The Methods of Choki Motobu: Part 1

[@mathewswallow5195]

Great to see this video! Specifically related to drill 1a/b/c- When you study the photos of the 12 drills (p.89 of Patrick and Yuriko McCarthy Translation) you will see Motobu has his leg inside rather than outside of the opponent (1b). I would suggest trying to work with the this aspect and make sure when you step in, your inside right leg (after you step through) is pressing against the left knee of your opponent as shown in the book. A very interesting thing happens when you quickly shift your weight to move into the shiko-dachi associated with the elbow strike (1c). In 1c you will see Motobu has shifted his left leg back inline with the front right leg and his shoulders are now inline with his opponent- hence a rotational weight shift when moving into shiko-dachi.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

Thank you! In the introduction and throughout the series I make clear this is my take on Motobu’s drills as I have made some minor tweaks to bring the methods in line with our wider practises and preferences. Because the position of the enemy’s legs is unknowable, I chose the line of greatest power (i.e. I move straight forward) irrespective of where the enemy’s legs are. I agree that the hips must rotate when elbowing, so the front foot moves in regardless (see next episode and also see solo “kata version” in following episodes). My changes are minor, but there are some others too that will be highlighted as we progress i.e. I have avoided unnecessary duplication of ideas, I am not keen on ippon-ken in drill 10, I avoid what I see as unnecessary grip changes, etc. Motobu don’t strike me as an overly dogmatic karateka and hence I feel he would be OK with such minor alterations by a fellow pragmatist.

[@mathewswallow5195]

@@practicalkatabunkai Completely onboard with you on this. I am pretty sure Motobu would be of the thinking that -the correct technique is the one that works.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

@@mathewswallow5195 Indeed! Function over arbitrary form runs through everything he did. For example, “We must be careful not to overlook that the movements in kata are just templates; it is the function of their application which needs to be mastered.” - Choki Motobu

[@MrMeltdown]

Great to see full steps. Having been a to a couple of MMA clubs, they really don't like me switching stances (what I would call stepping) during sparring, I think it puts them off more than anything else, but allows me to pivot round both sides, without having to learn different techniques for which rotation, or have multiple options for each. One of the advantages of training both sides is you can advance and retreat really quickly with a wide base without doing multiple shuffle steps. This is really good stuff.

[@Bash-245]

I've trained in many mma clubs and never once did I have anyone have a problem with switching stance. Infact it was taught often. This may have been a boxing specialist within that mma school. for boxing traditionalists stance switching is seen as taboo. What I found most important about motobu is that he puts kata second and kumite 1st. This is very much a modern philosophy

[@engwannabeincan7383]

Great first video Sensei Ian, so practical. I can’t wait for the next part of this self defence technique. Practising self defence techniques on your own is hard, so I really look forward to learning the kata you put together from Motobu’s 12 techniques. Thank you again for sharing your experience with us.

[@dwightdhansen]

As a student of Harrill Sensei lineage Isshin Ryu, I cannot wait to see the entire series.

[@arkadiuszwidulinski5100]

As a student of Shorin-Ryu, one of the first To-Te made in Okinawa, I totally agree with Your Zenkutsu-Dachi interpretation - it is not practical in defence situation. I was practicing Karate with my older Senpai during summer break outside of dojo, at my homeyard, where the earth wasn't flat, with multiple rocks and a tufts of grass on it. Trying to use "traditional" stances was ending mostly with slips or even self-takedowns, we HAD to bent both our legs in order to be efficient moving fast on unpredictible terrain. Also shortening the distance to opponent is what we're learning from the very beggining - original Karate was made for medium to short distance, with many elbows techniques, throat/neck attacks, etc. Anyways - fenomenal content, Sensei! I'm looking forward for Your next videos!

[@adam28171]

Keep them coming!!!

[@MrRourk]

Thank you for sharing this. It is very interesting.

[@C5films]

Awesome stuff from the greatest applied karate practitioner on the planet!

[@dermotrooney9584]

Lovely! Thanks for sharing. 🌟

[@Berengier817]

Choki was the GOAT

[@davidbrewer7451]

Really interesting! Thanks, Iain!

[@haffoc]

nice. looking forward to the coming ones.

[@simonrcarson]

Fantastic stuff. I love this!

[@MarshOakDojoTimPruitt]

thanks Iain

[@lubob3]

Is there any connection between Motobu's Naianchi and his 12 drills? I couldn't glean one out from his book.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

In places and I know this is dicussed later in the series. If memory serves, I discuss it around drill 6 and during the anti-gripping drills.

