It’s becoming increasingly common these days to see very elaborate bunkai for kata techniques that really do not need to be that elaborate. The main reason for this that I can see is to get peoples interest, so that the demonstrator can then sell more DVD’s or get more bookings for their seminar tours.
The fighting techniques contained in the kata are short, to the point, with no wasted movement, and ultimately should finish with you in a position of control (ie you still being in good health and your opponent not so much!).
I now regularly see bunkai which will flow through a number of different wrist locks, arm locks, throw to the ground, then some ne waza, and finish with a submission technique. This is not in keeping with the principles of Goju Ryu.
Ultimately the idea of karatedo as budo is that fighting is to be avoided at all costs, but if there is no alternative and you are forced to defend yourself, your actions must be decisive and end the altercation immediately.
By over-complicating things for the sake of selling a few DVD’s, some people are heading in a different path from that which was intended, and potentially placing their students in a place of danger by giving them false confidence in techniques which have no basis in reality, and little hope of working under the unpredictable circumstances of a real confrontation.
The more you have to do, the higher the chance that it will go wrong. Keep things simple and aim to become very good at simple things!
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