I'm not sure I am fully understanding the term, but I've stopped and shown people what certain techniques will do when teaching forms and it's done with me as well.  I don't know if there is a term for it or not, I just assumed it was part of teaching.

If I remember the term properly, I believe it is the process of breaking down the poomse into the defensive/counter senarios.

I don't know of any "standard" for this practice, we usually break down the lower patterns with the lower belts to illustrate what it is within the form they are practicing and why we do the patterns in the first place. By the time they advance to say Sa Jung, they usually have the idea.

Here's the Wiki.  It explains it pretty accuarately.  But I've never seen it, or an equivalent ever mentioned in Taewondo ever in over twenty years.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunkai

Daniel

When one practices individual techniques or one-steps, one is practicing Bunkai.  Notice how singular exercises, such as "right foot back, long front stance with a left hand lower-section block" is the same as in many poomsae.  Furthermore, when we pair off and practice blocks and strikes, we are practicing Bunkai.  Similiarily, poomsae are Bunkai for Korugi--a confrontation broken and slowed down.

If you eat a fruit that is sweet and colorful, but do not know the name, did you not consume it?

The term is boon hae. I've heard others in Korean, but this is the most universal.

Yes google a Mr. Stuart Anslow. He has a great website & wrote a great book on this very topic. TKD Hae Sul.

I know Stuart on another MA forum.  Thanks for pointing me in his direction, TK-D.:)

Daniel

...I thought my reply was pretty good

I thought your reply was good too:

But to my knowledge, in karate, bunkai is in addition to step sparring.  We do so in kendo in which it is also additional to bunkai.  We do taekwondo step sparring at our dojang, but this is not breaking down the individual forms so much as step sparring for specific attack defense scenarios.

What I'm thinkin of is the bunkai, or boon hae for each poomse in specific.

I do appreciate the response.

Daniel