Bunkai [分解]

Bunkai means to analyze or disassemble, a term used to describe a process of breaking apart a form to explain the application toward fighting or in more modern times self-defense. It describes the meaning of a movement within the kata and basic techniques, i.e. fundamental technique derived exercises as an introduction toward kata practice and training. 

There are not set bunkai for kata but many systems have their own unique fundamental explanations as to applications of each atomistic part of a kata be it a single technique or a combination of techniques. Each individual technique can have one system fundamental meaning but then can contain even more technique types to counter any number of offensive techniques as to offense and/or defense. The fundamental bunkai from a particular system is merely the wedge to open the door to many more.

In the end the goal is to discover the bunkai that builds on and from kata and the pare down or chip away those that don't fit or work for an individual until they have discovered only those bunkai that can and do work for that person especially regarding defense or self-defense. This process is a complete and separate subject all unto itself - beyond mere bunkai. 

The goal here regarding kata and bunkai is to have a large volume of tools for self-defense not to ultimately choose from in a self-defense scenario but to have for both teaching others and to chip away for oneself to pare down all those variations, etc. into a set of tools that fit certain instinctual survival driven set that will work when the chemical dumps occur to violence, fear and other factors - self-defense. 

The bunkai do not come to an individual all at once. It takes time, effort and due diligence to discover all that are available and then chip away and pare them down to a solid tool box of techniques that work. It is a matter of learning the foundation, building on that and then discovering all variations to make available with a final push to make the remaining tools instinctive and encoded to work with our lizard brain while subduing the monkey brain, etc.

Note: It is believed that bunkai is a new aspect to martial arts yet it is well known among the senior practitioners that bunkai was taught as early as the fifties, i.e. when the first generation American martial artists discovered and began learning Okinawan Karate.