Sauzin

I'm not entirely sure I understand what you mean by "spinning". Do you mean you want to learn how to twirl a kama like a marching baton? If so try one of these sites: http://www.cybrtyme.com/personal/lisa/baton.htm http://www.ustwirling.com/ http://www.juggling.org ... and make sure you have 911 programmed on speed dial. Or do you want to learn how to change between open and closed grips on a kama for the purpose of using different slicing techniques? In that case I would really suggest getting an instructor. If you can't find one, try a different weapon. Because learning this means one of two hand changes. Either holding the kama at the end of it's handle with your thumb and index finger then swinging them out or in or moving from a normal grip and placing your index finger on the other side of the handle then letting go with the other fingers and regripping. Either one can be dangerous if you don't have someone specifically showing you how to do it slowly. A video is really too dangerous in my opinion. Try the sai or bo.

For God's sake frakis & ShotokanKid, before you start (or continue) swinging katana’s around find an instructor. Like Shorin Ryuu said, the Japanese sword is unique among weapons in that it's not like a stick. You can't just practice swinging it around and learn anything. There are subtleties like timing, correct arcs, safe motions, even how to sheath the dang thing is important and cannot just be learned from a video. Please don't mess with katana's unless you can find an instructor.

http://www.shureidousa.com/ for the most current prices.

Well it depends on a couple of things. I like how you stated right off that you're goal is to do well at a tournament. So we need to know a couple of things. What kind of tournament? What styles will attend and are the judges more traditional or less so? Also I think it would help to see a video of the kata you will perform. This will tell us whether it is focused it is on practical application or looking good. Really though you might make these judgments for yourself. Do you care or do you think the judges will care more as to whether it looks fast and flashy or works. Do you think the judges would care if you strapped on a couple of pom-poms? If not then go for the toothpick bo. But if you think they might be looking for the "martial" in your art, then go for a real bo. There is something else I would take into account and that’s the honor of wielding a real weapon. To me, even if I lost, it would be worth it as long as I paid respect to my art.

Personally I've found having a sai spin in the air is a bad idea. It's going to turn a little but once it makes a full turn the driving forward momentum that causes the rod to shoot into something is lost. Usually this results in it bouncing off of its target. The best way to throw a sai is top down with approximately the same motion you would use to do an overhead strike. There really isn't any way to describe doing it correctly other then how Shorin Ryuu said it, that being "follow through". I'm not sure why, but for some reason swinging it around the side, over the head, and then down seems to make for the smoothest throws. Of course this is right out of the kata Kyan no Sai. One day one of my roommates got pissed off and decided to put his hand through a closet door of an apartment I was renting. After he agreed to pay for it we decided to put the busted door to good use. This is where I got my experience as I spent many hours throwing a sai into that door.

What makes a bad instructor: - Selfishness - Fear - Disregard for safty - Lack of knowledge - Anger - Favoritism What is the root of all these? Ego. How do you know a good instructor? By his humility. No matter how good you get. No matter who you defeat. No matter who complements you. No matter how much you know. No matter how long you've been practicing. No matter how many ranks you obtain. There is always something you don’t know. There is always better. And an ego will always be a deterrent in getting there.

Cord - smoother with better control. Less likely to hang up. Also less weight in the middle and more weight on the ends makes for a stronger swing.

Proper thumb position usually refers to having the tip of the thumb at the moto as apposed to the pad of the thumb. Having a large bump in the middle causes the thumb to easily slip to the side when it is in this position. When the moto is flat this position provides a much stronger structure and better control. Since it was a Shureido sai I have no doubt that it had excellent balance. Still I would prefer to have a flat moto to be able to perform the best technique.

