The Karate Revolution Advances: Yamabayashi Kata Analysis
This video shows that the Okinawan group our style grew out of knew more techniques and kata interpretation than they taught to the next generations.
It confirms that our bunkai analysis is not innovation, it is not inserting things that do not belong. It is rediscovering what was omitted.
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Kata analysis is a normal part of dojo life. Everyone can benefit from doing it.
Below are some tools we use to explore kata.
First are two things which we always use to understand analyze the techniques in the kata. These are the same insights we use to build combative skill:
1. Using the fast reversal principle in every move.
2. Understanding the properties of the postures.
We connect these two insights continually, using the fast reversals as the means to transition through the postures. These two examine the function of the technique from the inside.
By understanding both of these principles we get insight into what the techniques can be used for.
The other elements of analysis which we draw on are:
3. years of daily kata practice;
4. law enforcement or other experience, hands on with violent people;
5. a. law enforcement instructor experience which allows lots of hands-on simulation interactions with lots of people with lots of different kinds of martial arts proficiency and street experience, in an environment that is not your own dojo with its sometimes unnoticed expectations, rules and routines;
5 b. lots of viewing and analysis of incident video from surveillance, body cam, dash cam, a phone sources which show how trained and untrained people of all levels of physical ability, intention, habits and stress attack and defend;
6 a. the literature on martial arts from millennia of traditional east Asian sources, and
6. b. from more recent modern military and professional sources; including literature, videos and training directly, and
6. c. Chinese sources, recorded and live. The Okinawans visited China for training.
7. Learning the proposed applications in the group and then pressure testing them.
Unlike the first two, which are movement principles, these five elements are used to examine the techniques from the outside, for their combative use.
Not everyone needs all these kinds of experience to analyze kata effectively. We can all share our viewpoints and knowledge and collaborate, to go deeper in our understanding and proficiency. Everyone can contribute. Everyone can benefit.
In this series I will describe the fast reversal principle.
For insight on fast reversals see the article “Too Fast To See” at
And then I will describe the functions of the postures as we use them.
Knowing the functions is essential in developing the bunkai for our kata.
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Preceding articles in this series:
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Post Copyright © 2023 Jeffrey Brooks
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