LETTER 1.  – Kata & bunkai

In response to some of the post on bogus bunkai and some Okinawan instructors and dojo not having bunkai that seem to be anything but block/punch. Read more…

LETTER 2. – Kata & bunkai

I certainly did not mean in my post to give the indication that all Okinawan schools did not continue to practice bunkai as an integral part of their training. I wrote that there are schools in Okinawa just as any other place in the world that do not have the full curriculum that other schools have. I certainly would not mention those that I think do or don’t. I know Iha sensei’s background as well as his teachers are and were well grounded on bunkai of the kata. Read more…

LETTER 3. – Are there blocks in Okinawan kata?

I remember when this no block question in karate began in the mid 1980’s. As I recall it came about when people started being exposed to the Okinawan kata bunkai and finding out that not all blocks were for just blocking.  Read more…

LETTER 4. – About Hakutsuru kata.

Michael , you are right about Matayoshi teaching a Hakutsuru kata. The name is Kakuken. Even though he reserved the kata for some of his senior kobudo students in that he did not teach karate at all in his dojo. Read more…

LETTER 5. –  About kata practice.

It is hard to disagree with most of what has been written about this subject but I have a few comments that I hope will be helpful.

I agree with Shogiki’s comment about having “faith” in practicing the kata. Faith is defined as hope in what is not seen. Read more…