Influenced by a perforamnce

I thought I'd share with you the video footage that finally made me realize there was some element of my karate missing. I think I first saw it on, you guessed it 'Youtube.' However, I will give you two links.
This first link is directly to the video footage on the Shitokai web site. The video is of the Japanese national kata team performing Annan kata with bunkai at the 7th AKF championships. I hope you are as impressed as I was when I first saw it.

Link 1: http://www.shitokai.com/movies/AnnanJapanBunkai.php
Link 2: http://www.shitokai.com

The second link is directly to the Shitokai / Shito Ryu home page. The reason for this is for this style of karate in question (Shitokai / Shito Ryu) it has some tremendous information such as many kata videos, history of the style and much much more. well worth a few hours read as I have done over the past few months.

Thank you Mr. (Sensei) Lupo

As you can see from my blog I have posted five video clips showing kata bunkai. Ethically I thought it only correct to request of Mr. Didier Lupo (The creator of these videos) the right to show them on my blog. The following is his very welcome reply:

From: Didier Lupo
To: steve wilkinson
Date: Nov 29 2007, 09:01 PM
Subject: Merci bien. (Thank you very much.)

Thank you for your mail , we will try to sent more video . We have to work hard to do that. But your word of encouragement give us a lot of heart! Next video "goju shiho dai" You can use the video clip for your blog . And you are welcome to train with us if you pass through Marseille.
all the best Didier Lupo

Thank you for replying.
You saw it here first. The next Video from Sensei Lupo is 'Goju shiho dai.' I for one am looking forward to another professional video and I'm sure there are many others around the world will welcome the next video also.

Merci Monsieur Lupo. (5ème Dan/5th Dan)

Bunkai Articles Available

The picture on left here is of Mr. Iain Abernethy. My training colleagues at Newton Aycliffe Anshin Ryu karate have had the pleasure of training with Iain on a number of his kata / karate application causes.

I recommend you visit his web site. If you follow the link 'Articles' he has many articles available to view for free. However, the two articles I have read in full to date are:

The Pinan / Heian series as a fighting System and
The basics of Bunkai (Kata Application)

These articles have changed my perspective overnight. In doing so I have applied some of Iain's thought processes to a couple of katas and bunkai is just oozing from every sinew of my body.

I look forward to training with Mr. Iain Abernethy hopefully in the not to distant future. (I've hyper-linked Iain's web site here and on the side bar.)

If you follow the link and subscribe to Iain's free newsletter he offers two free e-books.
1) An Introduction to Applied Karate,
2) The Application of the Pinan/Heian Katas.
Have fun.

Five Shotokan Bunkai Video Clips

As stated on my posting dated 27th Nov find below the five bunkai video clips.
I have to say since starting this web-log I have found allot more Bunkai information out there in hyperspace than I first thought was available. So I will now use this blog to try and bring it all together into one place. Watch the videos below, learn and enjoy.

Kanku Dai (Ku Shanku) Bunkai Video


Tekki Shodan (Nai Hanchi) Bunkai Video


Bassai Dai (Passai) Bunkai Video


Niju-Shiho (Ni Sei Shi) Bunkai Video


Enpi (Wanshu) Bunkai video

Once again, thank you to Monsieur Didier Lupo and his team for the excellent video content.

French Bunkai video footage

Watch this space. Initially on Youtube I found a number of excellent and professionally put together video clips by a number of French instructors. (I have listed their names and their home page below)

The Shotokan kata videos available are: (Wado Ryu equivalent name in brackets)

Niju Shi Ho (Ni Sei Shi)
Enpi (Wanshu)
Tekki Shodan (Nai Hanchi)
Kanku Dai (Ku Shan Ku)
Bassai Dai (Passai)

The video clips are not only an excellent way to learn the kata but include karate analysis and a street defence application. (Double Bunkai) In many cases they give more than one application for a given combination of movements. To the named individuals below, 'well done guys.' When are the next video clips coming out? I for one will be waiting.

Didier Lupo
Ceinture Noire - 5ème DAN. Titulaire du Brevet d’Etat de Karaté, Champion de France, Vainqueur des internationnaux de France, Champion d’Europe

Frank Benjamin
Ceinture Noire - 2ème DAN, Titulaire du Brevet d’Etat de Karaté, Champion de France,
Vice champion d’Europe

Eric Lecocq
Ceinture Noire - 2ème DAN, Titulaire du Brevet d’Etat de Karaté

Nazih Asloun
Ceinture Noire - 3ème DAN, Titulaire du Brevet d’Etat de Karaté

Omar Bensouna
Ceinture Noire - 2ème DAN, Titulaire du Brevet D’Etat de Karate

Their web site is "http://www.ksco.fr/"

Have fun.

Blog Creator Introduction

Hi fellow martial artist.
My name is Stephen Wilkinson and I've been training in the martial arts for approx. 35 yrs.
I started out studying Judo at the age of 13 reaching a blue belt and at the age of 15 I started karate classes. I currently hold a 2nd Dan in karate and hope to take my 3rd Dan next year. (2008)
I have created this blog to have somewhere I can capture from all you fellow martial artists the application of kata. (And forms from other styles and systems)

I hope I am not alone when I say that despite training for many years it suddenly dawned on me that my understanding of kata was superficial. The actual application (bunkai) of the various movements I had not spent enough thought or practice on this. Since, thanks to Youtube postings my knowledge is expanding exponentially but with your help this can be improved.

We can share our knowledge and I am not aware of any web site that dedicates itself to kata / martial art application. So get cracking people. Post you're info for all to see/read.

Final note. I'm a karate man. However, I have friends that teach bag-wa, tai-chi, tai kick boxing, etc. so don't restrict your application posts to karate.

Let our journey begin.