Good question. And there's a simple answer. If you were in a fight what would you rather have? A full sized metal hammer from a garage or a small plastic one from a toy tool set? Now sure the small plastic one is more maneuverable and faster, but it doesn't really matter does it? Same thing applies to the bo. You can't block a red oak bo with a toothpick bo. While you might give someone a welt with the toothpick bo the red oak bo will put someone down. You might poke an eye out with the toothpick bo but even still if you thrust too hard it will likely snap. If you're spinning it around you're more likely to poke out your own eye. Also a toothpick bo doesn't have enough width to get a good grip on the bo over the whole length, as a result you are more likely to loose it. Now I'm not advocating using a big 2" steel pipe. Obviously there is a point where it gets too heavy and unwieldy. But a full sized red oak isn't that heavy and is plenty quick and maneuverable. You just have to take the time to learn how to use it properly.

Well what are you aiming to do? Do you want to look good? Well then stick with the fancy baton, ahem, I mean toothpick bo. If you want to learn how to really do battle with a stick then you’re going to have to transition to something that wont break, bend, or bounce when you hit someone. Will it be a hard transition? Well yea, sure it will. There's a whole world of things about combat you're going to have to learn to move a real weapon correctly. But once you do, then you can proudly say that you practice a martial art as apposed to a something that might lead a marching band.

The kai sounds I use are: "AYEEE" for punches "TAAAE" for kicks "EEEIAYEEE" for throws I've played with other sounds for various defenses but these are the standard.

I can't say I completely understand this question. All of the traditional weapons in Kobudo are realistic. They are real weapons and the techniques are very effective. They are not plastic play swords. They are "real". Now what weapon is the best for modern day life? Well probably a gun if you are looking at terms of effectiveness and range. You could make the claim that a knife is more practical in the sense that you can carry it around. But there aren't many things that can get you jailed as quickly as a knife. And I don't see that as very "practical" unless don't have another option. Nitan bo's are great but the chances of having one in your hand during a fight are slim to none. Pocket sticks are probably the most "practical" from the sense that you might actually have one handy and use it. But what does that tell you when a stick the size of a spoon is your best bet? It tells you that you better learn to rely on more then just what weapons you have on you. Kobodo teaches to use a wide variety of weapons, not just because there might be a sai nearby when you get into a fight *sarcasm*, but because the principles used with these weapons can apply to a stick, a bottle, a hand, a finger, a knife, or whatever might be available. The way it works is you take a base set of weapons that teach a base set of principles and then you rely on the practicality of the principles, not the weapons. It's the principles you will have when it counts. Relying on anything makes the effectiveness of your defense reliant on the circumstance. That's not a good idea. I think the best question is which weapon teaches the most practical principles? And to that I would say the bo.

There isn't a difference. A jo is a type of bo. "Bo" means stick. The bo that most people are refering to is formally called a Rokushaku Bo, or 6ft stick. Jo's can be various lengths depending upon the school but are often measured in length from the ground to the armpit of the user.

Thin and durable huh? Well how thin? And while you’re at it how durable? A long metal rod would fit your description but it make a terrible bo in my opinion. You need enough width to get a good grip on the bo, especially in the center. You want a good bo? Take a look at this topic: http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=15016 and order yourself something made out of purpleheart, high grade hickory, or maccassar ebony. Get it laminated if you want even more stregth and don't mind sacrificing a little natural feel. You'll pay between $80 to $300 plus shipping. Read some of the more recent threads and make sure you know what you want before you drop a fortune on it. Or tell us what you're using it for and what style you are training in or who you are training under and perhaps we can give you some suggestions for what you need.

So tell me about the documentary.

Oh about his training. When I was there they were really hard on americans. Ike apeared to have a job which took a lot of his time, as a result Zumama was running most of the class. They started every class by doing all the kata. They would start with sanchin and work their way up. Zumama would lead as Ike watched or tested the student's sanchin. As they got higher in kata people who's rank didn't qualify them for the kata would sit out. This would continue all the way to Superempei. Afterwards they would work on techniques. Lots of arm and leg conditioning. Makiwara work was encoraged. They also had a set of free weights in the dojo. Oh and before every class the students would wipe the dojo floor down with a cloth. After the classes I attended people sat down in a side room with a low long table and talk, drink beer, and eat. We brought the beer as a kind of tuition. The things that impressed me the most about Ike was his solid stances, the efortless power he could call on instantly, and his very calm and colected demenor.