[@PsycheSnacks657]

Awesome🎉

[@josefranciscocrispo6181]

Excelente!

[@MG-bi6mq]

Looking good. Would you say Naihanchi plays a substantial role in Motobu’s method or was his focus on one kata over emphasized?

[@practicalkatabunkai]

Definitely play a big part in this methodology, but he certainly knew others too.

[@karatejutsudojosociety]

A full step forward in the same time it takes to hit a front hand?

[@practicalkatabunkai]

No. You should still be moving forward as the arm hits the shoulder. The bodyweight needs to be moving for the technique to have power. We are not looking for the step to complete. The instant the weight starts to shift, then your head is not where the enemy was aiming for. In short, the method is the step (the entire step). It’s not that we need the step fully before there’s any advantage, and the step should not be fully complete at impact.

[@JDosTeclados]

Hi, iain. First, congratulatuons for this video. I have a doubt. Why, in the first move of pinan shodan (Heian nidan, in shotokan style), you apply the haiwan uke when the opponet is in a jyu kamae situation? I mean, is it possible to apply the haiwan uke like you show in your videos against a punch from the opponent, for example? Thanks

[@practicalkatabunkai]

Yes … and a ton of other things. This is one of the things that people who have trained with me in person better understand. I start pretty much all bunkai with “an arm”, not a specific technique. When the student gets it, they make that “arm” into things i.e. a punch, a filch, a throt grab, a block, a push, a poke, a stripped arm, etc. That way they can apply that bunkai in a ton of differing stations i.e. whenever they make contact with an arm. If I make it something specific in the first instance, then in the student’s mind that’s all it’s for. That’s why I don’t do it. By making it “nothing” it can be come “anything”.

[@JDosTeclados]

​@@practicalkatabunkaiThank you so much 🥋

[@michakasprzak6869]

I sometimes wonder, did we read the same books? Are you talking about the same drills I read? xD Cause what I remember from Motobu's book drill pictures was his opponents standing in the standard karate positions with hikite by the hip, all the typical nonesense. Even if the techniques itself could make sense, the enemy was standing in that low position, unable to do step back or do basically anything

[@practicalkatabunkai]

I’m looking at what Motobu himself did and described. He’s pretty clear we should never have “dead hands” and both hands should be active. I don’t care about being overly prescriptive with my uke (“opponent”) and I am happy for them to move more freely within the confines of what we are specifically drilling. We also have to take into account the limitations of photography at the time of the book. People needed to stay still for an extended period. We naturally lose the “flow” in photos anyway, but when you add in the limitations of photography at the time you’re going to get that amplified. I think I discuss this later in the series.

[@niledunn4641]

Brilliant this will help alot especially in my jujutsu training

[@3Pillers]

👍

[@sidmanazebo]

I see many fallacies in the video. There is a criticism for the training methods of Japanese karate , specially the moving back from an attack. In longer range fighting there is absolutely a valid use case for moving our of range and blitzing back in or pivoting afterwards. Just see how Machida used those techniques in the UFC. Also there seems to be a cynic view about three step sparring, however the Sensei here suggest you move into a punch essentially with your head within the centerline. this means you must time the attack of the opponent perfectly and then also be able to block his right hand . If you ever sparred a boxer you would know that they could do a blazing fast jab upper cut combo and you would be toast. Just because Motobu made it work decades ago doesn't mean it works now. Boxing itself has evolved drastically from Motobu's time and we have MMA now. The notion that Okinawa Karate is older than Japanese Karate and more traditional and hence more effective is really a myth. I would love high level masters of each style to do a NHB fight to see which one is more effective and my money would be on the JKA shotokan practitioners.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

