruiseartalcorn]

Very good. Many thanks :)

[@MarshOakDojoTimPruitt]

thanks Iain

[@bashlivingstonstampededojo882]

Great content as always nice and functional it makes more sense I'm not fighting guys in eight different directions I'm putting myself at that angle to give myself a better position that makes far more sense

[@hgv85]

If I found a school that taught functional Karate and shared your perspective on kata, embusen, and bunkai, I’d join in a heartbeat. Sadly, to my knowledge, there are no such schools in St. Louis, Missouri. As a result, I’ve switched to Muay Thai and BJJ, though my first love will always be Karate.

[@paleodude]

Found your other videos demonstrating with another person. Great teaching!

[@sramdeojohn4428]

"Stay away from what you know and away from what you don't know!" Excellent Commentary 🥋✌️🙌👏👌👍❤️💙Angles. 🙌👏 Oss!!!

[@debashisghosh95]

Great insight.....

[@lunaarran6965]

Great video, which makes me think differently about bunkai. Thank you very much for always educating me 🤗Two questions came up however: how do I know when a step is a linking step and not a technique of its own? And how does the idea of attack angles influence the idea that kata is basically a collection/variation of defense systems against certain attacks but not attacks themselves? Would be interested to hear different thoughts and ideas.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

Thanks for the kind words about the video! Personally, I am not fan of the “they do this, so you do that” way of thinking about kata or self-defence. It essentially puts the enemy in charge. Once physical conflict is believed to be unavoidable, I prefer a pro-active approach that has the enemy responding to you, as opposed to the other way around (this is also supported in the writings of Mabuni, Motobu, Itosu, etc). A lot of what we see in kata seeks to create, maintain and exploit advantage i.e. getting the upper hand and keeping it. That also includes the “defensive” methods which essentially take away the advantage the enemy has an replaces it with your advantage. There’s also a LOT in kata about ensuring the enemy can’t effectively stop your attacks or diminish the advantage you have gained. As regards the angles, one of the main reasons we adopt them is because we have more and better attack options and the enemy is limited in what they can do to defend or counter-attack. Once they are suitable disorientated / incapacitated, we can flee. As regards the linking steps, there is the asymmetry mentioned in the video. However, it is primarily down to an understanding of the kata and applications. “Bunkai” means something close to, “to cut into pieces to gain understanding”, so we need to learn where to “cut”. There is no simple “key” for that. It all comes down to understanding the kata in question. I hope that’s of some use. All the best, Iain

[@lunaarran6965]

@@practicalkatabunkai Thank you very much for your fast and extensive answer! Will certainly have to rewatch your video a couple of times to get everything and to be able to try it out with a bunkai I know a bit. You have certainly given me food for thought to combine your approach with the approach in our dojo (what Sensei Shirai teaches: attacks from various angles and how you have turn). I think I am beginning to Understand a bit as I am writing this answer. So thanks a lot ☺️

[@Motivation_King115]

Once again a genius explanation. I wish to train with you someday. I hope you will hold something down here in grey cold Minnesota sometime. I’ve learned so much from you I’m 15 you have gotten me crazy about Traditional Karate, with these amazing explanations on kata,bunkai, and more.

[@sramdeojohn4428]

If our foundation is strong, we don't have to worry. Oss! 🥋✌️

[@GrahamG-rm4jx]

Brilliant.

[@shorinroo]

Good one, Iain. 🙋💪

[@restoringheroesproject]

Good Stuff Sir.

[@305CID81]

Great video. I'm already changing my thinking regarding my katas. Do you have a list of good books by the old Masters that you would recommend? Thanks

[@lifelearner9828]

Man I love you Iain!

[@joelquebec]

When I try to explain the difference between kata/form and fight, I say that if you draw the line (embusen) of the kata, it's straight and neat. If you draw the lone(s) of a fight, it resembles a 4-year-old with a crayon drawing on the walls. Too many people try to make their application of kata look as much like the kata as possible. It doesn't.

[@netcoms197]

thanks

[@ncondeg]

Mabuni's and Goju ryu's Kaisai no Genri principles. Excellent!

[@parlormusic1885]

Like Oshiro sensei said, “The embusen is the opponent.”

