Karate's katas cannot be used just as they are. The reason for this is two-fold, one is to insure secrecy to outsiders, and the other is to maintain a progression of advancement from beginner to advanced level. Katas have also become stylized for the purpose of presentation in competition, further confusing the line between usable and unusable katas. In order to unlock the information encoded katas, oral instruction in bunkai is necessary. It may be possible to recreate the original meanings of katas through repeated practice of the movements, but it will involve much time. Books on bunkai published in foreign countries have taken that approach, and while they are still lacking, they should be valued for their efforts in that direction. Just as Master Anko Itosu wrote in his "10 Principles of Okinawan Karate", in 1908 "There are many oral instructions.", the accompanying oral instruction is necessary to understand the bunkai for katas. 

The following key phrases were taught to me directly by Sensei Kubota.

Section 1 Countering

Please refer to the previous chapter, Combative Methods in Karate.

Section 2 Immobilize The Opponent Before Striking.

Please refer to the previous chapter, Combative Methods of Karate.

Section 3 The Names of Movements have Been Disguised.

Originally there were no names for movements. Names were given when karate was introduced to the mainland. Since Okinawan karate was taught on an individual basis, an instructor could show a movement directly to his student, there was no need to give them names. On the mainland, though, karate was taught primarily at universities, it was necessary to establish set terminology and create textbooks. It wasn't until about 1935 that Shotokan established its terminology and method of instruction (warming up, basics, moving basics, kata, and kumite). 

There is a problem with this terminology, though, and the real meaning of the techniques was hidden. In the bunkai, which Sensei taught me, many techniques that were called blocks were really attacks. It is not possible to understand the bunkai for katas if one is fooled by the terminology.

 continues