Thanks for the post. There does seem to be some misunderstandings and assumptions about what is being shown through. You wrote: “In longer range fighting …” The drills are all to do with close-range and actively taking control. Not retreating. In general terms, you seem not to be differentiating between the methods of consensual violence (when two martial artists agree to fight) and non-consensual violence (criminal violence / self-protection) as you are cross comparing. You wrote: “ … or pivoting afterwards.” Or, better yet, immediately pivot while still in range so you can counter immediately. Why bother moving back in a straight line first. Pivoting at the very end suggests a hope the enemy follows at exactly the same pace and distance (only guaranteed in x-step sparring, which is one if it’s many problems). You wrote: “Also there seems to be a [cynical] view about three step sparring” There is. It’s pointless waste of time. I have heard lots of justifications of it, but never a solid explanation. It is a failed attempt to ape the practises of Judo and Kendo. An historical oddity. All covered in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnOxap6Ne92ijNkfeature=shared You wrote: “The notion that Okinawa Karate is older than Japanese Karate and more traditional and hence more effective is really a myth.” I agree with that. Older does not mean better. Newer does not mean better. Better means better. Motobu’s methods (that I don’t see as perfect or infallible; see whole series) are much better than “three step-sparring” for the reasons discussed in the linked video. You wrote: “Sensei here suggest you move into a punch essentially with your head within the centerline. this means you must time the attack of the opponent perfectly and then also be able to block his right hand” I have issues with blocking generally (also covered in this series and here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5vSmp9tfNaHb80feature=shared). This is also covered further on in the series. However, my head is not on the centreline of the punch. If it was, I would not be able to get my arm to the inside of his shoulder. If you like the x-step stuff, then keep doing it. I did it for decades and got nothing from it. Nothing at all. My students have benefited from dropping it too because they have more time to train things that work better. You do you though. All the best, Iain

[@sidmanazebo]

@@practicalkatabunkai thanks for the elaborate reply. to address the specific points you raised: If the intent of the video was to discuss close quarter fighting assuming there is no space to back up to , I agree with your points. I did not understand that the scope of the video was limited that range which is MOSTLY triggered by non-consensual violence as you state. This also addresses the point on pivoting which is moot in close range fighting. In longer range fighting backing up with a sudden pivot can add an element of surprise which can be effective imo. The point of three way sparring as I have been taught is to ensure that beginners can practice basic kihon with some sense of distance control without hurting the partner. If you deems this to be useless , I would then have to say that all of Kihon could be deemed useless where you executing techniques completely differently than in sparring - at least in shotokan. I also would question Kata in general. 30% of our time is wasted doing Kata and I know that you are a big proponent of Bunkai but we could certainly just focus on the application without spending endless hours trying to execute techniques in the air which maybe interpreted in multiple different ways in which they can be applied. Well your head is in not quite in the center-line but still susceptible to upper cut , you basic suggest that your left hand can effectively cover your opponent's right hand which I would argue is not easy to do if the person is a skilled puncher capable of properly throwing their weight behind the punch. No, I don't like a lot of the inefficiencies of today's karate curriculum which are mostly rooted in the fact that people want to preserve tradition. I think that as other martial arts are evolving, it is imperative that Karate does to. If you look at the Machida karate approach, this is exactly what they are trying to do. So I have no problems if you want to point out the many useless practices of karate training, but I just think you should go all the way and not stop at 3 point sparring.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

@@sidmanazebo You Wrote: “thanks for the elaborate reply” You are most welcome! You Wrote: “ … pivoting which is moot in close range fighting.” Tactical positioning at close range is extremely important. Keep the enemy on your attack line, but be off the enemy’s attack line. That assumes there is space to move too, and that’s not always the case (people, walls, traffic, you’re in a corridor, etc). You Wrote: “The point of three way sparring as I have been taught is to ensure that beginners can practice basic kihon with some sense of distance control without hurting the partner.” I disagree and that’s the point specifically addressed in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnOxap6Ne92ijNksi=1A6PnggDyjlME5g7 There are functional ways to practise, which have realistic timings and distancing, that are also appropriate for beginners. X-step sparring does not develop any transferable skills. You Wrote: “If you deems this to be useless , I would then have to say that all of Kihon could be deemed useless where you executing techniques completely differently than in sparring” No because there are functional ways to train kihon. You Wrote: “I also would question Kata in general. 30% of our time is wasted doing Kata and I know that you are a big proponent of Bunkai but we could certainly just focus on the application without spending endless hours trying to execute techniques in the air … “ Kata has a clear value (when done right). It provides a way of supplementary solo training, provides a way to do techniques with full intent without the risk of injury, it is a way to ensure continuity of knowledge, etc. More in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3zCioqmn8xnfcksi=n4T3u21ueLMV39S_ In short, kata has demonstrated it’s value to me. X-step has demonstrated its lack of value … which is why we dropped it and gained from doing so. You Wrote: “Well your head is in not quite in the center-line but still susceptible to upper cut , you basic suggest that your left hand can effectively cover your opponent's right hand which I would argue is not easy to do if the person is a skilled puncher capable of properly throwing their weight behind the punch.” No method is infallible. Not how combat works. However, taking control, closing pathways and limiting the enemy’s options while creating opportunities is MUCH more likely to work than simply trying to stop a single attack while retreating. I see value in the former and none in the latter. You Wrote: “No, I don't like a lot of the inefficiencies of today's karate curriculum which are mostly rooted in the fact that people want to preserve tradition. I think that as other martial arts are evolving, it is imperative that Karate does to. If you look at the Machida karate approach, this is exactly what they are trying to do. So I have no problems if you want to point out the many useless practices of karate training, but I just think you should go all the way and not stop at 3 point sparring.” I think I may have misunderstood your first post and some of the above? It read like you were defending 3 and 5 step sparring. I agree that preserving tradition (even false traditions such as x-step) is not a n overriding reason to keep things. X-step practises are not traditional and were a poor attempt to ape some of the practises of other “do arts” such as judo and kendo (what they do works for those arts i.e. Judo’s Naga No Kata: unbalance, unbalance, unbalance and throw, but the karate equivalent has no value because of its poor structure). I think we should see them for the historical blip they are and get back to more functional practises, as well as adopting new ones that have also shown their value. After 40+ years of kata and bunkai, I see a lot of value there. All the years of X-step didn’t convince me the practice has any value so I dropped it. I have gone “all the way” based on what I have seen and experienced. It if works, we keep it. If it works, we adopt it. If it doesn’t then we reject it. That’s why x-step is not part of what we do, but kata and bunkai is. All of us need to practise as we see fit in a way that is congruent with our goals. I don’t need people to do as I do, but I think it’s important to honestly and openly discuss things so people can consider differing perspectives and objectively assess what they do. Threads like this can be useful in that, so thank you! All the best, Iain