Ike Miyagi! Yes actually I have a go kyu from that guy. His dojo is about 15 minutes away from gate 5 outside Kadena! I worked for a year and a half under a guy named Wade Chroniger who was a san dan under him. For my final testing before leaving the island I tested in Ike Miyagi's dojo in front of him an Zumama. It was an amazing experience. Actually I went to test for ro kyu but Ike took Wade aside and insisted that I test for go kyu. It was awesome! I once saw him full on spar Zumama Sensie with his hands behind his back. You have to understand Zumama was a 6th dan who was a mean son of a b***. He really came at Ike but he managed to avoid him and offer some shoulder blocks for about 15-30 seconds and then *Bam* he took Zumama down by stepping deep into Zumama, locking his knee, and twisting him to the ground. It was amazing. I can't say that the guy probably remembers me, but I do have a certificate hanging on my wall that he handed me. Man I wish I could have seen that documentary.

Well kind of. You see its all about how you move the blade/kama through the air. Actually a lot of it is in the wrist. Simply swinging/hacking with the kama doesn't do the trick. You have to make a wave like motion by pulling the blade back slightly as it moves through the air. As the blade is pulled back in this manner it slices. Often people turn the kama in slightly as they do this. This causes the blade to catch the skin and cut deeper. It's kind of like knife fighting. You wouldn't use a knife like an axe. You run the blade along the flesh so that it cuts. The same is true with the kama only the angle is different (by 90 degrees). But as long as you get the angle and direction correct it will naturally cut when it comes into contact with its target.

While gripping the tonfa handle with the baton down along the bone of your arm the baton should extend a little (1/8" or so) past your elbow as it is bent. You can also measure from the web of your hand to tip of your elbow and that will be about the same length.

I completely agree with this, in a normal training environment. But when you don't have that and you just want something to look cool, there's no reason to use a live blade. When you don't have a teacher to show you the safeties there's only one other way you will learn them. The messy way that ruins gi's. And if you ask me sending yourself to the hospital kind of defeats the point of learning to use a weapon.

Well 2 years ago tigerstrike.com had Purpleheart bo's for 25$ + shipping. I bought 6 and sold 3 for $60-$40 each. And I didn't feel bad about it. That was still a deal. You won't find them for that any more though.

Um...I would suggest either a wooden or non-functional (not sharp) pair. Bleeding never seems to impress friends that you are dangerous to anyone but yourself. And it's a hard way to learn. Toys are ment for what you are describing (hanging on walls and showing off to friends).

It is a very heavy wood. Heavier then I would have thought, but it is not the heaviest (or densest). If you want that then your best bet is cocobola. I don't have much experiance with this wood but it is similar to purpleheart in that it is also a south American rose wood. This stuff doesn't float in water though. It's really really heavy. But it will cost you a pretty penny. Take a look at the list you will find it there.

Advantages of a tapered bo: - Better impact resistance. - Better control over the center mass. - Easier to move from one end to the other quickly. - Smaller impact point for jabs & strikes. - Easier to maneuver into locks and disarms due to smaller end. Disadvantages of a tapered bo: - Less mass. - Not balanced correctly for swinging from the very ends (if that’s what your into). - Items you find on the street that you might use as a bo will not likely be tapered. I'm sure there are more, but these are the first that come to mind.

Well take a look at this topic: http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=15016&start=0 There aren't many options for a $40 bo out there. What you need is a tapered red oak bo. If the bo says "hardwood" in it's description call them up and ask if it is red oak. Often it is. Once you get the bo, sand it down with some 180 grain then fine sand it with some 400. Afterwards apply some linseed oil to the surface and then wipe it off as best you can. Let it dry for 3 days then repeat by reapplying. Do this 2 or 3 times and you'll have a very good weapon. If you ever get around $100 I would suggest a purple heart bo. I have really grown to respect this wood. It is very heavy and I have yet to see anything that can match it's strength. Even my Maccasar Ebony gets dented by this wood.