Bassai-Dai (抜砦大) is an Itosu-kei kata, meaning that it was either created or primarily passed down by Itosu Ankō. It is generally believed to be among the oldest traditional kata, originating either with Matsumura Sōkon or Sakugawa Kanga. Over the years there have been numerous suggestions for the correct kanji and meaning of the name, "Bassai." The most widely accepted is 抜砦, which means "Capture [a] Fortress." There are more variations of Bassai than any other kata—at least twenty—with Bassai-Dai being the most common and therefore the standard or basic version. The video presented below was filmed at the Jikishin-Kai hombu dōjō in San Diego, with tournament champion David Bertrand performing the kata.
After bowing and announcing the name of the kata ("Bassai-Dai") ...
Yōi (cross open hands at groin level in
musubi dachi) and kiyomeri kokyū
(purification breaths)
Kamaete is not performed in
this kata.
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Zanshin yame is not performed in Bassai-Dai
Naotte
Rei
Bassai-Dai is typically taught to students of Shimabukuro-Ha Shitō-Ryū karate-dō in prepartion for advancement to nikyū, since it is considered to be an intermediate-to-advanced kata. Bassai-Dai is a core kata that every karate-ka aspiring to reach Black Belt must become proficient in. It contains numerous techniques for which the ōyō (practical application) is not readily apparent, and therefore bunkai (detailed analysis) must be performed in depth.
Important Note: Movements #XX and #XX should be of particular interest to students learning Bassai-Dai.
As
with each new kata, it is important to remind
oneself of the adage: "Manabu no tame ni hyakkkai,
jukuren no tame ni senkai, satori no tame ni manga
okonau" (学ぶのために百回、熟練のために千回、悟りのために万回行う.).
A hundred times to learn, a thousand
times for proficiency, ten thousand
repetitions for complete understanding.
A related Okinawan saying is "ichi kata san nen"
(一型三年): one kata
three years. To become truly proficient-to be able to perform it
correctly, and with the speed, power, timing, and bushi damashii (samurai spirit) necessary
to make its techniques effective in a real self-defence
situation will take a thousand repetitions, which
equates to 100 days at ten repetitions a day.
And to fully understand and apply all of its principles,
nuances, and variations will take 1,000 days (three
years) at ten repetitions per day.
When performing bunkai (分解) and considering the ōyō (応用) of Jion, it will be necessary to apply one's accumulated knowledge and vivid imagination to visualise the potential uses for the techniques in the kata. Consideration must be given to the possibility that some movements represent applications other than obvious blocks or strikes (gōhō), but may instead—or in addition—have jūhō applications.
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