The bunkai of Sochin reveals a range of techniques, including:
Defending against multiple opponents: Sochin contains several movements that demonstrate how to defend against multiple attackers, including techniques for controlling and neutralizing opponents.
Close-range combat: The kata includes several close-range techniques, such as knee strikes, elbow strikes, and joint locks, which can be used to quickly neutralize an opponent.
Redirecting and controlling: Sochin demonstrates how to redirect an opponent’s energy and control their movements, using techniques such as circular movements and body shifting.
Vince Morris is a seasoned karate sensei and founder of Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do, known for blending traditional Okinawan techniques with practical self‑defense and law‑enforcement tactics. Sensei Morris has revised classic kumite methods and developed training programs for civilians and police, earning respect for his clear, realistic approach to modern martial arts.
Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do
Practicality: techniques must work realistically under stress, not just look correct in the dojo.
This is a summary of some of the practical and effective applications within the kata Kanku Dai (Kushanku). Kata is alway more interesting to practice when you actually know some realistic applications behind the techniques. We hope you can use these ideas in your own training and teaching and please subscribe to this channel for more exciting karate educational videos in the future.
Motobu Chōki (1870 – 1944) was an Okinawan karate master and founder of Motobu-Ryu. He was born into a branch of the Ryukyuan royal family, and at the age of 12, he and his older brother Motobu Chōyū invited Ankō Itosu to learn karate. Chōyū was also a noted martial artist.
Motobu also studied karate under Sakuma, Matsumura Sōkon, and Kōsaku Matsumora. He excelled especially in kumite and was already known throughout Okinawa in his twenties. As he grew up, he came to be regarded as the best in Okinawa in terms of practical karate techniques. He is reported to have been very agile, which gained him the nickname Motobu no Saru (“Motobu the Monkey”). He distanced himself from the modernization trend in karate, focusing only on kata Naihanchi and concentrating on kumite practice.
Find more information about the basic kata Naihanchi-Tekki of Motobu-Ryu.
Kamae is in the heart, not a physical manifestation.
Everything is natural, and changing.
One does not have to take care to block every single attack by an oppenent with weak stricking power.
One must develop the ability to deflect an attack even from behind.
In a real confrontation, more than anything else one should strike to the face first, as this is the most effective.
Karate is Sente (Here, sente means the initiative, or the first move; Karate ni Sente Nashi – there is no first move in karate).
The position of the legs and hips in Naifuanchin no Kata (Naihanchi/Tekki) is the basics of karate.
Twisting to the left or right from the Naifuanchin stance will give you the stance used in a real confrontation. Twisting ones way of thinking about Naifuanchin left and right, the various meanings in each movement of the kata will also becom clear.
One must always try and block the attack at its soure (i.e. block not the attacking hand, but deeper on the arm).
The blocking hand must be able to become the attacking hand in an instant. Blocking with one hand then countering with the other is not true bujutsu. Real bujutsu presses forward and blocks and counters in the same motion.
One cannot use continuous attacks against true karate. That is because the blocks of true karate make it impossible for the oppenent to launch a second attack.
I still do not yet know the best way to punch the makiwara (note: this statement was made when Choki was over 60!).
It’s interestin, but when I just think about performing a kata, when I’m seated, I break a sweat.
When punching to the face, one must thrust as if punching through to the back of the head.
When fighting a boxer, it is better to go with his flow, and take up a rhythm with both of your hands.
It is necessary to drink alcohol and pursue other fun human activities. The art (i.e. karate) of someone who is too serious has no “flavor”.
It is OK to take two steps forward or back in the same kamae, but over three steps, one must change the position (facing) of their guard.
When I fought the foreign boxer in Kyoto, he was taller then me so I jumped up and punched him in the face. This is effective against people wo are taller than you.
I started having real fights at TsuJi when I was young, and fought over 100 of them, but I was never hit in the face.
Katsuyuki Shimabukuro 島袋勝之 was a student of Chibana Chosin, later Higa Yuchoku, now Tokashiki Iken.
In Okinawa, Naihanchi is performed with both open and closed hands. The bunkai are not exactly the same, but they are related. It’s like variations on a theme..
The kata has profound importance in traditional karate. In fact, Kentsu Yabu, a student of master Anko Itosu, famously stated that “Karate begins and ends with Naihanchi”. This highlights the kata’s fundamental nature in martial arts training. Naihanchi (also known as Naifanchi or Tekki) is a critically important kata in Okinawan karate with deep historical roots.
Update with Bunkai-Drills
This video demonstrates the kata Naihanchi (also called Naifuanchin or Tekki), warm-up drills for the kata, associated application practices developed by Motobu Choki (1871-1944), and of course the best part of learning — mistakes.
Shorinji Kempo Ryu is a purely Japanese martial art that combines Chinese Shaolin martial arts with Japanese budō principles.
Shorinji Kempo Ryu of the International Shorinji Kempo Association is based on the techniques and philosophy of Shorinji Kempo, which originated in the northern Shaolin Monastery (Shàolín-sì 少林寺) in China, where Buddhist monks trained their bodies and minds to master not only self-defense but also inner peace.
The practical background was also to defend the monastery from roaming gangs. Doshin So (born in 1911 as Nakano Michiomi), the founder of Shorinji Kempo, traveled to China in the 1930s and studied these ancient martial arts and the associated philosophy.
In 1947, in the city of Tadotsu on Shikoku, he founded Shorinji Kempo, an art based on the principles of Zen Buddhism and the Chinese Shaolin arts.
