Geki Sai Dai San Bunkai for Goju Ryu

Last week: Geki Sai Dai San kata. This week: the matching Geki Sai Dai San Bunkai. Marvel as Deshi Brian flies and crashes majestically!
Tickets now on sale for our Zoom seminar: www.eventbrite.com/e/back-to-...
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
02:36 - A very short announcement
02:51 - Ko-uke bunkai
03:26 - Palm strike/Shotei and solar plexus block
04:51 - Open hand gedan berai
05:35 - Hike uke to to reverse shotei
07:37 - Open hand strike/heito/ridge hand
08:37 - Hike uke, mawashi uke, kake uke
09:46 - Ending of the kata
11:55 - Advanced version: first embusen of Geki Sai Dai San
13:10 - Quick segue: why do we have embusen?
15:38 - Hike-uke up to reverse shotei embusen
17:57 - Heito strike up to end of kata
20:30 - Geki Sai Dai San as a sandbox kata
21:28 - Conservation vs preservation in the martial arts
23:48 - Summary
References:
On Sen no Sen and Go No Sen:
pdfcoffee.com/dave-lowry-the-...
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Video produced by:
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[@markfisher2683]

"Interesting". ha- Good answer! I wonder if that was the first time that Brian was ever even asked that question;). Or if it was meant rhetorically;)?? Great bunkai flow video, and, as always, a clearly joyous experience for the Teacher, and The Editor;), which is always a pleasure to observe!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Sometimes we ask Brian what he thinks, but mostly he is expected to keep up his deshi journal, just as I did. I'm so glad I kept that record, that book is a gem of insight (and a collection of cringe and whine 🤣) This was so much fun to edit - it didn't do as well as other videos but it doesn't matter. We will always make the videos we like making, knowing that the right people will find them 🤗

[@donmiguelcC]

I want to share with you my views, I myself am Godan in Okinawan GojuRyu and have had the privilege to train under some of the best instructors. Dr Frankie speed Mitchell of black belt magazine is my uncles instructor. I have seen your videos and I’m very much impressed when I see some good Goju, it pains me when some prior students of Goju give the art a negative view or refer to our style as old man Karate. I have studied different styles from tae Kwon do, aikido, wing chin, southern Shaolin, and tiger crane. To me Goju is the total package not only does it focus in fighting but extreme physical conditioning which is necessary to execute the techniques within, if a fighter can’t take a punch he is always doomed. Sanchin kata is more valuable than most people think. Sanchin is a form of hard chi kung or chi gung energy exercise to build a well fortified physique. Your videos are very informative and you can tell when a person has trained for a long time because they can readily find the tactics within the style and effectively apply them. You have done this in every video I sent you display. The numerous bunkai are well thought out and well applied. Your an amazing teacher. Your student do not have an idea of the treasure that lies before them. I’ve seen some horrible Goju ryu teachers on KZbin like Calasanz channel who claims to have train under chojun Miyagi and his technique is pitiful. Sir you are amazing and it’s great to compare ideas with great instructors of our style.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

It is such an honour and delight to receive a comment of this calibre on our little channel - we are working hard to dispel the idea that a) karate is useless and b) goju isn't as good as a WKF-based style. It is so important that it is seen as the well-rounded style that it is, and we are pushing back against the narrative that only the MMA-blessed styles are effective (BJJ, kickboxing etc). Sure, none of our videos are catchy and viral, but we are hoping that, in the long run, we can help change people's minds and understanding of what Goju Ryu really is about. So thank you so much for taking the time to share these thoughts - it reinvigorates us so much, especially when it feels like we're swimming upstream. All the best, Ché & Zoë

[@ShoshinMartialArts]

Your ideas are really cool nd there are possibilities. Great work…congratulations to your effort 👏👏👏💐💐💐🙇🏻. I would like to appreciate your student Mr.brian , because he is helping you improve your ideas nd skills 👏

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Ah what a lovely comment! Thank you so much for your kind and beautiful words - we hope to continue bringing you the best content we can 🤗

[@ShoshinMartialArts]

@@GojuRyuKarateCentre I really appreciate your kind words. You are encouraging the people like me with your effort, those who are seeking knowledge. I believe knowledge is power. I’m a open minded karateka, so I can understand nd accept your ideology 🙏.

[@stevegray4012]

More great info, love the interpretations

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you so much, Steve!

[@davinaerwee2349]

Great video. Smiles from Qatar.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Big hugs for Qatar!

[@koshinryukempo3570]

