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Interview 4
This is part 4 of 5
COMBAT Welcome back Russell, How did the Kata practice go?
RS Good one Paul, thanks
COMBAT We need to expand further on this whatever move you want
business. Surely each Kata move means different things?
RS My point in all this Paul, is not to get bogged down with
what a Kata move is supposed to mean or what some hierarchial
leader says it means. For instance I have heard several well
known Karateka say that there is only one move from Hangetsu
that has any Bunkai! Absolute rubbish, there is a multitude of
different Bunkai for each and every move in each and every Kata.
COMBAT How do you know then, which move goes where?
RS You don’t. You just move. If you plan to use this move
against this attack, it will fail. This is because you are
learning techniques and Monkey see Monkey do. If you learn the
principles that make up that move, then you can apply it.
For example a simple arm bar when stood up. All of these
constituent parts MUST be learnt separately and then gradually
put together to form the technique. But by breaking them down
into the following:
• Grab your partners left wrist with your left hand
• Pull your left hand back to Hikite, ensuring that your
opponents elbow joint is pointing upwards
• Ensure your feet are pointing toward the core of your
opponents body
• Be at the outside 45 degree angle
• Your right forearm, both bones, should be across the horseshoe
of the tricep of your opponent at a 45 degree angle across the
arm
• Whilst striking with your forearm pull in the opposite
direction with your Hikite (opposites)
• Move your bodyweight into the technique
• Have full intent
• Ensure that you are using the wave motion
• “cut” with your forearm
• breathe out just before you apply the technique
• “vibrate” your forearm
• go “through” your opponents arm
• keep hold of his wrist with your Hikite
• “spiral” the forearm strike
• forearm strikes TW11 or 12
• Hikite grabs and puts energy into wrist points
They can then be learnt as “principles” as oppose to just a
technique.
COMBAT So, you are saying apply those principles to each and
every technique?
RS 100% Correct Paul. The above are just some of the principles
we teach at a basic level. The more principles you know then the
greater the chance of success. I think it was the great BJJ
practitioner Roy Harris who once described all the constituent
parts he required to get a spinning arm lock from Guard, 10 or
so principles. But he only needed to get 5 or 6 correct against
most people to get it to work.
This is exactly what I am trying to portray. The more you know
in terms of principles, then the easier a technique becomes to
apply.
Let’s face it, we have not included speed, strength and power in
the above list! Just imagine how bad this arm bar can get when
you put them all together!!
COMBAT So, you apply these principles to each move in each Kata?
RS Once we have applied the Kata Bunkai Unlock Key principles,
yes.
COMBAT Kata Bunkai unlock key principles! What are these then?
RS These are the principles that you apply in order to
understand the move in the Kata. A bit like the Universal
Translator system in Star Trek.
COMBAT Russell, you are getting weird now
RS Thanks Paul. Look at it this way. I have many times used the
following analogy. If we assume for a moment that Kata is a
song. You may be able to perform the song beautifully. You may
be able to reach every note, remember every word and always be
in tune. But, you are singing in a foreign language and you do
not know what the words mean.
These “unlock” principles are the equivalent of a Kata – Bunkai
– Bunkai – Kata two way Dictionary
Then you can learn what all the words mean, then you learn the
Grammar, tenses etc and start making sentences, paragraphs and
then you can do what you want with them.
COMBAT Does this apply only to your own system though?
RS No, not at all. It is a universal translator Paul, with these
principles you can unlock the meaning of every move in every kata in every system.
COMBAT That is a bold statement, surely no-one knows every Kata
in every system.
RS I did not say that Paul. I said that you can understand every
move from every system. You do not need to know the whole Kata.
You do not need to practice that system. You just need to know
how to translate it.
COMBAT Sounds like an awful lot of work to me.
RS It does Paul, it surely does. But what if I told you, I could
teach you these “unlock secrets” in a few hours? Would you
believe me?
COMBAT Russell, you have done this to me before. I remember you
teaching me about 15 Pressure Point K.O’s in about 1.5 hours
after everyone said it can’t be done. So, I take it you can.
RS Not only that Paul. I will be teaching these secrets during
my forthcoming Seminar Tour in the UK. Please see my website for
details, but it is the Seminar in Torquay hosted by John Burke,
who incidentally has just written a fantastic book on Bassai Dai
Bunkai.
COMBAT This is getting interesting Russell. Let’s talk later
RS Sure thing Paul. Thanks for your time and consideration.
Russell
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