Hyungs Interpretations/Bunseok

[Ryun Ma]

After memorizing the movements of a form, how many schools out there are taught their applications(some forms do and some don't, mind you) or atleast told that upon memorization of the form you should begin to learn the 'what' and 'why'. It concerns me that many schools do not teach this, but also many do not know because this is a concept that we as americans were never trusted enough to be taught by the Koreans.

And who practices the meanings behind combinations and one-steps and the difference between how we teach one steps to the gups and then how we relearn them as dans?

 

[OldKarateGuy]

Well, I'm on a roll, answering all kinds of threads since I haven't been here in awhile.

We always teach practical applications of the movements in forms. Frankly, there are so many variations, and even more interpretations, one could not possibly cover every style's take on the bunkai. I think you hinted that gups learn a more basic meaning, while dan ranks may be taught more complicated and/or esoteric applications. That's how we do it.

Heck, I'll even admit to browsing You-Tube looking for applications from other styles I'm unfamiliar with. If I like what I see, I may go to class and spend time demonstrating the new (to me) applications from a known form.

Same thing with one-steps and combinations, three or five step sparring, and the like. Simple and obvious for gups, progressively more complicated for dan ranks. We may even have the dan ranks add a take-down and/or a follow-up strike with every one-step (does that make them '2 steps'?). We have one-steps in the syllabus that may not seem all that good for a real-world situation. We will point that out.

 

[Makalakumu]

This was a feature of my TSD training that was missing from a lot of other peoples. My instructor cross trained in several styles of karate and other MA and was able to import the bunkai in a limited way. We didn't do it very well because our dojang was the first generation to try and totally integrate the information.

When I opened my dojo, I worked very hard to organize a curriculum that would pass on the applications. The result of all that research is the book I wrote below.

The Lost Art of TSD is a book that explains where TSD came from, how it was taught in the old days, and how a curriculum would look that accessed the old school karate from whence it came. That's the long answer to this question, lol!

 

[MBuzzy]

Because of the nature of Korean Martial arts and how they were passed from the Japanese, application is very difficult to find in any native Korean style

 

[SahBumNimRush]

I've gotta agree with Buzzy on this one.. . Applications weren't really taught to the Koreans that founded the kwans, atleast not in a Japanese/Okinawan bunkai sense. Add the modifications the Koreans made to the Shotokan forms (i.e. the high kicks) and you've got different a whole animal. So any boonhae in TSD curriculum is a renaissance attempt to some extent.

This, IMO, is not a bad thing at all. I think that anyone with a deep understanding of the movements in forms and any knowledge of Japanese and Okinawan arts can apply many of these movements.

Furthermore, these modifications made of high kicks can actually create new applications altogether. Knowing applications in other arts, and looking for applications in your own art are vital if your dojang's focus is around self-defense.

BTW, Kedrowski's book is a good read.. . Not necessarily any new info, but a concise proposal of a TSD curriculum that addresses a self-defense focus with form application.

 

[MasterPistella]

It's funny. When I was a gup, it was just do this....when it came to forms. None of the instructor's seemed to want to explain what the moves were. Then Master Kim's brother-in-law took over the branch I went to. He really got into how the moves broke down. He was also the first Korean I ever saw read a book on Japanese martial arts. He was also the first one to explain how your muscles work & how to make kicking combinations less rough on your body. So, I've always taught what the moves are. Not every interpretation, but different at different ranks. Same with the one step.

 

[Miles]

Master Jay Penfil who is a member of MT gives seminars around the country on interpretations of the hyungs.