[@vonclap]

Nice video Ian. When I look back to the early days of British karate I still remember some of the things we were told about usage and application....I can laugh now, but then it was the cause of a lot of students packing up, again a very useful video, thanks

[@paleodude]

Great video but could you make or have you already made a video with an opponent to demonstrate the two major points (the opponent is always in front of you and your movement is relative to then and move toward what you know and away from what you don't.)?

[@paleodude]

Found the person to person videos in your KZbin catalogue. Thank you!

[@crash5522]

thank you for bringing this up. About half of it I had figured out myself, but the other half you added some clarity to my understanding of things.

[@bobg5362]

Question, sir. Keeping in mind that I'm a convert, if moving 180 degrees in the kata means you've moved to the opponent's side (_ _), and moving 45 degrees means you've moved to an offset between 180 and 90 degrees from the opponent's front (_ /) , where does a simple, 90 degree turn place you? If my math is right, and it never is, that puts you dead on facing the opponent.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

I think you maybe overcomplicating this by adding the angles together? Measure from the start position and everything is clear and simpler i.e. a motion at 90 degrees from the original start is done and 90 degrees to the enemy; a motion at 45 degrees from the original start is done and 45 degrees to the enemy; and a motion that is straight is in front of the enemy. Doe that help?

[@bobg5362]

@@practicalkatabunkai Ah, so regardless of where you are in the kata, always consider the motion of a move you are performing from the orientation of the original starting point of the kata, not the orientation of the previous move?

[@practicalkatabunkai]

@@bobg5362 That's it!

[@bobg5362]

@@practicalkatabunkai Thank you, sir! A double, virtual Glenmorangie to you.

[@frankbruun2572]

Absolutely excellent Iain👊Thank you so much for exploring and developing Karate for the future 🥋⛩

[@sway71]

I agree that Karate was designed mostly for self defense, but I think this fails to acknowledge how those techniques can still be applied when the two opponents are at distance. From longer distances there are (typically) a few ways two opponents can engage: - Jumping in and out of range, feinting, trapping, slipping, etc. What most people think of when doing various forms of competitive striking (boxing, kickboxing, etc.) - Close the distance and grab hold so the opponent can't disengage (like grapplers taking things to the ground) - Closing the distance (as in the first two), but engaging with the opponent so the aforementioned Karate techniques can work This third option may not seem applicable, but in the "street thug" situation, there's nothing keeping them from retreating when you start fighting back other than centered weight, surprise, and maybe a hand on your person. The failure occurs when someone tries to create the angle from far away or closes the distance and creates the angle without creating this "engagement". Boxer, kickboxers, TKD fighters, etc. are all able to cut angles without even touching their opponents because they're good at slipping or narrowly avoiding strikes so the opponent's momentum is engaged. Judo and Jiujitsu were so highly effective before other arts in MMA because every technique requires you to be attached to the opponent in some way or another. Karate practitioners need to learn how to put grips on opponents. Then they'll start noticing all their techniques becoming way easier to apply

[@practicalkatabunkai]

This video may be helpful as you seem to be mixing up consensual violence with non-consensual violence: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaDbaZl4ZrKXnpo They have very different goals and dynamics. A consensual “street fight” (illegal and dumb) is not the same as non-consensual criminal violence. It’s not about “winning the fight” but avoiding harm. From the criminal’s perspective, it’s not about winning a fight either, but committing a crime in the most effective way possible. It’s therefore incongruent with either party’s goals to move around at a distance with guards up. It’s also not congruent with your goals to move from a distance from which the enemy can’t hit you to a closer distance at which they can. The criminal does need to get close to you, but it makes no sense for them to do with the methods we see in consensual dules. Better to use deception, dialogue, surprise, numbers, etc.

[@sway71]

@@practicalkatabunkai Thanks for responding! And don't worry, I got my fair share of cases involving both consensual and non-consensual violence while working forensics haha. I wholeheartedly agree that there is a difference between goals, tactics, etc. I guess I just wanted to emphasize that, although all the techniques are designed more for non-consensual violence, they can still be applied if the distance has been closed and the attacker's ability to engage is either removed or inhibited. As an example, Judo has some crazy throws that would be extremely hard to perform on a non-committal opponent. However, if they can get grips it changes everything (this also explains why Judo is harder to apply in MMA where the gripping surfaces are just sweaty body parts). Again, not apples to apples, as Karate involves mostly strikes, but I still believe that most techniques could be "coerced". I guarantee that some if not most of the techniques would be applicable if only that method for closing distance was developed and fine-tuned. Again, thanks for the videos and happy training!

