Anti-Formulaic Bunkai.

Lets take Shuto Uchi (as seen in Gekesai Dai Ichi and Dai Ni from a Goju Ryu perspective) and say that this is really the only 'technique' we see in the Kata, but we see it applied in a manner of different ways.
You can go straight to the side with it or, depending on the flow of the situation, you can go forward, up, and slightly to the side and down (Jodan Uke).
Closed fist doesn't really matter, the principle movement is the same, just applied differently taking into account changing circumstances and these are not even entirely based on the opponent, the idea is to maintain the initiative and break the OODA Loop (though the initial idea would be to put the other guy down straight away - Kata just shows principles that can be applied to these ends).

Say your assailant pushes you, you twist to the side while maintaining a guide (grab or something to trap, lots of training) on an outstretched arm, intiating the Shuto from the Kata, but the opponent reacts, so you are forced to change it up, flow to a different portion of the Kata (yes this is taking a page out of Bill Burgar's Book Five Years, One Kata).
Say the arm gets away (because no one is just going to stand there and let you apply what you are trying to apply), you want to maintain momentum of the initial Shuto movement, the meat of the application, so you shift a little, following the arm with the off-hand (Muchimi), maybe grab the shoulder and pull as you shift the initial movement up, out, and down slightly to the side underneath the jaw as you pull with the off-hand (Jodan Tsuki/Jodan Uke movements in Kata).
You combine several directions in one movement and this movement is further broken down to show the circular principles of Mawashi Uke at work in each, Mawashi Uke (also known as the Fence Concept) at work in each segment, and there really are no segments, just one thing adjusted in various ways.

This is just a study in basic human response. The spirit of the Kata tells us to Attack and Smash, so there we have a principle at work that this particular Kata is meant to point out, at least in my view.
Aggression, taking the initiative, directly blasting, but even here we have other principles at work that are pointed out and showcased as the primary principles of other Kata.
These are the meat and potatoes of Karate, again, from my perspective, not physical technique, but underlying strategy, tactics used to achieve said goals of the strategy, these principles are the tactics. We are shown primary tactics at work which seeks to illustrate the overall strategy, but even then, once strategy is understood it can be personalized based on understanding, refined.

To attack and smash, or attack and destroy = strike to disrupt and disrupt to strike, so we have all principle tactics working towards a unified end, if that makes sense, maybe my wording is off.
My approach is to forget about interpretation as an end, but as a means to understanding, nothing more than a tool for instruction, building towards a more fluid and formless understanding of Bunkai. Technique only useful as far as Instruction as well, but understanding that formless application is the goal and that technique does not refer to punch, kick, block, ect., but to proper body movement or tai sabaki.

Other factors may be height, weight, maybe even the setting/environment itself as well as the dynamic of the situation.
Is it a beligerant family member? What are the surroundings? Is the opponent taller? Shorter? Same height? Much bigger? Smaller? Do they have a weapon?
Most Karateka will picture things according to a duelist setting, with the opponent right in front of them, never factoring in being taken by surprise, but these things all tend to change circumstances and me being me, I don't believe in style, I don't believe in adapting the situation to fit preconceived notions, it is what it is and if you haven't trained for it then you are not as prepared as those who have, while training is no substitute it is a definite leg up.
You adapt the training to fit, not the other way around. What you will get out of it will be something very interesting.

Also keep in mind that this Kata probably also references the frame of mind in which your assailant is in when they are coming at you.
Attack and Smash, they want to take your head off, they want to put you down. Doesn't matter why, they just do, so how do you handle it? Forget pretty, forget nice, forget clean and uniform, forget style entirely, style is a side-effect of having lost perspective and deeper understanding of the problem.
The current conception of Technique is a side effect of the present Tournament-Style Complex to which the majority of modern Karateka find themselves confined.

