I have recently been sent some excellent videos via Youtube on rules for interpreting bunkai (applications), examples of bunkai and training drills for Naihanchi Kata by Ryan Parker of Ryukyu Martial Arts, from his own Youtube Channel, The Contemplative2.
Note: Naihanchi Kata in Okinawan Karate is known as Tekki in some Japanese styles. Continue reading “Naihanchi (Tekki) Karate Kata Bunkai By Ryan Parker (Ryukyu Martial Arts)” »
Tag: wing chun
Wing Chun: Finishing Quickly
Here’s a video where Keith takes the lead for a change (gives me a break) 🙂 Although Keith practices more Choy Lee Fut these days, his base style always used to be Wing Chun (which I trained with him for a while). One of Wing Chun’s characteristics is its very fast multiple attacks, or as one instructor puts it; “be all over them like a rash”.
This is an effective fighting method. However, during his time teaching, Keith noticed that sometimes people get a bit too focused on the rapid multiple attacks and forget to put in any real power into their techniques or to aim for good finishing targets. This is not a criticism of Wing Chun, it’s just a mistake that sometimes people fall into.
Although emphasising fast close quarters techniques, Wing Chun practitioners can still develop a lot of power and finish fights very quickly, which is especially important with multiple opponents. You don’t want to be caught hitting somebody 20 times, whilst their mates are trying to hit you too. So in the following video, Keith reminds people of ways to use Wing Chun to finish a fight very quickly by being selective in your targets, rather then getting drawn into hitting them too many times, which sometimes ends up becoming very “slappy”.
Wing Chun’s Chum Kiu
Following on from our last video on bunkai from the kata Nijushiho, Keith takes the lead and we take a look at similar applications from Wing Chun’s second form, Chum Kiu.
Usually we do things mainly from the Karate perspective and look at similar Kung Fu moves, but this time we start from the Kung Fu perspective (about time too). Sorry to all the Kung Fu people out there that its taken us so long to do it this way round, but Keith is a bit shyer in front of the camera than me. He’s not so shy in other ways, I would explain that this is not kind of blog 🙂
Bunkai For Karate/TKD’s Shuto Uke and Wing Chun’s Fun Sau
Today we look at Karate bunkai for Shuto Uke (knife hand block). However, if you raise the elbow to the side and perform the strike/block with the forearm parallel to the floor, it looks very much like Wing Chun’s Fun Sau strike.
Shuto Uke can obviously be used for blocking or striking, but here we look at other possible applications, in particular escaping from a double handed throat grab.
Shuto Uke bunkai
Tekki/Naihanchi (Chul Gi) Kata Bunkai With Reference To Similar Wing Chun Movements (Part 2)
A couple of months ago, we did a cross reference of applications from Wing Chun Kung Fu and Karate’s Tekki/Naihanchi kata bunkai, as both are noted for close quarters fighting. This proved to be quite popular so we have done another one. We do actually use part of the same section of the kata, but in a different way (every move has more than one bunkai).
Tekki / Naihanchi Kata Bunkai
Bunkai From Tekki/Naihanchi (Chul Gi) With Cross Reference To Wing Chun
Most Karate systems that evolved from the Okinawan style of Shuri Te tend to use big steps to capitalise on forward body momentum and inertia to transfer impact into the opponent. As a broad generalisation, this tends to distinguish them from the styles derived from Naha Te and most styles of Kung Fu which prefer the use of circular (or centrifugal) force for generating power.
However, the Tekki kata’s (or Naihanchi in some styles and Chul Gi in Korean) which are still present in many Shuri Te derived styles contradict this forward momentum method in that they are not very mobile and are far more “static”. Another characteristic of the Tekki kata’s is that they punch with the palm facing up as opposed to the usual “cork-screw” punch where the fist ends up facing downwards and the arm is not fully extended.
Tekki is obviously a close quarters fighting kata. As such a number of its movements are quite close to Wing Chun Kung Fu which specialises in close quarters fighting. On the surface, Wing Chun and Tekki look quite different, but as usual Keith and I look below the surface and find some similarities which can be used by practitioners of either system.
Tekki / Naihanchi Kata Bunkai
Bunkai And Comparison Of Karate/TKD’s Age Uke (Rising Block) & Wing Chun’s Bong Sau (Wing Arm Block)
Here we take a look at 2 blocks which are very similar. Wing Chun’s Bong Sau (Wing Arm Block) and the Age Uke (Rising Block) used in Karate, Teakwondo and Tang Soo Do. The advantage of comparing techniques between different styles is that sometimes you get clues as to how they originated. Wing Chun is based on Snake Kung Fu and Crane Kung Fu. One of the main influences on Okinawan Karate was White Crane Kung Fu, so there would appear to be some common roots.
Furthermore, by looking at how another style uses its techniques can often give clues as to extra applications for which you can use your own techniques. This is particularly advantageous to Karate, TaeKwonDo and Tang Soo Do practitioners as a lot of our original applications have been lost along the way.
I hope you enjoy this video.
Age Uke & Bong Sau Bunkai