[@blacktigermartialarts7329]

So Ashi and Tai Sabaki is paramount?

[@samigarira7971]

Sansai .how about kata style shotokan

[@practicalkatabunkai]

Most of the kata were around long before anyone thought of the term “Shotokan”. It’s therefore better to think in terms of “Kata as performed in Shotokan” as opposed to “Shotokan Kata”. The same rules of Embusen apply to the kata as performed in Shotokan.

[@samigarira7971]

Hello from algeria .OSS

[@bigsidable]

I use the 8 directional Octogon to practice stance and techniques. 8 movement to the left. 8 movement to the right. 16 total. There are 8 points of line of movement that intersect with each other. And always coming back to center or beginning. . Moving in any direction and angle. Amazing training in movement. Teach you to move in any direction you need to using a defensive or offensive technique. And get really crazy when you add multiple defensive or offensive combination. And great training for weapons as well. And one hell of a workout.

[@lawrencecron672]

It’s astrological. I think. The Pinans were systemised to walk the Chinese Character Hung, this is seen also in Hung Gar. This seems to be a very fashionable trend during the era in many systems. This may be an attempt to Shaolinise the material as to give homage or too align itself by association. Your explanations would better with Naihanchi , Motobu. the form keys are in the Calligraphy I surmise.

[@stephena1196]

When my asthma got really bad I took up Yang Tai Chi for a while. Our last instructor (the original one had returned to Hong Kong) also taught Seven Star Mantis. People in the class asked about it so he taught us one of it's forms. Iain's explanation of Embusen works perfectly well with the Seven Star Mantis form we were taught.

[@matthewbaumann630]

Where can I see the praying mantis forms?

[@quirinzangl4693]

Hai

[@cahallo5964]

8:15 lol

[@practicalkatabunkai]

Could not help myslef :-)

[@TheRastacabbage]

Kata is shadow grappling. It's part of how you practice learnt techniques on your own. Learning kata and then applying bunkai is the wrong way around. First you learn then you reinforce with kata. That's my theory anyway

[@carlostano]

Loving this explanation very clear and (in my opinion) a huge truth that many people just don't know. Big fan of the Kaisai no Genri myself.

[@karatehack8404]

I came late to the "embusen" pronunciation scuffle, but I have to say that I have always been baffled as to why Brits outright refuse to pronounce foreign words and names correctly. I'm sure if you were being introduced publicly as "Eye-ane O'ber-nassie" you would quickly put them straight. I would argue that no one has a right to mispronounce your name just because they are proud of their local accent. If they have any respect for you they will try to get it right. Presumably, you have respect for the subject you are teaching so I think it would behoove you to pronounce a Japanese word as it is pronounced in the Japanese language, or else just use an English equivalent word instead. Having said that, I compliment you on your delivery which has improved over time because when I watched your videos a few years back, I understood less than half of what was said due to the regional accent. It seems you are closer to RP now and I'm sure your international audience appreciates it. Your enthusiasm is always a delight.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

