harleyt26

The okinawans have a weapon called a suruchin which is a piece of rope with a heavy dart or spike tied to one end and a large fishing weight tied to the other end. I have a photo but I cannot get it to post here.

Shito ryu also.

When I was about thirty years old I suffered a thyroid storm which the doctors treated with radiation to reduce the thyroid gland,shortly after that the thyroid storm passed on its own leaving me with a very messed up metabolism.I was about 190 before and now with continued hard training I have stabilized my weight to around 230-240 (49 years old now). Definitely heavier than I would like but at the same time in order to maintain this weight I must out train everyone else that I train with.I wish you could ask them what it is like to try to keep up with this fat man.My instructors are also a little "portly" but I would not recommend you tell them that,they would hurt you severely.I agree with Shorinryu Sensei the dojo is not the place for excercises like pushups and sittups etc. thats what gyms are for.But the same type of isometrics and cardio results can easily be obtained from kihon training and kata repititions.Now as far as pushups giving you the same results as makiwara training,no way.Pushups in no way teach how to transmit power from the floor through your target.As Shorinryu Sensei said these excercises are great in their own place but they are not part of martial arts.I have a gentelman in my dojo that had a similar attitude as Informer, he had come to my dojo as a fifth dan from another system.He had stated that he could not understand how my instructors could have let themselves go like that.Until he trained with them, he no longer has anything to say about that.The bottom line is "Do not judge a book by the cover". Tom

Professor Wally Jays small circle jiu jitsu mixes very well with Remy Presas arnis techniques. Tom

How were you originally taught the form?Knife against knife or knife against empty hand.In my forms they are generally taught against another weapon until a disarm then you are expected to addapt to an empty hand situation.In the arnis we practice it is the same.

Shureido also offers a six foot five inch bo for us taller people.I have been using one of those for many years.My kobudo system recommends a bo to be one fist taller than the user.

I agree with Shorin Ryuu,to use empty hand kata for a weapon kata would completely change the applications within that kata.Although the weapon is an extension of the hand the applications are done at different ranges than the empty hand kata.Many techniques with the weapons seem identical to empty hand techniques.but the applications are usually(but not always)against armed attackers,which would obviously change the range of attacks and defences.Disarms and finishes of course are the exception.To practice empty hand kata with a weapon does not make it kobudo without application of technique in mind.Without proper technique and application in mind (empty hand or weapons)you are just dancing.If you do not have a weapon kata I would recommend as Shorin Ryuu said,just practice drills and I would also recommend some makiwara practice to assist in properly learning to hold and strike with the weapon without injury to yourself.

That sounds like it could be a fairly even match,could be interesting to watch.Could be a lot of fun after a few beers.But I do not think that could help my nunchaku techniques.(either the beer or the plastic and foam)I think I will stick with a competent training partner and occasional correction from my sensei,and of course a weapon not plastic and foam.I would not be surprised to hear about this kumite being added to some tournament cricuits I have seen some really embarrassing stuff at some of these events.Maybe the could add it to the under four year old black belt weapons division.

For many years I trained in Motobu-ha Shito Ryu,Kaneta Kai headed by Toshio Kaneta.

I have taken my nunchaku to Canada many times to train with my instructor with no problem,but you must remove the string to cross the border.Foam nunchaku are a waste of time they do not have the proper weight and do not react properly on contact.They are not the proper size to work hand control and are not strong enough to work disarming techniques.If you want to learn how to use a weapon you must use a weapon.Yes it can hurt to practice proper nunchaku(or tonfa,bo,sai,etc.) technique,tough up or stay home and play with toys.Has anyone else practiced nunchaku on makiwara?If so then they will know that the foam ones are childrens toys and not training equipment for martial artists.How can you practice with something that bounces out of your hand? What are you going to block with plastic and foam?

I do not know anything about these political things but I thought Tsuyoshi Uechi (most likely spelled incorrectly)was head of Isshinryu in the Rengokai.

I know originaly the sai were carried in sets of three so that one could be thrown.But I do not know anybody that has purchased a set of three and I do not know any supplier that sells them like that.I am sure you could have a set custom made to do that though.But I would have to question the strategy of throwing a perfectly good weapon and possibly a defence you may wish you had if you miss your throw.In the kata that Ryu Kyu Kobudo practices that throws the sai,the throw is done at the lead foot of your opponent.The throw is made by the handle and is a very short throw no flip because it only covers a very short distance.I do know that Mr. Carbones "Agena sai" can be purchased tempered for throwing,maybe he sells them in sets of three.I bet that would be quite expensive though.