[@sidmanazebo]

@@practicalkatabunkai First of all Iike to echo your sentiment that these threads are very useful and I thank you for giving me the time and opportunity to present my points of view. Civil and respectful exchanges is what the world needs more of. I also like to add that I certainly cannot match your martial arts credentials and accomplishments which I highly respect; however I am a person who has been involved in multiple martial arts for few decades now evaluating each with a very critical eye in the honest pursuit of what works vs what does not. This has brought me to the conclusion that no MA is perfect but some are less flawed than others. It has also forced me to wrestle with the true reasons of why I practise martial arts. To address the specific points.: 3-step sparring: I watched your video and understand that from a Okinawan Karate practitioner's perspective this could seem useless. In the shotokan world (my style) where the objective in competitive kumite is to execute a deciding technique whilst paradoxically pulling the punch last minute, distance control is extremely important and deemed to be useful. Now you can question the whole point sparring thing in Shotokan and I wouldn't put up a fight if you did , no pun intended :). Kihon: I am not sure what you mean by training functional Kihon. Again , in the shotokan world , at least 30% and possibly more is dedicated to a Kihon practice which does not resemble at all how you would execute the techniques in a fight. You go into a deep stance , both feet are flat on the ground and you have hikite which leaves your whole body wide open while keeping your head in the center line and subject to counter punches. Unless you propose that this type of Kihon training is fully abandoned and replaced with a more Kumite adapted approach, IE, execute techniques with being on ball of your foot, keep both hands up , no hikite etc, then I don't see any possible way to make this type of training more functional. Kata: This touches upon the same points I made on Kihon. If you truly believe that the value of Kata is the Bunkai ,which BTW many senior practitioners do not believe-, Then I don't see at all how practicing these movements on your own , striking the air, they way they are performed today , are of any value. For example , I have seen Uchi-Uke to be interpreted as a throw in some Bunkai, but I have a hard time believing that me executing this 1000 times in a Kata will allow me to throw someone in a real fight. With all of the above-said, you may ask me the question as to why I am practicing Karate, when I see it to be so flawed. And the question is , I don't do it thinking I will be able to fight anyone skilled in fighting , I do it for the cultural, spiritual and health benefits with the hopes that I could defend myself against an average Joe if I put enough time into my sparring and supplementary training. Plus, I don't like to get punched in the face full force which anyone who wants to call themselves a real fighter MUST be subjected to. And I close with a question to you: In your pursuit of "trimming the fat" from Karate and bringing it back to the efficient self defense system it once deemed to be, what would you say Karate brings to the table that other modern MAs such as MMA , sambo or Sanda do not? In other words , if someone came to you and said they really wanted to learn how to fight and were undecided between MMA and your style of Karate , what would be the selling point for the latter?