YOU WROTE: “I have always been baffled as to why Brits outright refuse to pronounce foreign words and names correctly.” I think the issue here is the idea there is only one “correct”, even when a word has been adopted into numerous languages. Words adopted into the English language have their own defined pronunciation. We say “karate” as “kara-tee” (not “kara-tay”). We say “Paris” as “Par-is” (not “par-ee”). This is no means unique to Britan. As stated above, “Computer” has been adopted into Japanese as, “Konpyūtā”. As English speaker, I would not tell a Japanese person they should pronounce the word as I do simply because the word originated in English. The Japanese person is pronouncing it correctly for how it is pronounced in Japanese, because the word is now also a Japanese word. English itself is made up of words from numerous languages (old Germanic languages, Old French, Old Norse, numerous Celtic languages, etc). Words we use every day - including most in this post - are not pronounced as they were in languages they originated from. Instead, we pronounce them as they are most commonly used today. That’s how pretty much all languages work. “Karate” is now officially listed as an English word - having been adopted into the English Language - so I pronounce it as the vast majority do. I do so because that is what facilitates the most effective communication. Effective communication being the whole point of language. I therefore see no reason to use a far less widely used pronunciation when tell me I must adopt an alternative “correct”. It would be antithetical to good communication and is overly dogmatic. YOU WROTE: “I'm sure if you were being introduced publicly as "Eye-ane O'ber-nassie" you would quickly put them straight.” As someone who teaches overseas a couple of times a month, this happens A LOT. I don’t correct them unless they specifically ask how I would say my name when at home. I am a guest in their country and I seek to always be a good guest. I am regularly called, “I-an”, “Lain”, “e-yane”, etc. All good with me. I recall having a private conversation with Jesse Enkamp about the same thing. He is happy for English speakers to call him “Jess-ee”, even though the “J” would be pronounced as “Y” in his native Sweden. YOU WROTE: “I would argue that no one has a right to mispronounce your name just because they are proud of their local accent. If they have any respect for you they will try to get it right.” I would argue that when I am a guest in their country it is beholden on me to respect that and the fact they say things differently. Full disclosure, I kind of like it when they say my name differently to how they do at home. YOU WROTE: “Presumably, you have respect for the subject you are teaching so I think it would behoove you to pronounce a Japanese word as it is pronounced in the Japanese language, or else just use an English equivalent word instead.” As a pragmatist, when speaking in English to students who also speak English, I feel it best to go with the pronunciation they are most familiar with. When in Japan, I found they were extremely tolerant of my accenting of English pronunciations. They did not take it as a sign of disrespect and were happy to acknowledge I am not Japanese. It also worked both ways as the “th” sound in my surname is not one that exists in Japanese. I was therefore most frequently referred to as “A-Ber-Net-Eee”. As above, I was totally OK with that and did not see it as a sign of disrespect. I, like every other Japanese person I interacted with, respected the differences in our languages and cultures. YOU WROTE: “Having said that, I compliment you on your delivery which has improved over time because when I watched your videos a few years back, I understood less than half of what was said due to the regional accent. It seems you are closer to RP now and I'm sure your international audience appreciates it. Your enthusiasm is always a delight.” Thank you very much! It could also be the fact that people are getting used to how I speak. I try to avoid words that are solely used in this part of the UK, but other than that I have made no conscious effort to change how I speak. When I teach overseas, they tell me it normally takes 15 mins or so to “tune in”. The hard U of the Cumbrian dialect being a particular issue i.e. “pUnch”. That said, because of the Nordic influence on the dialect, people in Scandinavia tell me they find me easier to understand than fellow Brits from the south of the country. Many years ago, the BBC did a documentary series on the Viking influence on the UK. When discussing the full-on Cumbrian dialect, the presenter said, “It would be easier to understand in Oslo than in London.” Some truth to that. A Norwegian friend was particularly impressed when I “translated” a “Children Playing” sign because “barn som leker” was close enough to the regional “bairns laiking”. The differences and evolution of languages is something I find fascinating. It would be a much more boring world if we insisted these differences were eliminated. That’s why I embrace them as opposed to seeking forced uniformity. All the best, Iain

[@karatehack8404]

@@practicalkatabunkai Thank you for that detailed response. I understand you much better now. Cheers.

[@MathUDX]

So wait, the opponent in the Naihanchis is in front of you... even for the lateral moves?

[@practicalkatabunkai]

You start with the enemy in front of you, but then move to the side of the enemy to apply the techniques that go to the side. As in the video, the direction in the kata is the direction you are attacking the enemy from, not the direction the enemy is attacking you from. I hope that helps

[@MathUDX]

@@practicalkatabunkai I guess following this interpretation, then, the Naihanchis are intended to be a series of kata focused very strictly on upper body training? Even though there is some slight lateral foot movement practiced within them (depending on your style)? Makes me wonder what a kata designed from the ground up to train foot repositioning against a single adversary would look like. Would it merely be circling a point on the ground? Or perhaps training that should necessarily be a two-person kata? Some martial arts have a concept of footing polygons where you traverse the perimeter for one-person forms and pass through the polygon's center from corner-to-corner for two-person forms.

