The word bunkai means analysis or to find meaning. What bunkai does is investigate the real meaning of kata. What then is kata?

Kata is a method of passing down knowledge from a teacher to a student. ancient practitioners of martial arts perfected their techniques by designing kata as a pattern so that it could be broken down into segments and easily remembered. These segments, or bunkai, are the core of self-defense. To better understand what bunkai means and why it is important we must investigate why kata was designed in the first place. Kata, although rhythmical and meditative, was designed for one reason- to inflict pain and/or death upon an opponent.

“The point of a kata, however is to kill the opponent or opponents. Only in kata is a martial artist encouraged to perform traditional destructive techniques”.

Today, in many martial arts schools kata is taught as something aesthetic- it is put to music and made to look pretty. This, in my humble opinion, reduces kata to mere choreography. All of the movements in kata are based on the relationship between pressure points in the body. It is an application for real fighting. Without this understanding you might as well put on Elvis Presley’s, Blue Suede Shoes and prance around when confronted my a shady character in a dark alleyway. This hardly seems an effective way to win a fight, unless of course you want your opponent to die laughing.

Now that we have taken a look at why kata was designed we can apply this to what bunkai means. Bunkai is the actual fighting application found within kata. It is what connects the mental visualization and interpretation with the physical act of self defense. Bunkai, like all self-defense, is “simple and brutal”. Bunkai is applying techniques in an effective manner as they are interpreted from kata. These interpretations can differ from person to person, or from one art to the other. If practiced correctly, bunkai will yield a highly successful (and quite likely, fatal) attack. By observing the Principles of Kata Interpretation, one can see how bunkai can be personal or universal.

These principles state:

1. No Block Rule: simply put the movement of kata are not defensive. There are no downward blocks, blocking is a completely natural action. The movements called blocks in kata don't work as blocks - until they are interpreted as offensive actions.

2. Pressure Point Rule: Every kata is a pressure point technique. The questions every student should ask is: "What pressure points and I using with this movement?"

3. Two Hand Rule: Simply put, there is no wasted part of a kata. Every part of the action is there for a reason. Both hands in the kata action move because both hands are combative in the function.

4. Multiple Interpretation Rule: There are several interpretations of a kata move, at least three.

5. Direction of Movement: The direction of the movement in the kata indicates the angle the defender assumes in relation to the attacker to issuer successful application of the technique.

6. Visualization Rule: when performing kata , always visualize the opponent.

Kata interpretations, or bunkai, must follow the above rules. Bunkai becomes personal in how it is applied by a martial artist as an individual.