Iain Abernethy gave a seminar in Seattle a while back, combined with other Instructors, but his portion was focused on the Pinan Kata (I can't remember which), but he did point out certain things.
One portion flowing to another seems like overkill when the main goal is to take the assailant out in as little time as possible, but he did say the reason for this was built in redundancy with the Kata saying 'This is what you CAN do.'
Too many options for one thing is detrimental, but instead of looking at 'punches' and 'kicks' the situation should be viewed as a whole, forget about different techniques or applications.

Kata - Exercise in Conceptual Understanding.

Paraphrasing Kenwa Mabuni, there are no fixed positions in Karate, so how did it come that so many Karateka have in mind the concept of 'ready positions' or even 'finishing positions??'
Stances, postures, arm positions, these are all viewed and broken down into static blocks for Instructional purposes, but even this may prove detrimental to understanding when viewed in light of Mabuni Kenwa's statement (along with the statement of various other Karate/Martial Arts Masters).

Stated plainly in various sources, THERE ARE NO FIXED POSITIONS, so how do we overcome the habit of viewing from the standpoint of fixed positions?
We certainly could continue with the approach for reasons of making Instruction easier to impart, keeping the flaw of said method in mind; realizing there are flaws and the reason for said flaws will keep the Student ahead of the curve if they know what they are looking at.
Most don't. A conceptual approach is called for on top of this, a layering of sorts to keep the training in perspective as training itself is rife with flaws put in place for safety and ease of education - there really is no way around this.

Often I see a Karateka take up what they call the 'Fence Position,' which often comes out as a similar position to the opening of Sanchin Kata, though the hands are open and facing forward in a 'non-threatening' manner.
It still screams of 'fighting position' and at that, 'fixed position,' though I understand this may be for demonstration purposes, would it not be better to explain from the standpoint of concept rather than a fixed position? Maybe using the position to impart the idea and pointing out the flaw while doing so, moving from static to fluid concept.
My understanding of the Fence Concept is that it is not a position, but a control of space that can lead down many different avenues, the main aim being escape (in self defense) and control/neutralization (for professionals who are paid to put themselves in harm's way).
I view the majority of 'positions' in Karate in the same light, the fence being central to understanding and application, especially in conjunction with the concept of Muchimi (or heavy/sticking).

Kata tends not to point out conceptual motion rather than fixed application, taking a basic flow, taking it apart and looking at the various ways in which it can flow depending on how the situation unfolds.
One movement can reveal several avenues of flow, avenues which are found in other areas of the Kata (though in less refined and more fluid aspects, formless form).
In Goju Ryu Karate a central concept seems to be very circular, with movements coming from a wheel concept (Mawashi Uke is central to all movements, even Atemi), so it can be broken down to a single concept that can flow in nearly infinite ways - Iain Abernethy once said that Kata is like an Acorn, it contains all the material to grow a tree, but is not a tree, it is an Acorn.

In this light there really is no right or wrong way of applying, though there is a correct and incorrect way to move that will show itself in power generation (or lack thereof) and whether or not you injure yourself while applying.
Like noting the difference between proper falling and improper falling, you can fall in various ways properly and the principles are almost the same, you can also fall in various ways improperly which point to the principles of proper falling - it would be foolish to break these down into blocks and view the blocks as individual applications, if you have never taken a fall you will never really understand.

Kata is meant to point to conceptual principles rather than concrete techniques, ways in which you CAN move rather than 'if opponent does x, respond with y from a starting position of c and such and such a distance.'
I want to look at this in greater detail as I move along with some new posts, so I'm going to be taking Kata and placing it under this light, maybe developing some drills on the spot based on these observations.
Underlying Principles have always been the name of the game in my mind, ever since I started to look at a little deeper at things, and getting some insight from great people like Wilder Sensei, limited exposure to Ito Sensei, these have really opened my eyes and I have striven for nothing less than total application of their teachings to my Karate in order to understand my Karate from a different perspective.

