Bunkai and Oyo

[Tora]

This is a very interesting topic and one I hope to find out more about.

What I have found out so far is that how we use Japanese terms in karate isn't necessarily how a Japanese person would use them in everyday speech.

For example, the literal meaning of "bunkai" is to break part - the added meaning of "analyze" or "analysis" (which is how we apply the term) is implied.

So if a mechanic does a "bunkai" on your car he or she would be pulling it apart in order to fix it.

An interesting discussion about this can be found at:

http://www.fightingarts.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=15990994&Main=15988475

[Graham]

For me, I find it useful for my understanding to think of bunkai and oyo in terms of analysis and synthesis.

In bunkai you pull a kata apart to see what it's made of (inferring the attacks from the techniques).

In oyo you put a number of kata together to make something new and in doing so improve your understanding of the constituent parts.

Works for me, and kind of sits well with the possible translations of the two terms as "breaking apart" (implying analysis) and "application".