A recent discussion on the "Kata/Form as a Defence against Multiple Opponents" on another forum prompted me tocompose and post the following response - I thought it might be of interest for discussion here also.
[size=24]!!!!-IMO-!!!![/size]Effective Self defence (once it's "kicked off" I mean) is about instinctive reactive short sequences of techniques that are appropriate to (but not necessarily the "best" or "most appropriate) the attack scenario you need to counter.
As the various attack situations and approaches ( grap - kick - strangle - punch - headbutt - knife - front - side - rear - one opponent - two - indoowrs - outdoors - open space - confined space etc. etc. and any combination of them) are many/varied you need to learn a set of possible responses (defences/offences) to use.
These "responses" include strikes/kicks/locks/breaks/throws/sweeps/chokes/blocks/strangles etc. and body movement and evasion sequences to put you in an appropriate position to deliver techniques or evade or block attacks.
Karate Kata are designed to each contain a workable set of such "responses".
Each Kata will contain a subset of these "responses" - each of which will be a relatively short sequence from the Kata.
Each Kata is not meant as a formal description of how a single fight against a set number of opponents attacking in a certain manner and from specific directions in a set order should be "defended against" - of course IF you wre lucky/unlucky enough to encounter such a willing and knowledgeable set of opponents then you "could" simply choose to perform the whole Kata (bunkai) in sequence and even maybe end up back where you started
We traditionally perform Kata as a "whole" many times over for a variety of reasons - one is simply that repetition is a key teaching/learning tool especially where physical skills are involved.
Repetition helps us make the techniques more natural/instinctive through building up "muscle memory" of the sequences so that under a SD situation with the changes which are a component of such encounters due to adrenalin dump etc.
Repetition of the Kata as a whole also improves our strength - stamina and balance - when performed with speed and power - although this is not the only way that Kata can/should be practiced. Slow and powerful - fast and light - slow and light performances all have their own uses and benefits.
Additionally when performing Kata as a "Solo Performance" - as opposed to performing parts of the Kata with a partner to train possible applications - one needs to try to adhere as much as possible to "correct form" for the techniques used so that one also gains the benefits of KIhon practice using long/low stances etc. as this both helps keep the Kihon techniques "pure" (with respect to passing on the ability to teach the Art in an undiluted form and thus ensuring it's survival) and helps condition the body.
However it is vitally important to remember that if you are attempting to use Kata to improve your fighting/defensive ability then it must always be performed with genuine "intent" and "awareness" against a real opponent and never simply as a choreographed sequence of moves that you have "learned in order".
Every Kata performance should still be performed as a sequence of "response combinations" (as referred to above) to discrete attacks by an opponent and this is where it gets "difficult".
In order to perform the Kata as I "suggest" you do need to have some idea about the possible application of the techniques and the possible start/stop points of each response combination sequence. Note that I say "possible" twice in the previous sentence - tthis is because not only may one sequence of techniques from the Kata be potentially applied in multiple ways - "a block is a strike is a throw is a choke etc." - but the start/end points of each attack and response scenario are also fluid leading to a multitude of personal interpretations of the sutuation presented and being responded to.
Now we get to the "Noddy Bunkai(tm)" "bone of contention".
By this I man that whenever KAta Apllication/Bunkai get's "discussed" on forums such as this one inevitably sees criticism of the "JKA/KUGB/WKF/......" Instructors demonstrating "The Bunkai" for Kata. The criticism usually starts with complaining how "unrealistic and impractical" the applications shown are for use in a modenr Self Defence situation against a Habitual Act Of Violence and how unlikely it is that any real opponent would (for example) attack you with aclassic Oi-Tsuki from 4 feet away in Zinkutsu-Dachi.
Now taken at face value those would seem to be fair criticism of the dence scenario presented - of course it's not necessarily a fair criticism of the proposed response just that in the "real world" you are unlikely to be attacked in exactly the "stylised" manner shown in the demonstartion and even more ludicrously with the other 3 or 4 opponents kindly waiting their turn to be "disposed of efficiently".
My feeling is that in the main these criticisms are largely "missing the point" - by which I mean that as already mentioned one imporant aspect of Kata performance is to enable the Karate "Syllabus" to be passed on in a reasonable "undiluted/modified" for to future generations - the "initial" Kata Bunkai really do need to be "contructed" to "fit the form".
My feeling is that it's actually much better to show students "Noddy Bunkai(tm)" as the encounter the Kata as it easily allows them to visualise a possible application of the technique - irrespective of ealistic that scenario is - and hence allows the student to start performing their Kata "with genuine intent" in each of the sequences against an imaginary opponent.
Sure as students progress and begin to understand - or at least to start to investigate Kata more deeply looking for "better/more-realistic/alternative" responses/applications - they will need to be shown more but there's nothing wrong with "Noddy Applications(tm)" when used in the correct context.
Sure you're perhaps going to need to take sections from Kata and work possible applications from stances and angles that perhaps don't conform to the "Kata Form" or the "Noddy Bunkai"(tm)" but so what ?
The key to gaining realistic self defence capabilities from Kata is to get to the stage where you can enjoy and appreciate all that Kata contains and can do for you as a Martial Artist and to get to this point you need to be actually "Peforming a Kata" - by which I mean it must be (to you) a fight (or more accurately a sequence of fight) against a set of opponents - and not just repeating as et of empty movements learned by rote with no "intent" in their delivery and te key to this is having "an application" in your head thatt taht you are translating into the techniques you perform - and for this a "Noddy Bunkai(tm)" works pretty well.
Now it's time to pop on my "Flameproof Pants"
[size=24]!!!!-IMO-!!!![/size] 
