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JWT
JWT's picture
Making a bunkai video

I put together this video to illustrate some very simple applications for the opening movements of Pinan Nidan in answer to a question asked on another forum.  For me they are very simple things that can be done no matter what the level of the student.

I've not included any explanation in the video of what I'm doing, and there is a reason for that, but what I have done to help illustrate my intent is show the solo kata and show the application in slow motion.

In its current form the video has one colour scheme for the solo kata, another for the slow motion and a third (natural) for the normal speed bunkai.  I'd be really grateful if you could share with me your opinions as to whether this helps or hinders your understanding.

Do you like seeing things demonstrated at different speeds?

Do you like silent demonstrations?  Or do you prefer to always have a talk through?

Do you like seeing the solo parts of the kata isolated alongside the bunkai?

Does using different colour schemes enhance or detract from the content?  Would you use black and white for the slow motion or the solo form, or not at all?

Any advice and opinions welcome.

Cheers

John Titchen

Tau
Tau's picture

JWT wrote:

Do you like seeing things demonstrated at different speeds?

Do you like silent demonstrations?  Or do you prefer to always have a talk through?

Do you like seeing the solo parts of the kata isolated alongside the bunkai?

Does using different colour schemes enhance or detract from the content?  Would you use black and white for the slow motion or the solo form, or not at all?

I don't think you can put "too much" there. If we don't need the solo form we can jump through the video but we do want the solo form and it isn't there we can't add it! Equally so slow-motion. Some people may not need it. Some will be grateful for it. For those that don't need it, they can just jump through it. I say if you're willing to put in the time and effort, do it!

As to whether they're necessary, that's a personal thing. For me, if the bunkai is from a Heian Kata then I don't need it. If it's from Nijushiho then I don't know that kata and so I'm grateful for the reference. Others will feel differently.

Colour schemes? Interesting idea. I don't know if it's useful or necessary. I think trying it is a very good idea and I've not seen it done elsewhere. If it works then well done for coming up with a new way of presenting. If not, well still well done for trying something new.

Matt Perlingiero
Matt Perlingiero's picture

JWT wrote:

Do you like seeing things demonstrated at different speeds?

Do you like silent demonstrations?  Or do you prefer to always have a talk through?

Do you like seeing the solo parts of the kata isolated alongside the bunkai?

Does using different colour schemes enhance or detract from the content?  Would you use black and white for the slow motion or the solo form, or not at all?

I find different speeds beneficial, as well as a variety of angles.  It seems you're limited as to the angle part, but I'm glad you try to counter that by starting from different positions.

As for silent demonstrations, I find that the movement speaks for itself.  I dislike somebody giving me a step-by-step, because I should know the movement well enough, or at least be able to ape it suitably.  That said, there are some things that can be communicated either via text or spoken word that may not be readily apparent that would increase the effectiveness of the technique, and I'm grateful for those instances.  

I personally like having the part demonstrated seperately. 

I feel the colors do not detract from the content, but I wouldn't say that they are truly beneficial.  Personally, I like the color scheme for the solo form, and normal for the application.  I'm pretty meh to the black-and-white.

Wastelander
Wastelander's picture

JWT wrote:

I put together this video to illustrate some very simple applications for the opening movements of Pinan Nidan in answer to a question asked on another forum.  For me they are very simple things that can be done no matter what the level of the student.

I've not included any explanation in the video of what I'm doing, and there is a reason for that, but what I have done to help illustrate my intent is show the solo kata and show the application in slow motion.

In its current form the video has one colour scheme for the solo kata, another for the slow motion and a third (natural) for the normal speed bunkai.  I'd be really grateful if you could share with me your opinions as to whether this helps or hinders your understanding.

Do you like seeing things demonstrated at different speeds?

Do you like silent demonstrations?  Or do you prefer to always have a talk through?

Do you like seeing the solo parts of the kata isolated alongside the bunkai?

Does using different colour schemes enhance or detract from the content?  Would you use black and white for the slow motion or the solo form, or not at all?

Any advice and opinions welcome.

Cheers

John Titchen

Thanks for sharing!

I definitely like seeing different speeds for the sake of clarity--even in person, when someone shows an application at full speed it is easy to miss details that make the application more effective. My person preference is for slow motion, "demonstration" speed (just an intermediate speed between slow and full), and full speed.

I think a talk through can be helpful for some applications, while others would be better suited to short, simple captions on the screen, while others need no additional information. For example, Angel Lemus Sensei does silent demonstrations, with the occasional caption, in his One Minute Bunkai video series, but Chris Denwood Sensei tends to give a demonstration, then a verbal breakdown, then a full speed demonstration in his videos. Both of these approaches work well, in my opinion. What I don't like is when the ONLY demonstrations in a video are accompanied by verbal commentary, because it disrupts the flow of movement.

The kata sections being applied are important for me to see, because I can tell very quickly which movements are being applied without having to reverse-engineer the application to figure out which section of which kata it comes from. It also helps when the kata isn't one I practice, because I can compare the empty hand movements demonstrated to ones that I practice and see where they mesh.

The colors didn't really add anything for me, although there is a bit of a "cool factor" to them. I am generally of the opinion that human brains are built to see in color, and whenever you put color filters on something it becomes harder to process. Black and white isn't too bad, depending on the level of contrast, but I would probably leave the color alone in the demonstrations and use them in a video intro, or something like that, instead.

JWT
JWT's picture

Thanks for the feedback!  It's really useful to get other people's ideas and opinions.

Cheers.

John