Practical Kata Bunkai: Naihanchi / Tekki Basic Clinch Bunkai & Drills

www.iainabernethy.co.uk/
This video looks at some aspects of the clinch bunkai of Naihanchi / Tekki. It was filmed at a three-day seminar in North Carolina in December 2014. As is always the case with these short videos, it can’t possibly capture the whole methodology and needs to be viewed on that basis. The seminar covered many other clinch techniques and related live drills, of which this clip was part.
If you would like to know more about this aspect of Naihanchi / Tekki Shodan then I would direct you towards the DVD “Beyond Bunkai” which covers the related unscripted, semi-live drills for the kata.
It was a most enjoyable weekend and I hope this little extract is of interest!
All the best,
Iain

[@crypsisjim]

Iain Abernethy is the only guy teaching kata applications that make sense in terms of their relation to the kata movements and real effective technique. I am getting interested in Karate again after a nearly 25 year vacation with other arts thanks to this man. Anyone who had ever studied Karate kata should watch this stuff, really eye opening.

[@TheLegendZordon]

crypsisjim - there are LOTS of people doing really good bunkai. You just have to know where to look!

[@crypsisjim]

@@TheLegendZordon If you could reccomend any more for me that would be great.

[@TheLegendZordon]

@@crypsisjim If you were in Southeast Michigan or Northeast Illinois I could introduce you to many that don't have KZbin. KZbin-wise have you heard of Matt Brown or Jesse Enkamp? I've seen them do some really great bunkai!

[@crypsisjim]

@@TheLegendZordon Thanks for the reccomendations, I'll check those out. Jesse Enkamp rings a bell TBH. I'm in Scotland, no where near Dakota or Michigan. Cheers though.

[@jfecapewell]

@@crypsisjim Cameron Quinn is an excellent source of knowledge as well

[@sylvie20101]

Sensei Iain turns kata into fighting systems. Probably as they were originally intended. Who can now say Kata is not applicable, after seeing this man. answer : NOBODY.

[@KenpoKid77]

Sadly, due to lack of understanding, many will still try to say it's not applicable. It will take continued analysis, practice and two-man drilling and application to fully appreciate and understand such things.

[@terryshaw5503]

I am so happy to see the Karate-Do/ Tang Soo Do, Katas being taught the right way!

[@carlosensei1]

What I like about these applications of Naihanchi is how much sense they make. Fantastic....Thank you for posting this great clip. Osu

[@MrEMT4466]

WOW. Karate in it's' REAL intricate and VERY EVOLVED!!!!

[@teeemartinez]

Iain, Thank You ! The applications and practice drills increase my understanding of the kata. Thank You.

[@riversidema]

Love your insights, love your humor too!

[@beedoubleu]

Thank you for posting.. being 500+ miles from my nearest styles instructor.. your bunkai add much valued depth.

[@MasterBrianJohns]

Brilliant stuff!

[@richardcampbell979]

I love this Kata- "Tekki".

[@opiskelu6097]

Now this is practical. Thank you sir!

[@trikkvyyk-mennae9430]

Excellent!

[@edwardglenn9310]

Iain you’re Alan Turing of kata!

[@NYKgjl10]

If you guys have an opportunity, you need to get his Tekki Shodan video on DVD...Very similar to this drill but in greater detail that you won't find anywhere else guaranteed.

[@morandoembalneariocamboriu8541]

Incredible! It has effective use in modern combat once muay Thay fighters love to clinch

[@phillipmoore9012]

Motobu Choki was well-known for testing his Karate in street fights and accepting challenges. This was not favored by the other pioneers of Karate back then converting Tote Kenpo into Karate-do. I bring this up because Choki Motobu's curriculum heavily favored Naihanchi kata. In my line through Gichin Funakoshi, I could never make any sense out of the Naihanchi kata as it certainly had nothing to do with any sort of modern sparring. Even Funakoshi studied Naihanchi and evidently little else for a about a decade, then later 'taught' shodan in all of his books. His first two books only included three kata completely, including Naihanchi Shodan. Clearly, Naihanchi included much of the 'essence' of early karate, which karateka have been trying to figure out for about a century now. Iain Abernethy has a very satisfying 'grasp' of the Naihanchi kata.

[@MrEMT4466]

WOW!!!!!

[@AcceleratingUniverse]

The kick is a leg pick imo. It's really common in shuai jiao.

[@deanmarquis4325]

I can see that bunkai in Sanchin

[@dmfaccount1272]

if both your hands are up how do you defened against knees to the torso which are one of the main attacks used when the opponent has this grip? Just breaking their posture before they get the chance to throw a knee?

