Over the years I have read many articles and reports about the application of kata. I have, on the whole, stayed out of such entangled arguments, as I am a firm believer that there is no one correct answer. To write something down and claim it to be the ultimate truth is only asking for trouble and will result in the stagnation of our great art.
However, that said, kata bunkai is a good way to get oneself and one’s students to think. With this in mind I have written a little article about the application of Heian Shodan. However, the reader must bear in mind that sometimes a gedan barai is simply a gedan barai.
The applications that follow are just interpretations of a technique, and when Funakoshi Sensei implemented Heian Shodan into Shotokan Karate, I doubt he had these techniques in mind. The following applications are just a way to make me and hopefully the reader look at things with a different slant.
1: The opponent, from the left side of the defender, attacks with right hand
kizami tsuki. The defends, drops his weight, turns his hips towards the opponents,
blocks nagashi uke with his left hand and attacks chudan gyaku tsuki with his
right hand. He then follows through, landing left leg forward in zenkutsu dachi,
attacking gedan barai uchi.
2: As the opponents recoils from the attack, the defender follows through with right hand chudan oi tsuki.
3: A different opponent, coming from behind, attack jodan kizami tsuki with his left hand. The defender pivots quickly on his left leg and blocks nagashi uke with his right hand. He then follows this through with right hand gedan barai uchi as he lands in zenkutsu dachi.
4: The same opponent counters with a chudan gyaku tsuki with his right hand. The defender, using his right hand, blocks ude bari and comes down right hand tetsui uchi to the nose or collar bone.
5: As the opponent recoils from the attack, the defender steps forward, attacking chudan oi tsuki with his left hand. This is blocked by the opponent with right hand soto uke. The opponent counters by sliding in and attacking jodan gyaku tsuki with his left hand. The defender shifts his weight back, blocking nagashi uke with his left hand, simultaneously attacking gyaku tsuki with his right hand.
6: The next opponent, coming from the left of the defender, attacks chudan mae geri with his right leg, followed by jodan oi tsuki with his right hand. The defender pivots 90 degrees and blocks left hand gedan bari (to the mae geri), then left hand age uke (open hand – to the oi tsuki.)
7: Using the open left handed age uke, the defender takes hold of the opponents right hand and steps in with age uke uchi, all the time controlling the opponent with his left hand.
8: As the opponent recoils from the attack, the defender follows him. The opponent steps back and attacks right hand jodan kizami tsuki. The defender continues to follow, stepping in left hand age uke.
9:
The defender takes control of the opponent’s right hand, steps
forward, and uses age uke to attack the opponents right elbow to break
the arm (kiai).
10: A different opponent, attacking from the right, comes in jodan kizami tsuki with his right hand. The defender pivots around, and using his left hand, blocks nagashi uke and follows through gedan barai uchi and he lands into zenkutsu dachi.
11: As the attacker recoils back, the defender follows through with chudan oi tsuki using the right hand.
12: A separate opponent, coming from behind, attacks jodan gyaku tsuki with his right hand. The defender again pivots around and blocks nagashi uke with his right hand, and the same time using his left hand to attack chudan gyaku tsuki. He then follows through with gedan barai uchi as he lands into zenkutsu dachi.
13: As the opponent recoils back, the defender follows through with chudan oi tsuki with his left hand.
14: A different opponent, coming in from the left, attacks mae geri with the right leg. The defender, moving into the attack, blocks gedan barai with his left hand.
15: The defender moves forward with right hand chudan oi tsuki. The opponent steps back, blocking left hand soto uke.
16:
Again the defender moves forward with left hand chudan oi tsuki. The
opponent steps back, blocking right hand soto uke.
17:
The defender changes the timing, steps faster, attacks right hand
chudan oi tsuki, without giving the opponent a chance to block (kiai).
18:
A different opponent attack from 45 degrees behind, chudan oi tsuki
with his right hand. The defender pivots, and blocks shuto uke with
his left hand.
19:
The defender quickly follows through with right hand shuto uchi to
the throat.
20: A different opponent coming from behind, attacks jodan kizami tsuki. The defender pivots around and blocks nagashi uke with his left hand, then as he lands into stance, attacks shuto uchi to the throat with his right hand.
21: A different opponent, coming from 45 degrees, attacks with jodan oi tsuki with his right hand. The defender, using tai sabaki, evades the punch, and steps in shuto uchi to the throat, using his left hand.
This article © Scott Langley 2002