The key word there is MY Karate, however, and while I take away good lessons from others, I am the one who has to do my own leg work and discover more about myself in the process. That's what is required for each and every one of us if we wish deeper understanding of what we are doing.
Some may not wish to impart the skill to others, while others have an inner calling to impart said understanding, myself, I am a Teacher at heart, and being a Teacher at heart I am, first and foremost, a Student.
Always looking to the example of those that have gone before, even those that are coming after, everyone has something to offer.

Hitchhikers Guide to this Blogger's Goals.

I am going to start up some new projects, but mainly keep the same blog format because I like this format even though people seem to be doing more of the twitter thing and video blogs. This blog will continue to operate since it has taken a long hiatus with some rather sporadic and senseless posts (hopefully there is something to be gained from that).
I'm going to get back to the critical examination of Karate and hopefully take it a bit deeper, again drawing from history and experience.

I want to write more on the business side of things as I have several resources from which I can (and have) draw from as far as research, as well as experience.
The experience is drawn from running private lessons out of a Backyard and Basement Dojo in Suncrest Washington, while simultaneously running a Martial Arts program out of a local Fitness Center in the same place (which is now being ran by Sensei Matt Thomas of the JKA, if anyone is in the area you should check him out, I believe he is still teaching at Suncrest Fitness... http://www.suncrestfitness.com/).
I also want to write about Teaching and my experiences in the Martial Arts as a whole beyond mere critical examination, there was a book Kris Wilder Sensei was going to have published, but the project was killed by the publisher as it did not pan out, I had written for this and spent some time going back and forth with Wilder Sensei on refining it, learned a lot about the writing process in that experience, again, more thanks to Wilder Sensei, I have learned so much from him in such a short amount of time.
So that may end up becoming a couple different blogs. In either case, I hope it presents something useful to someone and at least some little niggets of knowledge can be taken away from the experience.

This blog, again, will continue critical examination, focusing more towards step by step breakdown of some Bunkai, breaking them down and building them back up, along with Kihon.
I hope to put the principles previously spoken of into practice in this endeavor as it will also serve to further refine my own understanding and the Karate-Jutsu syllabus I am reforming. I know it seems pointless to include this little post, but I find it helps to have a road map written out that will lead towards the goals I wish to accomplish.
Previous posts will remain, as I will be drawing from these and see where it leads. It will serve to formulate an online expression of my inner Karate and, again, hopefully readers will find something useful in all this - we will be staying on track, on topic, and on course. Nothing will be written here that should not be here and vice versa.

Getting things back into full swing... This blog is back and in a big way. Thank you for sticking with it and showing that there is interest here. You've all made this blog what it is, with the hits it comes up towards the top on Google Searches. Thank you. Now its' time to make it useful as the microscope it is supposed to be.

Hockey Moves.

Taking a side trip here, having been training in parks and my back yard recently (getting back to my roots) I normally don't wear a Gi or Obi denoting rank or position.
Position and skill should speak for themselves, and there is the fact that I don't ever like to wear what I do on my sleeve, no '-San' after anyone's name, no fake Japanese accent, though the t-shirt idea does come in handy when you are trying to market your skill for private lessons or a school as a whole.

I understand the need for good marketing when you are running a school as a business, there is nothing wrong with that at all, I've done it myself and I know I've put that down before, but viewpoints change over time, I am no exception.
(I've actually been working on what Wilder Sensei called an 'Elevator Pitch' for the passed couple years and have a good one with skills in other areas of professional life that have served me well, thank you Sensei).

Back to the Gi and Obi topic, I do not believe they are totally necessary, perhaps it depends on the experience a student is going for and whether or not you are running a full fledged school as opposed to just offering private lessons or training friends as a hobby.
I like the Al Peaseland approach, where Gi becomes a formality for pictures or even formal events such as seminars or visiting someone else's school where such formalities are practiced.
My, I prefer shorts and a t-shirt, sometimes jeans, sometimes running pants, doesn't matter as long as you can train in it, even some restricting clothes are good for training sometimes because, let's face it, you are not normally wearing the most comfortable clothing that allows for comfort in motion when you are out and about.