[@practicalkatabunkai]

Thanks for the question. The only time the enemy can do nothing to you is when he is unconscious. If conscious, they can always do something. The trick is to ensure the things they can do are less numerous and less potent than the things we can do i.e. the odds are tilted in our favour. The main place we don’t want to get hit is the head; because when that goes, everything else goes with it. So, we tie up the arms and limit the punching, elbowing and headbutting options first and foremost. The option of kneeing and low kicks remains for both us and the enemy. We need to overwhelm with our own low attacks (4:55) rather than worry too much about what the enemy may do. We should force them to be in a reactive position as we dominate. While that is happening, we have the best grip up top too because the enemy can’t strike, whereas we can hit with the forearm. We keep hitting fast and hard with the aim of making the enemy surrender the grip on the neck, so we can seek to escape. I hope that helps clarify. Thanks once again for the support of the video. All the best, Iain

[@dmfaccount1272]

Thank you for answering my question. I only asked about this as I know in Muay Thai when a tie like that is used knees are often thrown so I was wondering if kata had an answer for that. Your concept makes sense however.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

You’re welcome. As you pointed out, turning the enemy can also limit their ability to throw knees because they need both feet down to maintain stability. Thanks once again for the support!

[@practicalkatabunkai]

​@Franz Mordhau I think you’ve misunderstood. We can defend the knees if they are thrown (spike, off balance, etc), but the aim is to have the enemy reacting to what we do; not the other way around. We need the dominate grip and have the most potent options available, but as stated in the original post, “If conscious, they can always do something. The trick is to ensure the things they can do are less numerous and less potent than the things we can do …”. The enemy can throw knees, just as we can, but our mind set is to ensure dominance and escape; not to fear being kneed to the point where it gets in the way of achieving the objective. All the best, Iain

[@practicalkatabunkai]

@Franz Mordhau Yes, but your original question was, “But how do you stop the knees?” and I’m trying to answer that within the wider context. If I abandon the grip and just cover potential knees, then I lose all control and my head is wide open. By obsessing about the knees, I put myself in a far weaker position … so we seek the dominant position, but that does not eliminate the enemy’s ability to knee. We accept that as a given. As per the original post, “The only time the enemy can do nothing to you is when he is unconscious. If conscious, they can always do something.” By seeking to overwhelm and escape, we reduce the opportunity for the enemy to throw knees, but that does not mean that they can’t possibly throw them because they only time they truly can’t is when they are unconscious, or we have fully escaped. We can be in an advantageous position; but we are never in an invulnerable position. If then enemy starts kneeing, then we address it then. Otherwise, we seek dominace. I hope that helps.

[@guenterwograndl3234]

Der Typ ist SEHR ~ GUT ! 👊 ~ 🙏 ~ 👌 Welchen Dan Grad hatt er?

[@practicalkatabunkai]

Vielen Dank!

[@davidbarnwellutech4663]

Have you ever looked at the possible bunkai in ITF TaeKwonDo patterns..for example in this one? Po-Eun. kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXK8hnaVjc-XqNU I'm asking because I'm still trying to work it out..especially in the first three movements. Here are my thoughts so far:- 1)The first movement seems to be the standard startle response. 2) Then, I, the defender, move to what I know, my enemy's left side. 3) In L stance (60-40 weight distribution) I, grab my attackers left hand with my right whilst slamming my left forearm or hammerfist/side fist into his jaw. That occurs in the right L-stance, middle- outer-foream guarding block. (Here's where I start to get confused). 4) This movement looks like a) I'm grabbing and moving his head down and to his left(my right) b) I'm doing this with my left hand whilst c) lifting his left, possibly, guarding hand (back?) and away with my right hand whilst d) kneeing him in the face with my right knee. Does that sound logical? I haven't worked out the rest yet. There are two official explanations for the applications, the bunkai, if you will, of those movements. 1)The older one, in Gen. Choi's text on ITF TKD, says that the movent with the raised knee AFTER the L-stance is an uppercut of sorts to an attacker who approached from the rear. To that I say, hmm. That's a strange one legged uppercut, that is. 2)The second, newer, more modern, explanation is that that movement has NO real application. The hands are just placed that way as a balance for the pressing kick (low side kick to the knee that comes after. I like NEITHER of those explanations. I'm sticking with mine, for now. That said, my bunkai, does not explain just who I'd be attacking with the right pressing kick after I've hit my enemy with my knee. It can't be my original enemy because there is no way his knee would be there. I'm still trying to figure it out. Any insights you might be willing to offer would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[@davidholland1493]

Ive studied ITF applications for years and my conclusion is that Po Eun is a collection of 5 mini katas. It contains a front grab defense, rear one arm choke defense, rear bear hug defense, side headlock defense, and front headlock defense. It uses movements from Naihanchi, but the sets and the bunkai are not related. I treat the heaven hand as a push to the face. The next two movements are used to lock their shoulder via controlling their left wrist and elbow. The upward arm is pulling up their elbow. Combining this with a sweep to their leg (one leg stance) turns them, so you kick in their knee and finish with a knife hand strike to their neck. This is difficult to describe in text, but this is the application that makes the most sense to me.