Practical Kata Bunkai: How Pinan Shodan (Heian Nidan) teaches us to get past our enemy’s defences
This video briefly summarises how Pinan Shodan (Heian Nidan) teaches us to get past our enemy’s defences so we can strike the jaw and neck to knockout our enemy. The video shows how we progress from solo-form (kata) to application (bunkai) to flow-drill and then to free-drill.
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Practical Kata Bunkai: Pinan Shodan / Heian Nidan Drills
Practical kata bunkai drill for the opening moves and "knife hand blocks" from Pinan Shodan / Heian Nidan. Filmed in July 2010 in Iain Abernethy's dojo.
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Practical Kata Bunkai: The End of Pinan Shodan / Heian Nidan
This video was filmed at a seminar in Lund, Sweden and it looks at the "double block" / "reinforced block" found towards the end of Pinan Shodan / Heian Nidan. Personally I see the main application of this motion being a response to a throat grab which may happen following the application of the shuto-ukes found earlier in the kata. At the seminar we explained the full progression found in the kata, and that can also be found on my DVD, "The Pinan / Heian Series: The Complete Fighting System Volume 1". Nevertheless, despite not being able to communicate the details of the combative progression of the kata in this quick clip, I hope it is still of some use to all those who view it. All the best, Iain
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Practical Kata Bunkai: Pinan Nidan / Heian Shodan Moves 3 to 6
This video shows a bunkai drill for moves 3 to 6 of Pinan Nidan / Heian Shodan. It was filmed at a private training session in August 2011 and we had just been looking at applications for the previous turn. This clip joins that session as we look at the "lower-block" posture and onwards.
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Practical Kata Bunkai: Pinan Nidan Opening Move
In this video we look at the bunkai of the opening moment of Pinan Nidan. The footage was filmed at a seminar I taught in Wales in 2014. I see the motion as an escape when the arms are pinned from the rear. The “dropping hand” rips the one of the enemy’s fingers back, up and over (only partially done in the demonstrations for obvious reasons!). That will free the grip. The “pulling hand” delivers an elbow to the rear; and the assumption of the stance will help ensure that the elbow will hit the enemy on the vulnerable areas that exist on the centre line.
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Practical Kata Bunkai: Pinan Nidan / Heian Shodan Turning "Lower Block"
This video was filmed at a seminar in Swansea, Wales in September 2014. It looks at the bunkai for what is the opening sequence in the Shotokan version of Heian Shodan. This bunkai also applies to the sequence following the hammer fist in the other versions of the kata (Pinan Nidan).
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Practical Kata Bunkai: Pinan / Heian Sandan Two-Person Flow Drill
This video shows a two-person bunkai flow-drill for Pinan / Heian Sandan. The video is a short summary of several hours of practise and therefore it should not be viewed as an “instructional clip”.
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Practical Kata Bunkai: Pinan / Heian Sandan Opening Sequence
In this video we look at a basic bunkai drill for the opening sequence of Pinan / Heian Sandan. This is the same drill we teach to our students when they learn the first part of the kata. To get a better understanding of the nature and purpose of such drills, and to understand where such drills fit in within the wider training methodology, please check out volumes 1 and 2 of “The Pinan / Heian Series: The Complete Fighting System” (available from the website).
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Practical Kata Bunkai: Pinan Sandan Arm Bar Escape
It is my view view that the Pinan / Heian series records a complete combative system. It is also my view that the kata present the techniques in the order they should be learnt and studied.
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Practical Kata Bunkai: Cross-Buttocks Throw from Pinan Sandan
This clip was filmed at a seminar in Montrose, Scotland in June 2012. It quickly shows a piece of throwing bunkai from Pinan Sandan. The clip also shows a variation on the throw which can be used as a bridge to ground fighting. Deliberately seeking the ground is never wise in self-protection due to the inherent vulnerability from attacks by third parties, a hard floor, etc. However, such techniques can be used in on- on-one dojo fighting and hence have a place in training. The key is always to be mindful of context and use the right method in the right environment.
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Practical Kata Bunkai: Pinan / Heian Sandan Throw in Pad Drill
This video shows one of a number of bunkai-based pad drills that we covered at a seminar in Stuttgart, Germany in June 2016. These pad drills include various throws that can be found in the Pinan / Heian kata. This video looks at the hip-throw that can be found at the end of Pinan / Heian Sandan.
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Practical Kata Bunkai: First Half of Pinan / Heian Yodan Bunkai Drill
This bit of raw dojo footage shows a bunkai drill for the first half of Pinan / Heian Yodan. The drill is not a "technique" to be used as is, but a drill that quickly allows students to practise the bunkai of the kata in a time efficient way. Having completed the drill on one side, the student would then do the drill on the other side before their partner takes their turn. This would continue for a set number of repetitions or until the allotted time has expired.
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Practical Kata Bunkai: Pinan / Heian Yodan (Pyung Ahn Sa Dan) Flow Drill
In this video we show a flow drill for the first half of Pinan / Heian Yodan (Pyung Ahn Sa Dan). It was filmed at an event in Connecticut in July 2015. The video explains that this drill is a form of time-efficient practise, and that it is also important to practise the use of the discreet parts of the drill / kata in a more realistic combative context.
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Practical Kata Bunkai: Pinan / Heian Yodan Arm-Lock
This clip was filmed at a two day seminar in Nuremburg, Germany. Over the weekend we covered the applications of both the Pinan / Heian series and Kushanku / Kanku-Dai. Particular emphasis was placed on the interaction between the two systems. The sequence shown in this clip is common to both.
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Pinan / Heian Yodan Bunkai: Gedan Juji Uke Strangle
In this video we cover how the gedan juji-uke (lower cross "block") from Pinan / Heian Yodan can be used as a front strangle. In the kata this strangle comes after strikes to the arteries of the neck; we therefore see the kata exploring the theme of how this area can be attacked by both striking and then squeezing. I teach this method as following on from a grip much used by kata. This grip is also briefly explained in this video.
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