When it comes to kata bunkai, one of the most ridiculous explanations I have heard is that kata A is for strikes, kata B is for grappling, kata C is for movement, and so on. I cannot begin to explain how dumb that thinking is, yet it still goes on. In this video lesson I explain why the shapes in your kata mean far more than the first glance or the one application you were shown.

It is for karateka and traditional martial artists who want to understand their kata properly before they start analysing it.

One Shape, Many Situations

The shapes that appear in kata are not tied to one situation. A similar or identical shape can appear in all manner of situations. That means a particular technique can be applied:

  • In standing grappling
  • In ground fighting
  • Against a wall
  • On top or underneath
  • Against a strike, a grab or a push

The list and the possibilities go on and on. So the idea that one kata is "for" one kind of fighting misses the point completely. Every kata contains strikes, locks, throws and movement, because real fighting contains all of them at once.

Why This Matters Before You Analyse

It is vitally important that you understand this principle before you start analysing your kata. If you go in believing a kata is only about striking, you will only ever find strikes in it. You will miss the locks, the throws and the ground work hiding in the very same shapes.

Start with the principle that a shape can mean many things, and your analysis becomes far richer and far more useful.

How to Explore a Shape

Pick one shape from a kata you know well. Then ask:

  1. What could this be against a strike?
  2. What could it be against a grab or a push?
  3. What would it look like on the ground, on top and underneath?
  4. What would it look like with my back against a wall?

Try each idea slowly with a partner. Some will not work, and that is fine. The ones that do will teach you far more about your kata than any single fixed application.

Training Safely

Kata applications often include locks, throws and strikes to vulnerable areas. Work slowly, with control and a cooperative partner, and build up gradually.

Take It Further

Kata Unleashed is where I teach kata bunkai that works. If you would like to work on your kata with me in person, take a look at my Training Camps.