Article 2
KATA and BUNKAI / by Kancho

Articles List:
1. "A message I would like to pass to my students" / by Kancho 2. Kata and Bunkai / by Kancho 3. About Kata / by Kancho 4. About Karate-Do / by Itzik Cohen 5. The health facet of Martial Arts / by Itzik Cohen


KATA and BUNKAI \ by Kancho.

Karate has not too much value with not any kind of bunkai, because karate His an art of self-defense. The art include many different and sometime lethal techniques with a wide register of variations. Cast, hand, elbow strike, kicks etc… Against one or more attackers.

The practitioner as only one fundamental goal, to preserve His life and His physical integrity.

The Martial artist uses a complete range of reliable techniques as an efficient tool for His personal self-defense, the defense of the society, or the defense of His family against a brutal and violent physical treat.

The legacy of our masters and ancestor, the transmission of their knowledge and concept of efficiency. Their selection and choice of various techniques combine in a form it is what kata is all about.

The emphasis made on some of the specific techniques, their particularities, it is what distinguish the legacy of one of the major and well know masters from an other one famous master. It is what its call today for "style".

To understand a kata it is to understand the techniques is composed on. To understand the applications of one of the technique is to penetrate the secrete sanctuary of the fighting knowledge transmitted by a master trough the kata. These applications are the concentration and summaries of a Masters entire life practical experiences and skill.

If you don't like or if you don't want to penetrate the art of karate deeper than behind the curtain? Will you understand the way to use it?

Of course many karate practitioner contest the necessity of the kata training and consequently the practice of bunkai.

Of course some well know fighters got their fame with a very little knowledge of kata or bunkai but how know if they will not have being more successful if they will have being training in a more traditional way?

Nobody should forget a fact that many of the legendary fighters in USA got their basic knowledge, their roots in a more traditional karate way: Joe Lewis, B. Wallace, C. Norris etc… They where the precursor of and modern way of fighting in a spectacular way. But they always stand the feet over a strong basic Martial art ground.

To try to understand or penetrate the technical background of all the various kata and Martial Art techniques is to accept a life time challenge because the endless range and quantity of possibilities for their practical applications in Combat.

2002-09-10