OK, I usually post about bunkai (applications to traditional martial arts). However, this is funny and about Capoeira.
Enjoy!!
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
Team Bunkai: Anan - Japanese Female National Team
OK, not all of the bunkai demonstrated here is realistic or practical. However it is a great display of skill and ingenuity. It is a show, so enjoy it for what it is:
Kanshiwa Bunkai
Some interesting bunkai which is probably not getting as much attention as it deserves on Youtube:
Thought provoking karate video
I usually look for videos about kata bunkai, but this one is different. Although not about bunkai, it is quite thought provoking and well worthy of being passed on
Xingyiquan
Here's a look at Damo Mitchell, founder of Lotus Nei Gong performing Xing Yi Quan (one of the rarer Chinese martial arts). Although I normally promote videos with a more instructional break down of bunkai (applications) this is still a great video, by somebody who really knows what he is doing. I'll vouch for that as I've trained with him, and I would highly recommend him and the Lotus Nei Gong Association. If you are interested in learning internal martial arts and qi gong properly, with no "new age" nonsense, then you should check out the Lotus Nei Gong website and see if there is a club near you.
Monday, 20 September 2010
7 Questions to Enhance Your Bunkai
From Ikigaiway.com
Without bunkai (applications), kata is little more than pre-arranged dancing. The hands can be flowing in exciting and vibrant ways but if we never discover the meaning of the motion then our time would be much better spent hitting a heavy bag or sparring.
Bunkai is the key to developing useful and effective techniques preserved for us by those individuals who developed and tested them in fierce, life protection situations. Over the course of time much of the true meaning of these movements has either been lost or purposefully disguised. If your desire is to unlock some of the skills of our predecessors, you'll need to know the right questions in order to find the best answers.
The following are seven things to ask yourself that might illuminate your kata in a different (and hopefully productive) way. These are in no particular order and are not prescriptive. Use some when you can and invent others.
1. Can I change the angle in which I address my opponent?
Many times during bunkai we assume that an opponent is coming straight from the front or from the sides, and that we must stay directly in front of them and try to defend. What happens if you cut a 45 degree angle during your technique? What if turning from left to right allowed you to arc around the same opponent instead of addressing a new one?
2. What came just before and what is coming right after?
When we learn kata, it generally occurs in a set cadence. Step1 – block up. Step2 – block down. Step3 – punch kiai! That being the case, our mind generally sections itself off in those little boxes. It is our job to look at what is occurring right before our current technique and right after and how the body moves from one to the next. Stringing techniques together makes for a more devastating outcome to your opponent.
3. Am I utilizing all of the technique or just the end piece?
Techniques are often more dynamic than we give them credit for. Take for example the knife hand block. When we perform a knife hand block we generally step somewhere, prep the block, and then shoot the block out. The block itself is what we use to defend against an attack, but what about all the stuff that came before it? Can't we use that too? Can't the body shift be used to off-balance or attack our opponent, and can't the prep be used to either defend or attack?
4. Can I condense the number of opponents I have to face to get through my applications?
If you find yourself going through a dozen bad guys for your bunkai you may be too segmented. In order to mentally escape from a tricky technique we often dismiss the current bad guy and invite a new one in from a different direction. Worse yet, if we are using two hands at once and don't really know what's going on we might invite two bad guys to attack us at once from different directions. Multiple opponent training is valuable, but kata is not suggesting that GuyA is likely to kick low while GuyB punches from behind. Those scenarios are too unlikely and miss the real intent of what's happening. Condense the number of opponents as much as possible.
5. Are my opponents behaving naturally and with likely techniques, or am I forcing them into increasingly unlikely scenarios?
Patrick McCarthy Sensei developed the acronym HAPV, or habitual acts of physical violence. The point of HAPV is to keep focused on the techniques you are most likely to encounter. Furthermore, the longer you make the string of actions done by your uke the more unlikely an actual attacker will follow that pattern. Therefore, when performing bunkai, we want our opponents acting as naturally as possible. If the opponent has to punch, step back punch, step back punch, step back block up and receive your strike, you've asked your uke to behave in a way they never would in real life.
6. Have I affected my opponent in a way that makes more technique work?
Let's say you manage to block your opponent (so far so good). You then put them in a wrist lock or arm bar in order to control them. That progression seems very effective, especially after years of training, and generally works in the dojo. However, if you've ever come across a live opponent who is experiencing adrenaline dump you'll know that manipulating that arm is extremely difficult. Your attempts to bar or lock it will be met with iron resistance and counter punches to your face. Always be sure to negatively affect your opponent as soon as possible, then go into more technique.
7. What is the emotional content of my encounter?
What kind of scenario is your kata taking place in? Is it a school yard pushing match? Is it a life or death home invasion? The emotional environment you place yourself in is going to alter your bunkai dramatically. Your technique may need to restrain or it may need to kill.
Mental Gymnastics
With all of these questions/problems/complications we have to address the concept of simplicity. In a real life altercation, your simplest and most effective techniques will be the ones that help you. Thinking about responses in the heat of the moment will keep you one step behind your opponent.
Why then bother with all of this business about bunkai? Shouldn't we simply practice a series of basic, effective techniques and avoid the mental gymnastics?
The short term answer is yes. For the first 5-6 years of your training you need to become "brilliant at the basics", as Bill Hayes Sensei would say. Without a rock solid foundation and instinctual integration of your style's stances, punches, and basic techniques nothing else can be built firmly. However, once you do achieve that level of proficiency, you acquire the privilege of exploring your art even deeper and improving the way you go about your business.
Simple techniques practiced a certain way seem like the best option until you learn how to improve them. That doesn't necessarily mean complicate them. Instead the goal is to find ways to improve your angle, distance, timing, striking locations, and technique progression in order to enhance what's already been built. This style of study leads to an understanding of tichiki, or "what the hand is doing", which can be used extemporaneously with great percentage of success.
