Excellent responses thus far with regards to Naihanchi Shodan. I my system it uses open hands starting at chin height.

Here are some bunkai (Some already discussed but the others):

Double lapel grab - Bring arms over the assailants arms and use your elbows on the radial nerve to make them bend and come to you. Then wrap your hands around the assailants neck with your thumbs underneath the jaw. Squeeze your thumbs in, up, and then force the head down. Variation could be putting the thumbs in the eyes.

While you are in the mount position - The hand position can be considered a cross collar choke seen in judo.

Pre-emptive strike - using the shape of your hands to strike the trachea and groin or inch below the navel. (followed up with the naihanchi slap of course).

Someone pushes - and they break through your guard and land on your chest... trap one hand and pivot away placing a torque on their wrist. Best case scenerio they buckle in pain. Worst case scenerio they are off balance and open for the naihanchi slap.

Haymaker or straight punch - the hands can guard the face and use a pivoting motion to redirect the attack which can allow you to trap the hand and get you into position to do a naihanchi slap. Either side works be it inside or outside of the attacking arm.

Arm grap - Trap his attacking hand with your free hand. Rotate your trapped hand around his arm thereby trapping his arm with both your hands. Then pivot towards his elbow. Nasty tuite.

You're in the guard - Trap his hand, throw your leg over his head, Arm bar.

Single lapel grab - similar deflection to the punch/haymaker tech just a little variation. One traps and the other secures. Pivot to 45 degrees to his outside and torque the wrist down and towards your opponent.


Just a few to get you started. Of course what I have described are the bunkai in their most basic form. Kyusho jutsu, Atemi Jutsu, and in some cases kia jutsu are needed to truely make these work in a realistic environment.

My best,

Raul

Raul Perez,
Great post, I'll be trying some of the applications. I have been working really hard on this kata of late, but have found it difficult to apply the kata on the ground. So thanks for sharing your bunkai.
Great Post again.

Richard

Let's see the opening movement, shorinkan style. Two hand grab, as was said go through the elbows to bring the opponent closer to you, strike to the throat with the back of the hand blade, grab the back of the kneck at the pressure point with crane hand, execute the elbow to the throat or face.
One hand lapel grab (right hand): grab your opponents two largest fingers and finish the movement, away from your body. You don't have to aim just drive your fingers into the top of their hand and you with be in the right spot. Do this slowly, it hurts like hell. Extend your right arm for the next motion and strike with your elbow into their elbow.
The next movement is the predecessor to the elbow. Assuming that you start to the right it can be a counter to a right hand to the body. Let the fist come in close, using as circular motion raise your hand to the outside of the opponents elbow, throw yours into his.

One simple bunkai of the groin-level beginning is that, if the fingers are brought up nearly horizontal - say 20 or 30 degrees, and the elbows are relaxed, this is a defense against a knee.

Ok let me arguee that this is not part of the kata (just being critical to gain better understanding). Tekki shodan is CLEARLY a kata that gets to half way then repeats itself.
IF this is the case then why is the "opening movement" not present at the half way stage?

Side note: just received "My Art of Karate". Not what i thought it was going to be like, nether-the-less useful. Was hoping for more detail on the bunkai. The way it(bunkai) is written is more like he is trying to describe the movement rather than the bunkai. Saying this i have not read it through properly yet.

In Shotokan Style You Start With Hands Over The Groin