Methinx i felt Brian deshi shudder with the prefatory "he's alive... for a little while at least."🤕. Another gem from the GRKC team. Great discourse on preservation vs. conservation. Love watching Ché Sensei getting 'playfull' as the bunkai waxes brutal. One of the few explicating/exploring bunkai involving receiving and countering with the same hand. This concept was/is axiomatic in Motobu Choki's "true kumite". Interesting that, although 90+% of people are right handed, all the Goju kaishu kata open with a right foot/hand forward kamae (i.e. southpaw). My first Sensei explained this as a tactic to keep the dominant hand closest to targets/first to engage incoming attacks, and had LOTS of bunkai for each kata blending receiving/countering with the same (right) hand. Easy to forget the source arts were developed inductively (i.e. from the ground up, with an emphasis on stacking the odds in one's favour in a survival situation... not "who wins the trophy" but "who gets to go home?" Karate kempo goshin JUTSU!). Sport karate has subverted this logic by insinuating the gloved-fist, left foot forward, combat sport engagement posture as orthodoxy. Consistent with this assumption, I've always taught kata AND bunkai in mirror image (i.e. starting on the left side facing engagement) to left-handed students. Why should the left-hand dominant have to rewire their brain to learn karate? Does learning Japanese enhance developments of physical skill-sets? For a left-hander, learning right-handed karate (ever seen a left-handed instructor?) is analogous to learning a 2nd language. Anyway, most likely the ravings of a drooling lunatic...thanks to Sensei's Ché n Zoë, n Brian 'crash test dummy' deshi for another edifying and insightful episode.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Not at all droolings, but an edifying and complete explanation of the why of how each kata starts! I actually only know one left-handed instructor (and he's a nightmare when it comes to randori, floors me each time) - the vast majority of instructors and students are right handed. And while the early kata are more symmetrical, the later ones aren't, so we have to consider the prelevance of right handedness. Apologies for responding so late - it has been a crazy two weeks (years)

[@CJ-uf6xl]

Absolutely brilliant! Thank you.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting, CJ! We truly appreciate it 🙇🏻‍♀️

[@barbarba7]

Great job everyone. Great watch.... Well done Zoë with the editing. Brilliant

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you so much, Barbs! :)

[@tombob641]

as always brilliant

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Too kind! Thank you :)

[@jaybernard9292]

Sensei ... your scientific approache to our martial art is inspiring. Domo Ariagato ! P.S.: absorving knowledge is like drinking water ... we should try several fountains , learn the differences , learn the tastes ... thus increasing our options 🙏

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

A beautiful analogy - one we will definitely share with our students

[@jaybernard9292]

@@GojuRyuKarateCentre Pls do share Sensei. It is a honour for me to some how have inspired you too 🙏. Knowledge can come from the most unexpected places. So keeping an open mind is fundamental to learn and also to teach 🙏🫶🥋

[@blackreddemon666]

Made my day.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Ah, that brings us such joy to hear :)

[@jordanthomasvisser]

Hi sensei Che, sensei Zoe. Wanted to say love the videos!

[@chejagger1]

Awesome Jordan Glad you are enjoying it

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

So lovely to hear from you, Jordan!

[@noelsouza6930]

Bravo oss

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Thank you! 🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

[@jonasjpm1989]

Excelente

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@terrysanders2817]

Hi Che and Zoe, Greatly enjoyed your ending remarks about expanding one's knowledge via alternative bunkai and essentially keeping up with the times. Mastery should not prima facie be bestowed on old martial artists. In my opinion, the olde farts cannot rest on tradition. Respect comes from interpersonal skills and knowledge, not from grey fading to white hair! Be well, Terry

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

We know you are a kindred spirit after our own hearts! And even when reading the work of the old founders, even they were wary already of the threats of style fractures and egos. None of them called themselves Shihan and expected to be feted as such. Ché has never been good at following the kind of "because I said so" authority that so many people lean on - it's why he is, fondly, the enfant terrible of South African karate 🤭 As always, a delight and pleasure to hear from you, Sensei!

[@jasonmorgan2799]

Whoa!!

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Beautiful kata, better bunkai 💪

[@danielehrhardt5504]

the open hand strike at 07:37 reminds me a bit of Naihanchi (Tekki) Shodan's opening sequence and of the application of shuto uke, generally speaking

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Definitely! It's a pity Naifunchin/Naihanchi gets neglected, because it is such a great kata with some truly delightful bunkai 💪

[@FirstDan2000]

I really enjoy these bunkai. Very technical, clearly untold hours and hours of development have been poured into these and also the kata. I was nodding in agreement when you pointed out similar movements from Sepai, for example.- And that is traditional. I have to disagree with the golden comment shown at the beginning of your excellent video.. In fact I would go further and suggest that you are actually following in the footsteps of Miyagi. He didn't inherit the syllabus that he passed on. He added to it, and was actually "blasphemous" himself when he created Gekisai Dai Ichi in 1940. Almost all of those movements in that kata can be found within other kata,.(I've lost count of the amount of times I've started Sanseru and ended up in Gekisai- and facing the wrong way) It looks to me like you have adopted the same approach he had. I'm in full agreement with what you said at the end of the video. Conservation is a far better word to use than preservation: We all want to preserve what we inherited from our own senseis, But none of us want it to be 'copy and paste' karate.

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Ché does keep getting into minor trouble every now and then for being curious and creative - he upset a 6th dan once because he was playing around with the lines of a Fukyu kata 🤭 unfortunately, the orthodoxy and dogma of karate is the thing that puts it at most risk of extinction. I personally believe in treating it as living and dynamic, fitting the body of the practitioner and growing with us while maintaining its original purpose: self-defense and self-improvement. Thank you for always taking the time to write us such lovely comments, and my apologies for taking so long to respond 🙇🏻‍♀️

[@Burvedys]

What can I comment there? We're all doomed and I see that blasphemy intensifies... :o)

[@chejagger1]

I’ve doomed everybody!! Hope you are well , Thanks for all the gems you share and the humor that you bring C

[@GojuRyuKarateCentre]

Maybe the reason the punching bags are never still is Miyagi-Sensei is bleak with us and knows that creaking noise drives us up the wall

[@Burvedys]

@@GojuRyuKarateCentre : but sacrificing brians won't tame his spirit, methinks.