List of Wado Ryu Bunkai

This section looks at the Bunkai used with Wado-Ryu Katas. Some are basic and some are a bit more advanced. Wado-Ryu uses traditional kata, and a lot of practitioners will only know what was taught to them. Therefore, this bunkai section looks at a variety of different applications that can be used to explain the movements done in kata.

Body reactions are a big thing in a lot of the bunkai. You must focus on how your opponent will react. Bunkai is geared towards self defence and not towards kata competitions. All bunkai movements must be done with power and students must be willing to take a hit in order to know a technique works. We ARE martial artist's after all, not ballet dancers. :)

Wado-Ryu Bunkai

• Kihon Kata Bunkai
• Pinan Nidan Bunkai
• Pinan Shodan Bunkai
• Pinan Sandan Bunkai
• Pinan Yondan Bunkai
• Pinan Godan Bunkai
• Kushanku Bunkai
• Naihanchi Bunkai
• Chinto Bunkai
• Basai Dai Bunkai

Bunkai Tips & Techniques

Here's a few tips, not rules, to help Karateka try and understand their kata:

• Bunkai should be short, sweet and effective.
• When kata's where developed, there was no names for techniques, they were taught to small groups as self defence drills in effect, and when they were made part of japanese schooling, they were given names, so a block, names a block, may not have been originally intended as a block, it could have been a grip, strike, throw, anything really, but they were given names to make them easier to teach to larger groups.
• When we move from a high technique to a low technique, or visa versa, this can be a throw, take down or lock.
• Any movement can be used to cause pain, forget a block is called a block and look for other applications.
• When there is a double movement, these do not need to be done at the same time, there can be a pause between them, such as the opening move in pinan yondan
• A double arm technique, when there is no hikite, could be a lock, or a parry and strike.
• When hands are close together, look at what this could be, a lock or grab
• Kata's are generally taught on command, or counted, the kata's originally didn't have breaks in them, it was a fast straight through, with out pauses. So try this and see what you can find
• Turns, not always going to face a new opponent, can be used as a throw in alot of cases if the last technique could be a grab.