Thanks to Tyler Murphy
for providing this documentation.
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"Kobudo" literally means "ancient martial ways". In
the karate world, it generally refers to those traditional Okinawan weapons whose history
and practice has been linked to that of karate.
Most Okinawan styles have at least some kobudo/kobujutsu curriculum. In addition, there
are at least two major Okinawan organizations whose primary focus is these weapons arts:
the Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinko-kai and the Okinawa Kobudo Renmei. In the US there is
'Okinawa Kobudo Association,USA'; the shihan in the US is in Citrus Heights, CA.
The common kobudo weapons most often taught by
Okinawan Karate systems are:
bo - staff, usually a rokushakubo or "six foot staff", although
4, 9, and 12 foot staffs are also used. Was used heavily also in the Kung Fu styles of
China. The uses and manuvears are almost exsactally alike.
sai - three-tined iron clubs, usually carried as a set of 3. Also the
points were sharpened and could be used as a stabbing tool, or the two outer tines used as
a sword breaker. Tines could have been sharpened and used as slashing instruments.
nunchaku - two short tapered wooden clubs, connected at the narrow ends
by a short rope or chain (a flail, as well as other uses). Was originally used to beat
grain.
kama - a sickle, used singly or in pairs;
tuifa/tonfa - a club with a hand-length perpendicular handle, the
ancestor to the police PR-24; usually used in pairs. This weapon now, was also used
in the past to beat grain.
Some little known weapons are:
koa - a hoe such as the gardening tool but, different fromt he nowadays
commiceral hoes.
eku - a boat oar, looks like a regular oar that can be seen today.
tekko - essentially brass knuckles, self explanitory.
shuchu - a small kubotan-like thing about 5" long.
san-setsu-kon - the 3-section staff.
surujin/suruchen - a weighted chain with a spike or blade on one end -
similar to the Chinese chain whip or the Japanese manrikigusari that was used by the
ninja. A very hard weapon to master, easier to hit yourself with it then to hit the enemy.
tinbe - actually, this is two weapons...the tinbe itself, which is a
small shield traditionally made of the shell of a sea tortoise, and the rochin, which is a
short spear with a cutting blade - the weapon actually resembles a Zulu spear more than
anything else.
kusarikama - a kama on the end of a rope or chain was made famous by the
ninja who would use this weapon in anceint Japan.
nunti - a short spear or blade boe. There are several different designs
for this weapon but the basic properties stay the same.
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