Defining Bunkai

[ShotoNoob]

OK, but to me it makes no sense. If I'm going to hit someone I am going to hit them as hard as I can. That isn't a decision. The decision was to hit in the first place.

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How karate of you!

 

[ShotoNoob]

I am tempted to use the Hanzou approach here. Shotokan is a sport based style and you are saying kime gives you the ability to take out the Gracie grappler. Why isn't straight traditional Shotokan starring in the UFC or MMA?

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I could give a K-Man answer--you'll have to ask them (Shotokan stylists). My guess is many feel like I do that I'm not interesting in the ridsk reward of becoming a professional full contact fighter working for MMA organizations. Let's hazard that....

And I would totally disagree. If you are relying on conscious decisions you are basically stuffed. You fight by using instinctive decisions derived from your training.

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EXACTLY , EXACTLY., EXACTLY, EXACTLY the difference, the divergence in our base approach to the mental side of traditional karate training!
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Instincts and trained responses are ingrained. Yet it is decision-making KIME that controls & overrides then guides instinctual moves. Mental discipline overrides instincts and takes over from mere reactions. Conscious thought is the master control.

Not at all,mind to think that you can use bunkai in every situation is totally wrong. Plus, the bunkai is not predetermined. The bunkai depends entirely on the situation you find yourself in. Then it is the response that is predetermined, not the bunkai. You can change the bunkai at any time to suit the circumstance.

Yes, we got the semantics out. I agree totally....

Exactly.

OK, cool. But is that going to work against everyone?

And that's why we will have to agree to disagree on certain things.

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IMO, It's the traditional karate thesis, the challenge. The physically superior fighter falls / fails against the mentally-adept fighter who is physically well conditioned.... So after you've become physically well conditioned, how mentally adept are you,? is one,? am I? That is the question.

 

[ShotoNoob]

Interesting concept but I might suggest that in MMA where it may have failed it is more likely that the competitor hasn't achieved an appropriate level of complementary skills to compete with grapplers with stand up fighting skills. I'm sure the Shotokan karateka by even entering an MMA competition would have superior fighting skills to the average Shotokan practitioner.

However, I would like to keep the thread on bunkai if we can. Once we introduce sport into the discussion the thread will be hijacked.

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Right. It's critical to know what powers my bunkai versus what powers yours. That's the context for all this mental dimension talk.
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In terms of knowledge & application of bunkai techniques, you are way ahead of me. I'm always going to be talking on a more technically basic level.