The 6 pillars:
ken zen ichinyo – Body and mind are one
riki ai funi – Strength and love go hand in hand. Strength without love is nothing more than violence, and love without strength is powerless.
shushu kōjū – Defend first, then attack
fusatsu katsujin – Do not kill, but give life. The saying “one blow, certain death” is not found in Shorinji Kempo Ryu. The goal should be to stop evil and convince the opponent to desist.
gōjū ittai – Hard and soft are united. Shorinji Kempo Ryu as self-defense serves the purpose of protecting oneself from attacks. See below for the principles of Juho and Goho.
kumite shutai – Joint training comes first. So Doshin repeatedly and clearly condemned thinking in terms of victory and defeat and striving to defeat others.
Bassai Dai (Passai): a powerful, combat‑oriented kata meaning roughly “storming the fortress.” It teaches how to break through an opponent’s defense using strong hip rotation, precise kime, and solid stances.
The sequence mixes heavy blocks, straight punches, elbow and shoulder strikes, and frequent turns and direction changes. Shifts between low and mid stances build stability and flexibility; explosive breath (kiai) and hip-driven power produce penetrating force. Bunkai illustrates applications for multiple attackers, close-range fighting, joint locks and control techniques. Versions vary by style (Shotokan, Shito‑ryu, Goju‑ryu, Okinawa); Bassai Dai is central in Shotokan, while Passai forms are older and more diverse.
Presented by One Minute Bunkai from zentokukai.com
Shotoryu Goshinjutsu is a system of self defense based on the kata of Shotokan. Basic Premises:
Traditional Karate is an art of self defense
Historically karate was taught primarily through kata
Therefore kata should teach self defense
To be of practical value, the primary defenses should be against the most likely attacks. Evaluating Applications
Traditional Training Tips
Here are a few changes we should make to traditional training in the Shotokan style. Honoring and respecting tradition does not mean to follow it blindly.
Here are some impressive kumite fights from the renowned Sensei Frank Brennan of the UK. He was a complete fighter, dangerous with both hands and legs in any situation. As you can see, these were incredibly hard-fought bouts for both sides.
Rick Sensei started training in 1970 at the West Wind Dojo in Florida. In 1976 he inherited the dojo and since then has remained its instructor. Originally a member of the USKA, Rick Sensei moved to Richard Kim’s group in 1989 and since that time has endeavoured to train and learn from as many instructors as possible.
Rick Hotton sensei teaching at SMK Spring keiko 2022, Petaluma California
He is also a long time student of Matsugi Saotome, who is considered to be one of the best Aikido masters in the world today. For the past three years Rick Sensei has been the NSKF representative in North America under the guidance of Pemba Tamang Sensei, who was the first foreigner ever to do the JKA instructors’ course.
Karate-Do Core Principles – Sensei Rick Hotton
The do suffix implies that karate do is a path to self-knowledge, not just a study of the technical aspects of fighting. Like most martial arts practiced in Japan, karate made its transition from – jutsu to do around the beginning of the 20th century. The “do” in “karate do” sets it apart from karate-jutsu, as aikido is distinguished from aikijutsu, judo from jujutsu, kendo from kenjutsu and iaido from iaijutsu.
Uechi-ryu (上地流 Uechi-ryū) is a traditional style of Okinawan karate.
Uechi-ryū means “Style of Uechi” or “School of Uechi”. Originally called Pangai-noon, which translates to English as “half-hard, half-soft”, the style was renamed Uechi-ryū after the founder of the style, Kanbun Uechi.
Uechi-Ryū is a traditional karate style with strong Chinese roots that emphasizes compact, natural movements and techniques based on the tiger, crane and dragon. It is characterized by open hand techniques, body conditioning and the central Sanchin kata, which trains breathing technique, stability and inner strength. Compared to other karate styles, Uechi-Ryū is shorter, more explosive and places particular emphasis on resistance and efficient body structure.
Karate with Lionel Froidure – practical applications. In karate, or any other martial art, you can intervene in several different phases. In karate, these are called: go no sen, tai no sen and sen no sen.
He attacks Oi Zuki, I block and strike after his attack. I absorb his movement, strike and come back out. We could also do a Go No Sen by pivoting, striking and coming out. It’s still a go no sen. I intervene after the strike. He throws, I block and strike. So it’s in 2 steps.
Tai No Sen
Tai No Sen, it’s the body that moves, the 2 bodies move at the same time. When he attacks, I also attack at the same time, but I step out of his line of attack. I’m in a form where the 2 bodies move, I pivot but attack at the same time. There’s no longer any blocking, just an exit.
Sen No Sen
I must return during the attack. I attack his attack. I have to have a perfect reading to be able to leave at the slightest fault he makes. As soon as he starts to move, I intervene. Even with just peripheral vision, you can do it. As soon as you see something moving, you attack. You have to be under power to move instantly. If you’re behind, you can’t get away. You must attack his attack: Sen No Sen.
Sensen No Sen
In the last sensation, we’re more in a self situation, for example. He’ll think about attacking me. He pushes me and the situation escalates. The attack is imminent. Instead of letting him attack me, I attack first. I attack his intention. I attack before he launches his attack. It’s Sensen No Sen. I attack not an attack, but his intention to attack. I intervene even earlier in time.
So before he attacks, it’s Sensen No Sen. When I attack his attack, it’s Sen No Sen. Tai No Sen, I take out the body. Go No Sen, I absorb, block and strike.
