About The Bunkai of Karate

Bunkai is the interpretation of the uses of the movement of the techniques in the kata. Many operate from the angle of block, kick and punch. This is operating the kata at the base or primary level. The other extreme is that all the kata techniques are knockouts, both are correct but that is not what Karate is about. Look at all the history of Karate and the other pugilistic arts, the masters are all old and cannot operate from the angle of power and speed. Karate is a complete art in itself if one knows how to decipher the forms. Locks, throws, punches, kicks and pressure point techniques are all present. Only with proper understanding of the whole picture can the art be appreciated.

Most of the modern systems of Karate have in them the Heian/pinan Katas .These were abridged from the Kata Kushanku, by Master Itosu .Techniques were toned down and watered down for the elementary school system. What is not known by many Karate people is that RoRoKu (Kushanku) and his top student taught many of the Okinawan masters that came over to Fuchou province in China, White Crane (Hakusuru). Not only White Crane but female White Crane, Ro Roku.

This was told to me by my colleague Charles Wee. We are all students of Master Yek Sing Ong based in New Zealand. Master Yek's teacher for 30 years was Master Huang Shyan Shen. He was the top student of Ro Roku and also the top student of the famous Taichi master Cheng Man Ching. For years he kept the earlier part of his life in check for reasons of his own. What does all this have to do with Karate? I believe, from my understanding, that Karate is a "soft art".