[@practicalkatabunkai]

@@sidmanazebo You wrote: “In the shotokan world (my style) where the objective in competitive kumite is to execute a deciding technique whilst paradoxically pulling the punch last minute, distance control is extremely important and deemed to be useful. Now you can question the whole point sparring thing in Shotokan and I wouldn't put up a fight if you did , no pun intended :)” I’m not anti-points sparring. We don’t do it because it is not congruent with our training objectives, but I know plenty of people who really enjoy it so more power to them. However, I think they would agree that three-step and five-step are still pointless there because the timing and distancing of x-step sparring isn’t the same those of point sparring. It’s why I feel it’s a martial dead end for all functional purposes i.e. x-step does not develop skills for any from of combat. People can do it for fun or exercise and that would be entirely legitimate. However, I’ve never seen a pragmatic claim that I feel stands up to examination. You wrote: “Kihon: I am not sure what you mean by training functional Kihon. Again , in the shotokan world , at least 30% and possibly more is dedicated to a Kihon practice which does not resemble at all how you would execute the techniques in a fight … IE, execute techniques with being on ball of your foot, keep both hands up , no hikite etc, then I don't see any possible way to make this type of training more functional.” Can’t say I see that. There are times where you do want a hand on the hip (i.e. pulling the enemy’s arm out of the way), heel down (when locked on to the enemy and stability can be an issue), etc. We do that in Kihon, and we also do the guard up and heel up kihon too for the times where that would be appropriate. It’s how karate has always been for me since I was a 11-year-old white belt. We drill all that solo, on pads and in realistic ways with a partner. X-step is not realistic, but there are ways to train all the standard kihon is realistic ways. You wrote: “Kata: This touches upon the same points I made on Kihon. If you truly believe that the value of Kata is the Bunkai which BTW many senior practitioners do not believe Then I don't see at all how practicing these movements on your own , striking the air, they way they are performed today , are of any value.” The videos I linked above covers that. Kata is not enough on its own. You can’t just do motions solo and end the process there. However, as part of the wider kata process it has a valuable role to play. To give one simple example, it gives the karateka the opportunity to do methods full speed and force, with the associated visualisation, which would be dangerous with a partner. This can help mitigate the issue of always training safely with a partner so people aren’t always going it with control and a safety mindset; which can create habits that would undermine actual application. Kata has proved its value to me. If others don’t see it, then they can legitimately abandon kata or maybe look again with the help of those who better understand it. If I thought it has no value I would dump it as I have with other things, but that’s not been the case. You wrote: “I don't do it thinking I will be able to fight anyone skilled in fighting , I do it for the cultural, spiritual and health benefits with the hopes that I could defend myself against an average Joe if I put enough time into my sparring and supplementary training.” That’s entirely valid. People train for lots of different reasons and if the way you are training works for you and your goals, then you’re doing it right. My issue was when I thought you were claiming x-step sparring was functional. That’s not a subjective claim but an objective one. You wrote: “I close with a question to you: In your pursuit of "trimming the fat" from Karate and bringing it back to the efficient self defense system it once deemed to be, what would you say Karate brings to the table that other modern MAs such as MMA , sambo or Sanda do not? In other words , if someone came to you and said they really wanted to learn how to fight and were undecided between MMA and your style of Karate , what would be the selling point for the latter” I enjoy karate more than all the other arts I have done. I like the way it structures training, its holistic nature, it’s functionality and I also like feeling part of a tradition. It’s totally fine with me if people found other arts better suited their needs. We should all seek the one we enjoy the most that also meets our training goals. If people like what we do, then they are welcome to join us. If people don’t like it, then I have no issue with them finding something they do like. I’m not seeking to sell what I do to all, but simply make it available to those who do find it useful. I am not randomly carving away at karate, but removing the newer, non-traditonal practises that I see has having no practical value while keeping the older ones that have. We have also resurrected older practises that were common in the past but are often lacking in modern karate. Furthermore, I am happy to add new training methods if I feel they help (just as the karateka of the past did). That living tradition is functional and fun for me and mine. We like it and it gives us what we are seeking. All the best, Iain

[@stm5258]

Giants teaching smaller people

[@ikerobx]

The true blocks making it impossible for tge opponent to attack; I would say that means you knock out your opponent with the initial block, just an opinion.

