Post by Ryuji on Sept 27, 2007 22:20:52 GMT -5
Ryuji began class the usual way, warming up the class to rousing chants of; "ich, ni, san, shi, GO!" and so on and so forth. After warm up, he gestured to his students to stagger the line, and then ran them through basic (kihon) drills - in order to get back into the flow of things. "High block, round kick, PUNCH!" He bellowed, half fiercefully, half encouragingly. It did have the ability to put a jump into the students step - and a jolt into their attack - though. Finally, he allowed them to rest, wiping sweat from their brows and adjusting their gi's. He smiled. "Well, that was fun, wasn't it?"
He told them to 'sit easy' and then began the lesson.
He said, "since we're only beginning again, I want to take it slower than I might - but not so slow that the older students get bored. Today I want to work on bunkai. Bunkai are the practical applications of your kata. Now, I don't kow how much time we've spent on kata, but for those of you new to karate, kata are drills - a specific pattern of movements designed to represent corresponding attacks and defences to a number of attackers. Now, we're not going to get into the various kata at the moment. Right now, this class involves your imagination. This is the beginning of what is called 'Heian Nidan' - a beginner kata, and a good one to look at for bunkai examples."
Starting from a relaxed and ready position, he extended his arms above his head while turning to the left into what he called back stance, forcing his arms out and above his head into a box shape.
He then crossed his arms, his left fist at his ear and his right extending past his side.
With barely a pause between this movement and the next, Ryuji used his right hand as a draw hand and his left hand to attack, swinging out to the face, jodan.
Then, making a 'cup-and-saucer' of his hands, he turned, switching sides, to repeat the same movements on the other side.
After this last move, now from a right-foot-forward back stance, he cupped his hands and turned behind him to kick with a side-snap kick and a simultaneous back fist behind him.
He landed in a shuto-uki and back stance - a knife hand.
He straightened and stood. He bowed in respect, then said, "Now, that isn't the whole kata - that isn't near the whole kata - but it will serve for the basis of our game here. There are any number of bunkai applications - treading into oyo even, beneath the iceburg, but that's something else. Anyway, bunkai. As I was doing Heian Nidan, did any of you think of how these, perhaps random movements could be used? How the original designer of these kata's might have intended them to be, and how you might use them, practically, in your own life.
"Think about this and let me know what you come up with. Go beyond the obvious, even into the farfetched. Work with a partner, or even with me. Play with these and get creative. Part of your training is learning to adapt to the here and now. If you cannot adapt, you will die. I don't want my students to die. See how you can adapt simple moves into a broader spectrum. Now get to work!"
Here's an example;
A you-tube version, though there are many you can find;
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9pJshX-s6E
Image credits go to www.karatekas.com and to various posts on the fightingarts.com forums.
He told them to 'sit easy' and then began the lesson.
He said, "since we're only beginning again, I want to take it slower than I might - but not so slow that the older students get bored. Today I want to work on bunkai. Bunkai are the practical applications of your kata. Now, I don't kow how much time we've spent on kata, but for those of you new to karate, kata are drills - a specific pattern of movements designed to represent corresponding attacks and defences to a number of attackers. Now, we're not going to get into the various kata at the moment. Right now, this class involves your imagination. This is the beginning of what is called 'Heian Nidan' - a beginner kata, and a good one to look at for bunkai examples."
Starting from a relaxed and ready position, he extended his arms above his head while turning to the left into what he called back stance, forcing his arms out and above his head into a box shape.
He then crossed his arms, his left fist at his ear and his right extending past his side.
With barely a pause between this movement and the next, Ryuji used his right hand as a draw hand and his left hand to attack, swinging out to the face, jodan.
Then, making a 'cup-and-saucer' of his hands, he turned, switching sides, to repeat the same movements on the other side.
After this last move, now from a right-foot-forward back stance, he cupped his hands and turned behind him to kick with a side-snap kick and a simultaneous back fist behind him.
He landed in a shuto-uki and back stance - a knife hand.
He straightened and stood. He bowed in respect, then said, "Now, that isn't the whole kata - that isn't near the whole kata - but it will serve for the basis of our game here. There are any number of bunkai applications - treading into oyo even, beneath the iceburg, but that's something else. Anyway, bunkai. As I was doing Heian Nidan, did any of you think of how these, perhaps random movements could be used? How the original designer of these kata's might have intended them to be, and how you might use them, practically, in your own life.
"Think about this and let me know what you come up with. Go beyond the obvious, even into the farfetched. Work with a partner, or even with me. Play with these and get creative. Part of your training is learning to adapt to the here and now. If you cannot adapt, you will die. I don't want my students to die. See how you can adapt simple moves into a broader spectrum. Now get to work!"
Here's an example;
A you-tube version, though there are many you can find;
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9pJshX-s6E
Image credits go to www.karatekas.com and to various posts on the fightingarts.com forums.