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• Kobudo
• Origin : - Okinawa - Japan

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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. There may be other US Kobudo organizations.

• Descriptions :

  The most common kobudo weapons (and the ones 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.

  sai - three-tined iron clubs, usually carried as a set of 3.

  nunchaku - two short tapered wooden clubs, connected at the narrow ends by a short rope or chain (a flail, as well as other uses).

  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.

• Less common weapons are:

  koa - a hoe.
  eku - a boat oar.
  tekko - essentially brass knuckles.
  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;
  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.
  nunti - a short spear.
  
  and a few other oddball implements of mayhem including spears and the occasional pilfered Japanese sword ;-).

• Contributors : Steve Gombosi - John Simutis

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