[@bajuszpal172]

Sorry Sir, five minutes lost to beginners, but good idea in explaining attacking by retracting first leg and then stepping slantly outside while performing a block or slash on the opponentś front hand, and simultaneousl attacking his torso with the rear hand. Diagonal movements ar more commong in real fights., could hsve slso beren emphassized. Best regards. Paul, 69

[@RueTheDay001]

As a 51 year old who started his martial arts journey in Okinawan karate at age 12, went through a Jeet Kune Do phase, and then ended up in Muay Thai and later BJJ (finally earned my black belt last year) let me save you some time - there's really no "there" there in TMAs and the only bigger waste of time than practicing kata is analyzing kata to try and find hidden bunkai amongst all the goofy movements. Start by reading Matt Thornton's original "Aliveness" essay and then go sign up at your local BJJ gym, preferably one that also offers a Muay Thai program.

[@666Havers]

Some people like training karate and exploring the history and are not out there to prove my style is better than yours.

[@practicalkatabunkai]

As a 53-year-old, who has been training for 42 years, I have found karate to be an amazing martial art that has more than adequately met all my needs. Probably too late to try to “save me some time”, but you will be relieved to know that I feel the time has been very well spent :-) Your post suggests you don’t fully get the “kata process”, and that’s entirely understandable as many karateka don’t get it either. “Aliveness” is part of it. We are supposed to take the methods and principles of the kata into live training (as per the advice of Funakoshi, Motobu, Mabuni. Miyagi, etc). This video on the four stages of kata from seven years ago may help (stage 4 is the alive bit): kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2GVlWCHisSUpacsi=sbPdQaGXeaIkW4BL Karate - as you experienced it - didn’t work out for you. You clearly found it ineffective and unenjoyable. I am pleased you have found something that better suits your needs. However, you may want to consider that other people have other experiences and not everyone needs to do as you do. Your post suggests you are also unaware of what this video is about because it’s not about kata. It’s about the two-person drills and methods of Choki Motobu; who was instrumental in spreading karate after his widely reported defeat of much younger and bigger Ukrainian boxer in what could retroactively be seen as early an “MMA bout”. I like his stuff and find it interesting. Again, totally fine if you don’t.

[@haffoc]

So since we’re giving resumes, I’ve been practicing karate since 1970. Also trained in MMA, boxing, freestyle wrestling and judo. I used to agree with you that practicing kata was a waste of time, primarily because of all the ‘goofy’ movements. But I’ve changed that opinion. There’s some good that can come from studying kata. It depends on how you approach the kata. First, I think it’s important to view the kata as a kind of textbook of FUNDAMENTAL techniques and not as some arid dance. This especially true of the Pinans/Heians, but also of the others as well. Don’t look for fancy complicated interpretations but for simple practical ones. You break out individual movements and practice them with a partner against various types of attacks to understand how the movement might address such attacks and how if at all it has to be modified from the kata form to make it practical. Don’t assume that a series of movements is a combination; it may be but probably can’t be practically interpreted as one. Focus on individual movements. Don’t be concerned about the embusen and stuff like that. There is only one enemy and he is in front of you. Finally, don’t take the movements literally and try to make your interpretation precisely mirror the kata movement. The kata movement is symbolic, representational, meant to suggest the actual interpretation rather than precisely mirror it. Motobu says essentially this in one of his books in his presentation of naihanchi. When taking another look at the kata, I used as a model how men fought in bareknuckle boxing bouts of the 19th century. If you have access to manuals from that period (and there are literally hundreds of them), you’ll see stuff that is very karate-like. Using this model to inform your interpretation of kata, you can arrive at practical interpretations for many kata movements, particularly those in the Pinans, Bassai and Kanku Dai.

[@RueTheDay001]

@@practicalkatabunkai Honest question - are these 12 two person drills typically practiced at full speed and full power against a completely resisting training partner? Or like most bunkai/application training are they practiced at like 50% speed and 10% power against a training partner who just stands there after the initial attack?

[@practicalkatabunkai]

@@RueTheDay001The drills aren’t sparring. They are not an alternative to sparring either. They inform us of the kind of things we could do in sparring (and ultimately combat). Pretty much the same in all martial arts. We start with the complaint practise of a technique or drill. We then move on from that to integrate the methodology into live drills / sparring that increase in intensity. As per the above post and linked video, that’s how the bunkai side of things works too. I don’t think there is anything unique or unusual here. As well as karate, that’s how it works in all the other arts I have studied too. For example, Judo will teach it’s throws slowly and compliantly first (so you can learn the technique) and then it is integrated into live practise. Uchikomi and technical training is not an alternative to Randori, but instead they are something that informs what should be done in Randori. Hope that helps.