Thursday, 16 September 2010
Tai Chi practical applications
OK, Tai Chi does not use the term "bunkai", but they still have their applications, and here are a few of them from Graham at Bath Tai Chi.
Practical TaeKwonDo
Some more TKD bunkai (applications) from Matthew Sylvester, the author of Practical TaeKwonDo.
Tae Kwon Do Bunkai
Most bunkai that I forward is from a Karate/Kung Fu perspective. This is mainly because I do Karate and my friend who I work with does Kung Fu. However, I would like to include a few more applications from the TaeKwonDo perspective.
If any TKD practitioners have any interesting applications that they would like to share with the wider community, then please submit them to my website at www.BunkaiJutsu.com
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
New DVD: Inside Bassai Dai (Karate Kata Bunkai)
By BunkaiJutsu
Break down of Bassai Dai and its bunkai, taking into account the historical context in which Bassai Dai was created and the requirements of its author, Soken "Bushi" Matsumura. As Head Bodyguard to the King of Okinawa, Masumura and his men were unarmed (by Japanese rule) and could well be outnumbered by men who were heavily armed.
Matsumura was a brilliant and dedicated (some say fanatical) martial artists. Bassai Dai was his kata. To get an insight into how this brilliant master may have coped with a situation that would over-whelm lesser men, we have to look into the mind of the man himself. The only way we can do that today is to look Inside Bassai Dai.
One of Matsumura's needs would be to ruthlessly incapacitate people very quickly without worrying about locks, restraints or multiple techniques against each opponent. It is possibly from this scenario that Karate developed it's maxim, "one hit, one kill". For this reason we refer to what the World renowned teacher, Kevin O'Hagan, refers to as the "ABC of Manstoppers".
A = Airways (can't breath – can't fight).
B = Blood (stop blood supply to the brain, person passes out).
C = Consciousness (points of high probability to knock an opponent unconscious).
"This DVD delivers a down to earth and realistic look at the often misunderstood Kata of Karate. Simple to follow and easy to understand. It is great to see Charlie Wildish incorporating my ABC system of manstoppers in to his karate, it is must have principle for any serious combat martial artist. Good work Charlie".
Kevin O'Hagan: 7th Dan Combat JuJutsu, 6th Dan British Combat Association.
As there would likely be superior numbers of men trying to restrain & control Matsumura and his men, they would need generic releases that work well under pressure and quickly turn the tables on the opponent. My own Sensei, Paul Mitchell, always teaches that Bassai Dai is a grappling kata. When you look at Bassai Dai with Matsumura's requirments in mind, releases and escapes where you regain the advantage very quickly are abound in this kata.
"This DVD is a must for any true Karateka who is interested in uncovering the essence of Bunkai, and understanding the true meaning of Kata."
Mark Winkler: 6th Dan Wado Ryu Karate, Qualified Systema Instructor
"Imaginative, practical and effective bunkai applications presented in a refreshingly relaxed manner. It's as simple as ABC!"
Rob Jones: 5th Dan Shotokai Karate.
When most Okinawans were practicing more circular movements from their Kung Fu influence, Matsumura was one of the main developers of the linear technique with which we are so familiar today. He also taught Ituso and Azato who were Funikoshi's teachers and Funikoshi introduced Karate to Japan and from there the world. Bassai Dai is at the heart of many styles of Karate with many systems using it as their primary kata for black belt gradings. With Matsumura brilliance and impact on the development of Karate, it is very appropriate that his kata should have this honoured position.
As Matsumura's own training was mainly in Chinese based martial arts, it is also appropriate that we have Sifu Keith McKay Cormack's input into this DVD, giving you the best insights from both Kung Fu and Karate.
For a limited time, we will also offer you a free gift when you buy this DVD.
If you buy Inside Bassai Dai then you will also receive another free DVD, worth £15, giving you 10 Kicking Tips to help you improve your kicks. This DVD is not designed to teach you kicking techniques from scratch, it assumes that you already know most kicking techniques and are looking for ways to improve them.
"I have looked at both DVD's and they look quite instructive with a comprehensive overview and in depth look at Kata Bunkai. I fully endorse their publication for the discerning karate student".
Arthur Wallace: 6th Dan Shotokan Karate.
Originally designed with low to intermediate grades in mind, some people feel that it is of benefit to advanced karate-ka too:
Well explained simple adjustments to improve kicking techniques. Top tips for intermediate and advanced karate-ka.
Rob Jones: 5th Dan Shotokai Karate.
Price:
Inside Bassai Dai: £20.00
10 Kicking Tip: FREE, (but value =£15.00)
You get £35 worth of DVD's for just £20.00
FULL DETAILS AT: http://bunkaijutsu.com/?page_id=341
Kata Bunkai: Tekki kata (with cross reference to similar Wing Chun moves) (Parts 1 & 2)
BunkaiJutsu take a look at overlap between Karate's Tekki kata's and Wing Chun
Friday, 3 September 2010
Karate Bunkai For Shuto Uke and Wing Chuns Fun Sau
By BunkaiJutsu
Today we look at Karate bunkai for Shuto Uke (knife hand block). However, if you raise the elbow to the side and perform the strike/block with the forearm parallel to the floor, it looks very much like Wing Chun's Fun Sau strike.
Shuto Uke can obviously be used for blocking or striking, but here we look at other possible applications, in particular escaping from a double handed throat grab.
By Charlie Wildish 3rd Dan Shotokan Karate and Lotus Nei Gong Tai Chi and Keith Cormack, Wing Chun instructor, Choi Lee Fut and Shaolin.
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