The Kata and Bunkai of Goju-Ryu Karate ― The Essence of the Heishu and Kaishu Kata

Explains the underlying martial principles (bunkai) of the classical forms (kata) of Goju-Ryu karate.

Giles Hopkins draws on more than forty years of experience in the martial arts to dive deeply into the classical kata, or forms, of the Goju-Ryu karate system. Unlike some karate manuals that attempt to cover every aspect of karate training, from how to tie a belt to supplementary strength training, Hopkins focuses almost entirely on the bunkai or self-defense applications of the Goju-ryu kata. Arguing against the commonly held notion that kata techniques can have multiple interpretations, Hopkins insists that a kata cannot simply mean what the user wants it to mean, but contains specific martial principles that must be followed for it to work effectively. Once we begin to understand their basic principles and themes, we see that each kata is composed of a limited number of sequences or self-defense scenarios, and each sequence is made up of receiving techniques, controlling or bridging techniques, and finishing techniques.

The book is divided into chapters that focus on each of the ten classical kata of Goju-ryu, containing step-by-step descriptions of the different movements and explanations of aspects of the kata that are commonly misunderstood. Each chapter concludes with a brief anecdote from the author's time in Okinawa, the origin of Goju-ryu, connecting it with the kata under discussion. Equally useful for the Goju-ryu novice and more advanced karate-ka looking to deepen their understanding of kata and bunkai, this book is a crucial addition to any martial arts library.

GILES HOPKINS has trained in martial arts since 1973, studying a wide range of styles, from Tae Kwon Do and Shotokan karate to White Crane kung fu and T'ai Chi. He is a sixth-degree black belt in Okinawa Goju-ryu and holds a teaching certificate in Matayoshi kobudo from the Zen Okinawa Kobudo Renmei. He spent seven years living and training with Kimo Wall, president of Kodokan, in the lineage of Higa Seiko and Matayoshi Shinpo. In the 1980s, he accompanied Wall sensei to Okinawa and trained in kobudo under Matayoshi, and Goju-ryu under Higa Seikichi and Gibo Seiki of Shodokan. He has written numerous articles on Okinawan karate and kobudo for the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, among other publications, and blogs at goju-ryu.blogspot.com.