What Comes After the "First Level Interpretation?"

Intermediate and advanced students at Broad Ripple Martial Arts know that the bunkai we memorize for grading is only the 'first level' bunkai.

The reason it's important to understand that the bunkai taught in class are only the 'first level' is that they only work at all if the attacker is extremely compliant.  Think about the low block-rising block combination we practice at the end of Pinan Nidan.  As the bunkai is taught, the attacker starts from out of range with his attack so that the defender can step towards the kick and still meet the the attack with lower forearm or fist.

But why would someone trying to kick you start to launch that attack from too far away to reach you?  And if they did why would you run towards them so you could be in range?  A bunkai like this is not trying to teach you 'how to fight.'

The reason we have these unrealistic bunkai is as a teaching tool for the kata.  Having a concrete goal for each block and strike helps us remember the form and helps us to generate real intention with our performance of the form.

But the standard curriculum at Broad Ripple Martial Arts leaves open the question of what comes next? What is the 'second level' interpretation of our kata?

There are several possible 'interpretations' for each movement of our kata because there is no verified historical interpretation for the kata practiced in Shorei-Goju Ryu, even for those kata for which we know the original author (e.g. the Pinan Kata).

Many martial artists have dedicated themselves to understanding kata as tools for training realistic self defense responses to attacks.  My favorite of the moment (as an author of books and articles) is Ian Abernethy.  His explanations of how to intepret the kata, and some of the drills he builds off of those interpretations resonate with the way I envision karate 'working.'

Check out his page; he has posted a few interpretations of kata that I like very much as examples of 'second level' interpretations.  For the technique shown from Kushanku/Kanku-Dai, think about the swim block-spear hand-turn-hammer fist combination in Pinan Sandan.  And his technique for Pinan Godan starts off with a very familiar throw (note that he points out a mistake many of us make . . . and how to train to fix it) but adds a very nice finishing submission.

Maybe the next time you are practicing bunkai outside of class (you are practicing on your own, aren't you?) you can try these variations and see how you like them.