[@Yeino]

It is pronounced "Em-bOU-sen", not "Em-bee-sen". The fact it's related to the opponent is implicit. It's verbally explained and nobody in the old days needed to have it written because it was obvious. If you have to explain it to somebody, you should first wonder if this person is smart enough to understand what you could teach to him/her. As you practice Bunkais related to all the different sequences of a Kata, it shoudl appear obvious to everybody. Karate is not fast food. If you don't put a minimum of effort into practice, then you won't improve your skills and you won't understand anything. You shouldn't have to give all the keys to your students. It's like Shime : almost everybody thinks the masters slap their students only to test their toughness, but it's only after being slapped yourself several times that you understand that it's for your muscles and tendons take the best natural position, to relax what shouldn't be involved and to tense what should be tensed. But they don't tell you, they act. It's the same thing concerning the old masters hitting you with a Keishaku (a little stick coming from Buddhist monks) to make you fixing your position by yourself. Martial arts are a mind affair. You have to observe carefully and think when you're alone. But if Embusen is an important thing to respect when you're performing Katas in competitions, it's not something you should care about. It's only a picture of your moves during a Kata, but your moves are what you should care about. This is what transmitted Miyagi Chojun and his own master Kanryo Higaonna, who was also the master of Kenwa Mabuni.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

YOU WROTE: “It is pronounced "Em-bOU-sen", not "Em-bee-sen” I’m from the extreme north of England, I pronounce everything like a person who has lived their whole lives there. For example, I say “Karate-tea” and not “karate-tay”. Dialects and accents mean that even English words have multiple pronunciations. I don’t speak English in the same way as my American, Canadian and Australian friends. Indeed, I don’t even speak it the same as those a little north in Scotland or those in the south of England. Ever the pragmatist, what matters to me is that people understand what I am saying (communication being the whole point of language). I don’t care about dogma. I am actually saying “Embusen”, and when I say it, it sounds like that to me (Em-boo-sen), but not being from here I guess you say the “oo” differently. Either way, no one watching this video was confused by what the video was about because of my Cumbria accent. YOU WROTE: “You shouldn't have to give all the keys to your students.” Could not disagree more. An instructor’s job is to instruct. Share fully and openly so that your students are as good as they can be and so karate can continue to progress. They learn everything you know, and then they can add to that with their own experiences and what they have also learnt from others. I want to be surpassed by my students. That’s good for karate. YOU WROTE: “This is what transmitted Miyagi Chojun and his own master Kanryo Higaonna, who was also the master of Kenwa Mabuni.” The ideas discussed in this video were openly shared by Miyagi, Toguchi, Mabuni, etc. Mabuni wrote a big piece explaining the meaning of angles and Toguchi included it all in his book explaining that this was what Miyagi told him. They explained it clearly to their students and the karate community at large.

[@Yeino]

@@practicalkatabunkai @practicalkatabunkai Dispite your accent, as this word is a Japanese word, it should be pronounced this way. Just like Karate should be pronounced "-tay" not "-tee". My "Em-bOU-sen" is the same as your "Em-bOO-sen", so why do you pronounce it with a "ee" sound ? First of all, it's true to say Toguchi Seikichi was a student of Miyagi Chojun. But he's studied regularly under Higa Seiko for 33 years, several times a week. He's studied under Miyagi Chojun only 14 years (from 1930 to 1941, and from 1946 to 1949), and irregularly, here and there. This is what reported the other students of Miyagi Chojun when he passed away, and this is why he was not even one of the potential candidates for the succession of the dojo. Then, i've never contradicted you concerning the angles. I've only said this should appear obvious if the students were taught the good way. This is why this wasn't needed to be written previously : the way of teaching mutated, and transmitting it to westerners was rather a challenge, and they needed it to be written. I said it : you shouldn't have to give ALL the keys to your students. You can explain them many things, from body positioning to the solicited muscles during an action, the purpose of this or that... But there are things that should appear obvious, and not requiring to be explained, such as the Embusen. Talking about angles should be obvious. You can even quote it, but teach something deeply around it is nonsense : your Bunkais can vary a lot ! And if an opponent coming from an angle allows you to explain an Embusen, then what about the other Bunkais ? There existed several disagreements between Toguchi Seikichi and Miyagi Chojun and its inheritors from non Shoreikan schools. For instance, Toguchi said a Kata was against you and only 1 opponent, and never more than 1, whereas all the others, including Miyagi Chojun and Higaonna Kanryo, admitted there could be several opponents. Moreover, Toguchi Seikichi established several rules in his Kensai no genri, and rhe 3 basics were : 1 - Don't be deceived by the shape of the Kata (embusen). It is designed to allow the Kata to be performed within a small space. The shape of the embusen has no bearing on the meaning of the techniques in the Kata. 2 - Techniques executed while advancing are offensive. Those executed while retreating are defensive. 3 - There is only one opponent and he is in front of you. Turning to face a new direction while performing the Kata DOES NOT mean you are turning to face a new opponent. These 3 basic rules from Shoreikan Goju-ryu school should be considered when you quote Toguchi Seikichi as an argument for your talking. Even if he also said "The angle to which you turn represents the angle which you must take relative to the opponent for the technique to work." Isn't it obvious that if your opponent is in your back, you won't be able to block or strike as if he was in front of you ? This does not need to be told. I agree that an instructor leads his students to give the best of themselves. But talking about the evolution of Karate is a lack of humbleness. It has evolved, through more than 2000 years, from Indian Kalariprayatt to Okinawan Karate, and you hope from each of your students to be able to improve it of even 1% ? Seriously ? If so, this could mean only 1 thing : you, their instructor, weren't as skilled as you could imagine...

