Some notes on Bassai: Bassai means Penetrate a Fortress. One theory that I've recently heard is that Funakoshi used this name because it sounded close to the Okinawan name but it has nothing to do with what is going on in the kata. But who knows. According to Ohshima Bassai comes from a bo kata. The major lessons of Bassai is moving from a position of disadvantage to advantage.
Where I'm Coming From: My approach to this kata is based on what my instructor has taught me, some of Ohshima's notes and some things that Funakoshi has written. I believe that it is a multiple attacker kata which means some of the techniques are to get the attacker off of you but not finish them off. This also means that grappling is at a minimum as there always one more attacker to deal with. Some moves demonstrate the disadvantage to advantage lesson and leave the counter attack to be filled in by the student. I don't know if it can be considered the same kata as the Okinawan kata Passai as Ohshima notes Funakoshi changed it.
So Marcus let's take it from the opening move.
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
The jump in:
As it was taught to me you are jumping in to pre-empt a backhanded weapon attack. So the scenerio would be the attacker has swung a stick or blade from a distance, missed and before he can swing the weapon back you jump in with the reinforced block (in this case the block is really a block). This is also one where the block and the attack are one as the big knuckle of the index finger (a Shotokai pointy thing) should connect with a vital point on the attackers head or neck.. The left hand is reinforcing the block against the attackers power.