It offers some interesting opportunities because there is no Gi to grab, so you get used to applying in normal street wear, you have a leg up on the situation should it ever present itself.
I also tend to like to practice what I call 'Hockey Moves' (big fan of Hockey); Hockey itself is full of fights and often you will see the opposing player pull the other guy's shirt over his head and use the clothing to restrict movement, vision, ect., in order to gain an unfair advantage, unfair being the key word here, there is no such thing as fair.
I've found that this provides for some interesting Kata Bunkai practice, using the clothing in this way, you cannot discount anything as a weapon, even clothing - which is sadly not really practiced to this level in many schools, even where Gi are not used.
Sure Judo uses the Gi for leverage and chokes, but that's often where it ends. Could you imagine a Judoka pulling another's Gi over their head, landing a couple elbow shots, then initiating a throw? That, to me, would be an interesting addition to the sport.

So remember the Hockey Moves in your training, they can allow for that much more advantage as you seek to escape a situation, and this is the real goal, escape. Neutralize the assailant and get the hell out of there.
They most certainly won't be playing fair.

Cross-Training.

Exposure to other arts is a must when studying any core art, as this sort of exposure adds perspective and richness to the core, which is not a style or system, but the individual him/herself.
It cannot be just a surface exposure either, one really needs to take the time to study in order to appreciate what these experiences have to offer, otherwise you just gain a passing familiarity and really take nothing away with you (nor do you offer anything of value).

While the idea of cross-training is great, it really implies just that, a passing familiarity. There are some people that delve deep into such experiences, but for the most part, people just treat it as a fun curiosity.
Those that do pay serious attention and delve more deeply become exceptional in their core as they make break through upon break through, not only becoming more skilled in a secondary approach, but becoming truly exceptional in their core.
Some Goju Ryu Karateka prefer to study Judo, I believe this is because Judo is a close approximation to Goju Ryu as an expression, the principles are similar though not entirely the same, however, I am not one that prefers similarities, its' great for exploration and I do enjoy it, but take it out of the comfort zone a bit and pick something that would really be 'out there' for you.

Whether different or similar, new doorways to many possibilities open up and lead to the ominous 'ah-hah' moments that we hear about from those who have travelled far down the path.
I've found a lot of positions in Ne Waza that I can mirror and cross-reference to many Goju Ryu Kata, and many locking techniques in Aikido with which I can reference the same, and of course, there is Judo, which also leads to some very interesting places taking transitional movements and the end 'positions' found within Kata into account.
Punches become grabs, blocks become initial strikes leading to throws and takedowns, there are locks, applying various grips to various points on the body in conjunction with what the off-hand is doing, and of course, chokes, foot traps, locks, sweeps, great stuff!

Then of course there is exposure that leads to more understanding of the need for fluidity, offering what fluidity feels like, as in the fluid movements of kickboxing, in which stances are no longer stances, but transfer of weight and position.
There is also the conditioning that comes with this, as in knowing what it feels like to get hit and knowing what it feels like to actually hit, which, again, seems to be something majorly lacking in Karate as a whole.
Goju Ryu, Uechi Ryu, and various others do have some conditioning that offers this experience, but it avoids face shots for the most part, which is okay, but if something is not trained then it is lacking and it will show when push comes to shove.

The Old Timers took this approach, cross-training with various other Old Timers and even going so far as to explore different systems in other countries, mainly China and Japan, but other systems and cultures were present in the melting pot that was Okinawa.
More food for thought.

From Kata to Chaos.

I realize there is a reason for timing, pauses, ect. in Kata, but there is also a reason to vary the training instead of just going about it one way.
In my experience the timing in certain Kata does vary from school to school depending on what the founder wanted to illustrate, Kata themselves vary in form (the version of Saifa I learned is a Toguchi/Roseberry version that has Chudan Hiki-te after the final punch on the end of the Kata, where-as the Higaonna/Chinen/Jundokan version does not, along with some other minor differences, there are also major differences in timing, rhythm, and pause/accentuation).