[@practicalkatabunkai]

@@Yeino YOU WROTE: “Dispite your accent, as this word is a Japanese word, it should be pronounced this way. Just like Karate should be pronounced "-tay" not "-tee".” If I said, “Kara-Tay” to anyone in this part of the world they would either be confused or think I was being very pretentious. I am not Japanese. I'm a proud Cumbrian and happy to speak and sound as one. I get that some want to be very dogmatic about language, but that’s not me. I speak how I speak and will continue to do so. What matters is people understand what is being communicated. I'm a pragmatist to my core. No one has ever won a fight with terminology. For example, you spelt “despite” incorrectly, but I still got what you meant. YOU WROTE: “Then, i've never contradicted you concerning the angles.” I don’t believe you did. My point was that I believe in teaching full and openly and the concepts discussed in this video were shared fully and openly by the past masters too. If I was being pedantic about language, I could point out that the “i” in “i’ve” should be capitalised i.e. “I’ve” (which I guess I just have). However, the point remains that I understood what you meant and nit-picking about written and spoken language is tangential to what is being discussed. YOU WROTE: “It has evolved, through more than 2000 years, from Indian Kalariprayatt to Okinawan Karate” That’s pseudo-history based on the debunked Sholin / Bodhidharma myth (comes from a forgery produced over 1000 years after the supposed events, which there is absolutely no evidence for). YOU WROTE: “and you hope from each of your students to be able to improve it of even 1% ? Seriously ?” Nope. Didn’t say all my students, karate isn’t just me and my karate isn’t perfect. What I hope is karate, as a whole, continues to improve and grow. That can’t happen if instructors aren’t teaching to be best of their ability. We should all share fully and openly. On a more “local level”, yes, I do hope some of my students exceed me. As it stands, overall, I am better than they are (although some are definitely better than me at given aspects). I hope that’s not always the case because that would mean my contribution to the overall progress of karate had been a negative one. All the best, Iain

[@Yeino]

@@practicalkatabunkai Yea, sorry if i spelled the word "despite" incorrectly, but as i'm not an English native speaker, you couldn't blame me for this typo. But i highly disagree with you concerning "this part of the world", since in this part of the world (i mean Europa, America and Africa), as the majority of people aren't English native speakers and pronounce it "Kara-tay" and not "Kara-tee", you're the one confusing them, except for some of the English native speakers who wouldn't be "dogmatic" and accept Karate to be renamed "japanese dance" (you're probably right : why being dogmatic ?) The capitalized "i" for talking about yourself is another clue that i'm not an English native speaker : the rest of the world does not capitalize the personal pronouns. But if the written part of a language can vary a lot, its pronunciation varies very little. But i admit that not everyone makes an effort regarding all the topics discussed. This is not pseudo-history, and I didn't even refer to the Dharma myth. I was talking about real history, based on historical and archaeological evidence about population movements, written history and oral sources (probable and credible). The written sources date back to about 1250 BC, and the introduction of martial arts (without weapons) in China would date back to about 720 BC, so about 100 years before the birth of Siddharta Gautama, the first Buddha. We must indeed give the best of ourselves, according to our own abilities. As instructors, we have a duty to be role models for our students until they surpass us. In order to do this, we must improve our martial skills, but it also concerns all aspects of our lives : our way of thinking, our actions, our words. Linguistics can also be improved, as can our historical knowledge, don't you think ? Because Karate is not just a set of fighting techniques. For us in Okinawa, it is also a way of life. That's what we call Karate-do.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

