Kururunfa Bunkai: Shoulder-Lock Takedown

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This short video looks at a shoulder-lock takedown from Kururunfa kata. There are number of suggested bunkai for this sequence. My critique of the more widespread ones is that some ignore the back hand, and most ignore the angle at which the kata shows the sequence. The angle at which the sequence is performed is key because it tells us that we have moved to the side of the enemy:

"The meaning of the directions in kata is not well understood, and frequently mistakes are made in the interpretation of kata movements. In extreme cases, it is sometimes heard that "this kata moves in 8 directions, so it is designed for fighting 8 opponents … do not fall into the trap of thinking that just because a kata moves to the left that the opponent is attacking from the left … kata shows us that against an attack from the front we can evade either left or right to put ourselves in the most advantageous position to defend ourselves.” – Kenwa Mabuni

“There is only one opponent and he is in front of you. Turning to face a new direction while performing the kata does not mean you are turning to face a new opponent.” – Seikichi Toguchi

I therefore favour the application shown in this video because all parts of the movement are considered and the angle at which the motion is performed in acknowledged. This bunkai is therefore in accord with traditional principles as laid down by the past masters.

All the best,

Iain