Hanto Kata and Bunkai

Honto means real. Self-defense of kata is done normally on both sides of the body to build the body mind connection. It is done a third time usually to set the kata back on track. Sometimes it is done a third time if the self-defense is important. The Honto Kata only focuses on one series and does not repeat the series again.

Kata is meaningless if the karateka does not unlock the self defense it contains. Breaking the form apart is called by many different terms, but bunkai is the most common. Bunkai means to break apart. Hanto kata are these pieces. Where hanto begins and ends depends on the organization. The AOKK’s interpretation of the breaks or hanto kata can be found in the book that examines the different ways the same kata is performed by multiple Isshin ryu masters. The eight volumes of bunkai are based upon the Hanto found in this book.

There are many interpretations for the series of techniques within a kata. Hanto helps us more easily understand and interpret the meaning. The true meaning of the bunkai has been lost to time, so we must examine each piece closely. In my last forty plus years of studying karate I have asked many different instructors for their interpretation. The interpretation usually depends upon their area of proficiency.  A striker’s interpretation will be different than a grapplers, but we must give each idea study.

One of the great losses of karate or Tode is it’s grappling techniques. When karate went to Japan locks, chokes, and throws were minimized or eliminated completely. It is my hypothesis that this was done so karate would not be in competition with Judo.  Leaving grappling to Judo and striking to karate created a niche for both arts. Karate was more proficient with striking and kicking while Judo and jujitsu were more proficient with the grappling aspect. We know the split occurred by a comment made by a karate master named Kenwa Mabuni. He said,” The karate that has spread to Japan is incomplete. Those who believe that karate consists of only kicks and punches and think throws and joint locks are exclusive to judo or jujitsu, have been misinformed. We should have an open mind and strive to study the complete art.” In the AOKK we desire to make our karate more complete.

The AOKK seeks to rejoin the arts to make karate whole again. The throws found in karate are not as sophisticated as those found in judo. To reconnect with our ancestral art, we studied the throws of judo and jujitsu. We also used the Japanese terminology, to minimize confusion. In karate a throw is facilitated via a lock, choke, or strikes. In judo the throw is facilitated via kuzushi or the breaking of the opponent’s balance. Karate also breaks the opponent’s balance, but it is done with a different methodology.

Once the grappling arts are studied closely, the bunkai of a kata opens up. We see this as we explore hanto kata. Moves in kata that made no sense becomes understandable. Stances that were once immobile are necessary for grappling. An example of the different views of bunkai can be found in Chinto kata.  In Chinto there is what appears to be a double punch and then the fists are turned over and driven downward. This is all done from a horse stance or kiba dachi. The horse stance is very similar to the judo strong stance. The striker’s explanation for the bunkai was bilateral punches to the adversary’s kidneys followed by a double back knuckle strike to the groin. The grapplers bunkai was simpler. It was interpreted as Morote-gari or a double leg takedown. This is done by wrapping your arms under the attacker’s knees or thighs while lifting them and dumping them backwards to the ground. The Okinawan palace guards developed karate to takedown and apprehend criminals. How could anyone believe that they only did this with punches and kicks?

Honto kata is the avenue to best explore the age-old self-defense found in karate. Do not limit your examination to a one-dimensional understanding of the possibilities the bunkai may hold. The Hanto kata may vary from organization to organization, but if you’re a real student of karate you must explore hanto kata and the many possibilities it holds.