AOKK Wansu Hanto Kata Sections

Hanto kata is a breakdown of the self defense portions of the kata. Many times the karateka that created the form will repeat a series of techniques. When this happens, it is sometimes to place the kata back on track, and it is also performed multiple times when it is a favorite series self-defense moves that the creator wants to emphasize. Lastly, the main reason is to force the karateka to practice the self-defense on both sides of the body. When this is the reason, you will only se the series repeated twice. Karate technique is to be practiced on both sides of the body, so when attacked from either side, your self-defense will be effective. Most people have a dominant side. By breaking down the kata into bunkai (dissection) or sections, the self-defense can be practiced, with a partner, so that it is more effective in an actual attack. Palace guards, court officials, police, and corrections officers had to rely on these designed responses. All bunkai begin with a situational assault. It was from trial and error that the best responses were developed. Without bunkai in your kata, you’re simply dancing. Kata has been elevated to an artform in the modern world, but do not throw the baby out with the bath water because there are still valuable lesson to be learned.

AOKK Bunkai Rating System:

This set of bunkai has been gather over years of discussing the possible meaning of the techniques found in kata. This collection is absolutely limited, so if you do not see your interpretation do not despair. You may have the truth that I’m still seeking.

Remember, kata is the unwritten text of Okinawan self-defense. Okinawan karate is all about the why we perform a certain set of techniques, so when a few black belts gather together, the subject will always emerge. I’m constantly reading, watching videos, and discussing bunkai with other black belts seeking the truth in our kata. Since I’m an Isshin-ryu black belt, I live in a bubble, so I mainly talk to mostly Isshin-ryu instructors, but on occasion an instructor from a different system will have an interpretation that I would note. Occasionally, I will meet an instructor that claims without a doubt they hold the true meaning of the bunkai, but I’m always a little leery of them, yet if it sounds plausible it got noted. Many interpretations are complex and based upon an attacker’s response to your counter measure. Others are straight forward. We must remember, these techniques were constructed by men that used them in the everyday enforcement of their duties, so overly complex scenarios would be the last thing they wanted to rely upon. The simplest interpretation could well be the best. Some scenarios are philosophical ways of administering the techniques. Again, not everything is as it appears. A block is not always a block and a punch is not always a punch. Inside the kata lives locks, chokes, and throws, so do not let your thinking become one dimensional. Lastly, kata without bunkai is merely folk dancing. Below are a set of ratings to help the student in his/her study of the kata’s bunki.

Hidden technique within the bunkai has always been an issue. When deciphering the bunkai, the final self-defense should resemble the series in the kata. At a seminar I attended, according to Master Harold Mitchum, there is hidden technique within the kata, and he was adamant that it is not included in the performance of the form. Unfortunately, many instructors use hidden technique to make their interpretation of the bunkai fit their picture. Hidden technique should fit seamless into the form without altering it. If the final result deviates too far from the original movement you’ve probably missed the mark.

Karate is for self-defense only, so it is assumed that the bunkai is a response to an attack. The attacks in the interpretation/kaishaku is merely an assumption and it is noted that the counterattack could work against other types of attacks. It is a good idea to look at potential Differing attacks utilizing the same response.

[What-if-Scenarios Rating]

The what-if scenario is a catenated collection of basic self-defense techniques. This type of bunkai teaches there are options when a bunkai does not end a confrontation. We all know that nothing goes as planned, so thinking that by following the series of techniques, as designed in the bunkai, will work as scripted is ludicrous, but pieces of that series can and will work in various situations. Not all scenarios could be addresses in ten lifetimes, but you can get an idea of how these pieces can be fit together. You cannot expect an adversary to follow your scripted counterattack, but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. There may be a piece of that series of techniques that fits your situational circumstance. Kata is a collection of possible responses to an attack

[Basic Rating]

This is a straightforward technique. There is not a great amount of nuance. It cuts straight to the counterattack and needs little practice to administer in a self-defense situation. The probability of this technique working is high.

[Moderate Rating]

This is a somewhat straightforward technique, but it has an element that must be practiced before it comes without thought and is a relevant tool in any karateka’s arsenal.

[Difficult Rating]

This is a somewhat difficult series of techniques to master. To make this series viable it will take a great deal of two-man training and practice in a fighting situation.