@@Yeino YOU WROTE: “But i highly disagree with you concerning "this part of the world", since in this part of the world (i mean Europa, America and Africa), as the majority of people aren't English native speakers and pronounce it "Kara-tay" and not "Kara-tee" You have confused me there because when I say “this part of the world”, I mean the part of the world I am in i.e. the UK. I have never heard any fellow Brits or Europeans say, “Kara-tay” except when they are being overly dogmatic on pronunciation. The vast majority say, “kara-tee”. Indeed, that is the accepted English pronunciation in the Oxford English dictionary: www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/karate Click on the icon and the voice says, “Kara-tee” for both British English and American English. Webster’s does the same: www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/karate The “correct” way for an English speaker to say “Karate” would therefore be, “Kara-tee” because the word has been adopted into the English language; the OED and Webster’s being views as the authoritative sources for English. Say, “kara-tay” in this part of the world and it will confuse or come across as very pretentious. You may say it differently where you live, but that’s my point. Pronunciation varies across the globe. When in Rome, do as the Romans do and all that. I’m a Brit in the UK so I speak as one. As regards the historical stuff, I have never seen any credible evidence to support the claims made about a continuous and traceable origin from India to China to Okinawan.

[@johnnymism]

Mate you've gone down a Karate rabbit hole, kata fighting imaginary opponents and applying Bunkai from that to a non-resisting opponent doesn't work in reality. Just because it's to do with Japanese lineage and tradition doesn't make it good at that rate you could apply the" don't spar mob cause it's too dangerous" mantra. I did Karate for many years until reality actually hit me in the face and I saw Kata and bunkai as what it is , worthless. If your fighting doesn't involve someone trying to nail you then everything else is academic a theory.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

It seems clear you are not familiar with me or the views I hold. You have made a number of false assumptions that those who are familiar with me will instantly see. YOU WROTE: “kata fighting imaginary opponents and applying Bunkai from that to a non-resisting opponent doesn't work in reality.” Those familiar with what I do will be aware I believe live practise - which is goal specific - to be vital. It’s a fundamental part of the kata process. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2GVlWCHisSUpac kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXKWi3-Fg7Gka5I YOU WROTE: “you could apply the" don't spar mob cause it's too dangerous" mantra”. Again, you are wrong here. As above, sparring is vital and there are ways to ensure the so-called “too dangerous” techniques can still be used in sparring: www.iainabernethy.co.uk/content/banned-methods YOU WROTE: “I did Karate for many years until reality actually hit me in the face and I saw Kata and bunkai as what it is , worthless.” It would be wrong to assume your experience is the same as everyone else’s. It sounds like you had a relatively poor instructor - who didn’t get the kata process - and you have assumed that all karateka must share your experience. We don’t. Many karateka do get the kata process and the experience of going through it has convinced them of the value that process. YOU WROTE: “If your fighting doesn't involve someone trying to nail you then everything else is academic a theory.” You are right that live training is vital. You are wrong to think I ever said otherwise. You are also wrong to think that bunkai isn’t used in live practise against resisting partners. I wrote about the importance of live practise of kata / bunkai in my first book 23 years ago. I have never deviated from that view. It’s also the traditional view: “Martial arts progress from kata to kumite to combat” - Otsuka “Sparring does not exists apart from the kata but for the practise of the kata” - Funakoshi “Kumite is an actual fight where we use the techniques of the kata to grapple with an opponent” - Motobu And so on. I hope that helps clarify and help you to see not all karate is the same. All the best, Iain

[@freelancerblitz2579]

Kata, it’s chess for self defence