Bassai Dai’s Opening Sequence now Featured on Patreon
When I published Breaking Through: The Secrets of Bassai Dai Kata, we had captured a snapshot of insights from our multi‑year deep dive into the form. What I didn’t expect was how much more we would grow since writing the book.
While a huge amount of effort was invested, every application in the kata has layers that didn’t make it into publication. The book’s print format couldn’t contain everything. My publisher GM Mike Swope (RIP) from Moosul Publishing Inc. even floated the idea of producing DVDs to complement the applications. At the time, that wasn’t feasible.
But now, Patreon provides an opportunity for us to take this project to the next level.
Patreon gives me the space to revisit each application, add material that couldn’t fit into the book, and present ideas and further insights through photos, seminar clips, coaching analysis, and long‑form explanations. It’s the perfect channel that Bassai Dai and Breaking Through deserves.
This blog post introduces the first instalment of that journey on Patreon: Application One, Full Article Series.
Why Application One Needed More Than the Book Could Offer
Most hard style practitioners perform kata thousands of times without ever asking what value it actually offers, or accept without question the very sparse and limited explanations when questioned of its functionality. Bassai Dai’s opening sequence (Step 1a–1b), for instance, is one of the most underrated parts of the kata, relegated to being a simple wrist release skill.
When I wrote the book, I had to make hard decisions:
- Which photos to include
- Which applications to prioritise
- Which sequences served the broader learning pathway
Some material that perfectly matched the kata, including a wrist‑release sequence that mirrors Step 1a–1b, didn’t even make the final cut. Not because it lacked value, but because it didn’t fit the pedagogy of the book.
Patreon allows me to restore that material, explain why it matters, and show how it connects to the rest of Application One.
Why Patreon Is the Right Platform for This Work
A book can only do so much, and this is the kind of content that simply doesn’t fit neatly into print. It needs space. It needs multimedia. It needs time. Fortunately, Patreon gives me all of that, and gives readers a way to follow our journey with Bassai Dai in real time.
Breaking Through Application One, Full Article Series
Application One begins with a jab-cross defence, moves into a head‑capture sequence, and a takedown of the opponent. The Patreon series expands this significantly.
1. Free Article: Bassai Wrist Release Photos That Didn’t Make the Book
A behind‑the‑scenes study of the photos that mirror the opening sequence of Bassai Dai kata, why they didn’t make it into Breaking Through, and why they do matter.
2. Premium Article: Bassai Dai: The Wrist Release, Head Capture, and Hidden Skills Behind Step 1a–1b
A full breakdown of the application, including:
- exclusive seminar video
- photo sets
- structural mechanics of kata and bunkai
- footwork logic
- how the practitioner controls opponent’s mass
3. Free Article: Training for Multiple Opponents in a Hard Style Context
How awareness and movement apply when facing more than one adversary, including:
- environmental awareness
- spatial control
- unexpected relevance from a soft style practice
Together, these three articles form the complete expansion of Application One to complement the material in the book. They provide material that didn’t fit into the book and the material that evolved after publication.
Why This Matters for Hard‑Style Practitioners
Hard‑style training often emphasises line drills, fixed stances, predictable sequences, single-opponent exchanges, and a reliance on strength and endurance to win the day. But Bassai Dai encodes skill Ryukyuan fighters needed for castle defence, not dojo sparring. Their combative approach required a depth of ability that can immediately enrich your hard style training. With Breaking Through Application One, Full Article series you can take the shortcut along the learning curve, and tap directly into the insights from our journey.
Where to Read the Full Series
Start with the two free articles:
Bassai Wrist Release Photos That Didn’t Make the Book → [link]
Training for Multiple Opponents in a Hard Style Context → [link]
Then explore the full premium series:
Patreon Premium: Breaking Through Application One → [link]
The Book Was the Beginning, Not the End
Bassai Dai is not a relic. It’s not choreography. It’s a protocol, a training approach that reveals more the deeper you go.
Writing the book opened the door. Patreon now lets both you and me walk through it together.
Bio: Colin Wee is a Singaporean author, martial‑arts instructor, and cultural historian whose four‑decade practice spans Asia, Australia, and the United States. Known for his analytical approach and deep tactical insight, Colin blends historical research with lived experience to illuminate the human stories behind martial traditions. He is the founder of Joong Do Kwan in Perth, Western Australia, and serves as Secretary of the Australasian Martial Arts Hall of Fame (see About the Author).