We should go through the entire Kata (whichever school you happen to belong, whichever Kata you happen to be training at the time) and pay deep attention to where these pauses are, question the stillness between the motion, what is the reason for said stillness? What is the Kata trying to tell you?
Taking it to the next level, remove the stillness, remove the pauses and make the movement continuous, without breaking, but slow the entire Kata down to almost a Tai Chi pace and pay attention.
It will, paradoxically, become apparent what the pauses are trying to teach you about the movement, because in application there is no pause, take it further, practice your findings slowly with a partner and watch these discoveries come to life.
They will school you in what works and what doesn't, instilling the proper mechanics necessary for the movement to work of its' own accord, mechanics that take into consideration your body type as well, what works for you as an individual, then your Kata come to life and Karate becomes your own (or rather your true Karate begins to express itself from within).

At this point it can be further broken down in solo practice, taking segments of the Kata that you had been practicing in application, practicing them first slowly like Tai Chi, going up to medium (or varied normal Kata speed), then at full speed (blasting through the segments - this should probably be done with the Kata as a whole to begin with).
I also like the approach presented in Bill Burgar's book 'Five Years, One Kata,' a very interesting approach that would make Kata practice more dynamic, bringing it to a deeper level, and taking it to a point where it takes several days just to go through all the pathways/flows of a single Kata.
Taking visualization into account, vary the movements, don't stick to the 'Traditional' presentation, loosen it up and just go for it, imagine what the opponent is doing in relation to what you are doing and where the Kata can flow in response to his/her reaction.
Obviously it is not going to stick to the prescribed embusen, it is going to vary and movements can be repeated based on the flow in response to the opponent - this can be taken further to include a live training partner as well, in fact, this would be suggested in conjunction with the solo practice as it is easier to record the reactions of a live person and place them in the visualization as you take away the lessons from live partner practice.

Training cannot be limited to that alone, however, as one moves form to function to variation in function and finally personal understanding, which manifests in an individual expression of said understanding that is unique and bound by nothing, but the individual.
As stated before, the 'meaning' of a movement is not important, but the underlying flow, what is implied on a principalistic and conceptual level - one thing for twenty instead of twenty things for one, or twenty for twenty.
At this point I would even go as far as to promote the creation of one's own Kata, at least as a teaching aid to help bridge the gap, and for personal practice stemming from expression of said individual understanding.

Group-minded opinions on the matter really don't matter, because the individual must be free. I am not of the mind that self-discovery is excluded from self-defense or even if one is coming from a sporting approach, though naturally those who are sport oriented may be confined to the Kata that are accepted at such events (as well as the sparring practices based on the rules of the organization through which they compete).
As it stands I see no problem with any approach as long as the limitations are understood, the boundaries respected and made clear.

Applying further to free-form, we move from slow Randori (what IOGKF calls Randori is very slow-paced free-sparring) to Irikumi (full sparring that includes takedowns, grappling, ect).
There should also be some scenario based training, pick a setting, set the scenario, allow for surprise attacks, pick escape routes, ect., and have the student apply themselves in this respect as Kata is not just about physical technique, but mindset, and the more to which a student is exposed the more rounded and aware they become, ignorance is not bliss, its' death.
I think randomness is useful as well, shouting 'fight' at random to have the whole class attack one another, completely at random, to keep people on their toes, and including said randomness in scenario based training at some point, on some level, from small to great, so that the element of chaos sinks in.
(It would be extremely useful for Instructors to explore, as I've said before, Adrenal Stress oriented training).

My concept of Kata includes ALL these things, my concept of Karate includes ALL these things, yet it is still very Kata-centric in the fact that my understanding can be traced back to Kata and Kihon, but even the concept of Kihon, in my mind, has shifted.
Right now I am working on a syllabus that treats each Kata as a whole system unto itself, but enslavement to syllabus is not desireable either, though organizing one's knowledge does show care in what a person is doing.
The idea is to move from structure to chaos and finally to something else. Shinzen Sensei might call this aspect 'Ku' or emptiness.

