BUNKAI

Peter B. King

 A proper kata is not a random series of movements linked together for the student to memorize and repeat as one might in doing dance steps.  Rather, kata is like poetry.  In poetry, the reader may find layers of meaning and interpretation within the words used.  In kata, the movements and series of movements also have layers of meaning and several possible interpretations.  Just as a poet is not expected to explain the meaning of the poem, so too the creator of a kata may not reveal the applications he intended.  Bunkai is a word meaning the application of a movement or series of movements in a kata. (The terms toridai and himitsu are also used refer to techniques hidden within a kata.) 

Although kata are typically taught with movements designated and performed as blocks, strikes, throws, kicks and so forth, these terms are merely used for uniformity in teaching and to facilitate learning. It has also been suggested that true meaning of the movements, being dangerous, are hidden to make the study of kata seem less violent and be more socially acceptable in modern society.   

The bunkai given a kata is limited only by the martial artist’s knowledge of the techniques used in martial arts and his imagination.  There is no single correct bunkai for any kata or movement within a kata any more than a poet may be said to have intended only the dictionary meaning for words used in his poem. 

While the study of bunkai does not have a formal set of rules, the following may be used by the martial artist as a guide to thinking about the kata already familiar to him.

 - Virtually any kata movement taught as a block may also interpreted as a strike 

- A slow movement under tension may indicate other a struggle with an opponent or a lifting technique, as in pinan sandan. 

- A turn of the whole body may be to face another opponent  but may also be a throw of the first opponent..

 - Movements of the arms simultaneously but in opposite directions may indicate a break of the opponent’s limb as in pinan shodan, or possibly a grab, pull and strike.  The shuto uke used in many kata starting with pinan shodan has this interpretation among others.

 -  The pulling in of an outstretched arm may be a reaction movement or a grab to pull an opponent in or off balance, as in bassai dai.

 Two words: Martial and Art.  “Martial” refers to the raw, kumite aspect of the practice.  The “Art” is more subtle.  It can be found in the personal expression and dramatic presence created during kata performance.  It can also be found in the study of bunkai and the rewards of finding new meaning that may have been hidden by the creator or may be discovered for the first time.  Bunkai is part of the poetry of martial arts.