Kiai and the Flinch.

An interesting thing I came across regarding Kiai and a shift in perspective on how it is utilized (courtesy of the Ikigai Blog in their section on the book 'Natural Karate').
I tend to agree with the points they raise when it comes to Kiai and the way in which it is employed by Traditional Karateka in training (however it seems to be a bit more dynamic even in a tournament setting).
We tend to see Kiai upon the finish of a strike (and sometimes on what are considered 'blocks' in some schools) as a show of power and focus behind the technique when completion is reached.
Adding to this we also see prescribed areas in which we are told to Kiai within Kata, but in my experience these can vary from school to school and there is no real consensus from person to person even within a single organization.

Iain Abernethy spoke on the concept of stances and strikes in a dynamic fashion in which he points out that, Traditionally, a strike usually comes after a stance is set and a static position is reached, usually with Kiai to, again, show power and focus behind the technique.
He further states that he takes a different approach, striking in motion instead of waiting for the completion in which a stance is set and becomes static, in keeping with the fact that he does not really believe in 'stances' as static positions but snapshots of motion that are meant to last but a split second in application.
I'm paraphrasing, so hopefully I touched on the points properly.

Now, according to Ikigai, we can look at Kiai in a different perspective, as a means to illicit a flinch response (and psyche the assailant/opponent out).
This is not done at the end of a technique, but possibly at the beginning, or even during the motion of the technique, which means throughout its' entirety.
I have used this often enough in sparring in order to score points, letting out a loud bellowing Kiai as I launch off the line, but prior to the launching of a technique, causing my opponent to momentarily freeze as I angle off and score on a plethora of openings before he knows what hit him.
The freeze is not always the response, some people have trained well, others will flinch inward and scrunch up, which is a natural reaction built in to the flinch that tells the system to protect the centerline.

Kiai does not even need to be a shout, in this perspective it can be anything done with intent to create a flinch or freeze response.
I've seen, and had this demonstrated on me by Wilder Sensei with the opening movement from Saifa Kata, everytime I froze, even when I knew the movement was coming, doubly so when I didn't.
Its' natural reaction when something suddenly appears that was not present just a second and a half prior to moving in for the attack, full commitment shot to crap in the first step.
There are many things involved in this, stealing the centerline for one, theft of the OODA Loop in which you steal the initiative instead of just responding (getting your arm up or shout out at the same time the opponent initially moves in for the pre-emptive strike, thus taking said pre-emption and making it your own).

Katasse Sensei and I once took an individual into a wooded area of a local park for some Aikido training and showed him the effects of Kiai on a person and attempted to teach him how to generate this sort of thing within himself, from his belly.
His belly was rather weak, so it took some doing - Katasse Sensei had me Kiai on this individual as he attempted to step in and attack me, he froze each time and when asked what he felt, what was going through his mind, he couldn't answer straight away, his system had been jammed, but once the answer came he expressed fear.  I'm not sure if that is the true response, in my case I couldn't come up with anything but a 'What the hell?' though that thought was never complete, it was usually a 'w-,' at which point I was already toast.

Good Kiai is intent directly projected onto a target, you don't need to scream or shout, but this is one of the methods, you don't even need to move, you can practice standing still in utter silence.
It is a technique of pure Kime in my opinion and requires the development of Kime, Kime itself should be developed thoroughly and expressed throughout each and every aspect of Budo.
Indomitable Spirit and Indomitable Body, or Fudo-Shin and Fudo-Tai, are manifestations of this and I would further say they manifest Kiai as well, Mushin is another manifestation of Kime, along with Zanshin, all of which can be considered types or degrees of Kiai, or perhaps components.

These thoughts are rather jumbled, so I hope the point of the post is clear. Just some more food for thought. Thank you.