In my instructors dojo in okinawa they have small sections of bamboo cut at a joint so as to make a cup about three inches tall,they then stuff a rag in it to a stuffed overful condition they then pour in some oil(light clean mineral or vegetable oil).They use this to oil the sai after each workout,alongside the oil cups they keep a stack of rags for wiping the sai down before working out.Myself I just wipe my Shureido sai with engine oil about once every couple of months,I have found this to be very effective in rust inhibiting,works on my tekko also.Be very careful to thuroughly wipe the oil off before starting your workout to prevent throwing the sai accidently.Also try not to oil the handle wrap it tends to absorb the oil and is difficult to clean.

Keyword "make beleive",If you got out of the comic book world and put yourself in the dojo long enough to practice about 10,000 sai kihon you will see the difference for yourself.But I have no problem with your immature attitude or your desire to play with shiny toys.I am sure your father or sensei could explain the difference between toys and weapons.And for your information I do know what I am talking about,25 years of martial arts practice gives me the confidence to say that, but I also know that there is plenty of real budo for me to learn yet.I just do not appreciate seeing peoples time being wasted on trash,but that is just one of my pet peeves.This SaiGod you spoke of is he another make beleive action hero character?I think I trained with him in Ozato Okinawa once upon a time.If you really want to see an impressive set of sai find a picture of Taira Shinkens sai or Akamine Eisukes sai.My instructor has a set of Akamine senseis sai,they are beautiful.Patrick McCarthy has a set of Tairas sai which I have only seen pictures of but they also look great.I will admitt that I have only seen pictures of"Electras sai" but they are gaudy and very impractical they look like they might last about 2 seconds in makiwara practice.But I am sure they will look fine hanging on a wall somewhere. My address is in my profile feel free to look my up when you are in my area I would be glad to show how impractcal they actually are with a little bo tai sai practice,do not take this as anything but an offer to show you the proper sai technique that Ryu Kyu Kobudo teaches.Hey if you see SaiGod tell him to show you the true path to enlightenment

In Matsumura Rohai there is a sweep or throw performed with the right foot and left hand followed with a right hand punch down to the downed attacker with the left hand in a guard type position at the right shoulder.Is anybody familiar with an application to this movement?I cannot make sense of this sweep it seems like you would use the other foot for an effective sweep. Tom Hodges

Modern sai? ha ha thats funny

I think Killbill960 must have this confused with a comic book or movie forum.If he was to read at the top of the page he would find that this is not that type of forum.However if he would happen to have a question or input on a kobudo technique or weapon he might get the response he is looking for.I do not have any knowledge of movie props or "kool or flashy things".I am very sorry if this comes across as harsh,uh no I am not.Now on to a kobudo subject,one of my training partners just received his Agena sai,sweet very sweet.His hand is smaller than mine but the feel and quality of the weapon can not be compared to any other including Shureido.I will be ordering mine soon. Tom Hodges

I have found that the asian red oak is a much stronger red oak than the species available in the U.S..I am not sure about other redoaks from other countries.I have several bos but my favorites after my shureido are my hickory then my purple heart.Hickory has a very smooth almost waxy feel,purple heart feels very similar to the shureido red oak.I have broke several $20 bos also and have found the better bo a good investment,but I am in kobudo to stay.If I was not sure about my comittment to the art it may not have been the better choice,but once you have become used to the better quality weapons you will find that the lesser ones are just not acceptable.A good quality bo has a very different finish than the $20 type.A good bo will have been turned down on a lathe one small layer at a time allowing for warpage between cuts,once turned and sanded then steel wooled to the proper size and texture then a oil finish is applyed to protect the wood and prevent drying the wood out the finsh needs to be reapplyed occasionaly to prevent the wood from drying.The cheaper bo are generally just given a varnish or polyurethane coat that seals the wood and prevents moisture from getting in allowing the wood to dry,rot,warp and eventualy break. Tom Hodges

In okinawa I have watched many weapons dances,they are performed to okinawan music and they are actual weapons kata that are put to the music in a fashion that protects the applications hidden within them.I enjoyed them very much and to me that is what is meant by "art" in martial art.But the okinawans do not compete in martial arts tounaments with the weapons dances.I do not feel that a bunch of cool looking movements put together in a sequence that can be performed to a piece of music qualifies it as martial arts.I guess I must have a closed mind because I do not understand why someone would waste so much time making stuff up when they could be trying to perfect their ability to perform the true art they study.Why is it no one lists dance as one of their styles in their profile?If you expect to be judged in a martial arts tournament moving to music shouldnt it be listed as one of your styles?

I have never heard of them, how about a pic or description.What style of kobudo are they used in?(can they be twirled in a musical kata? )

To put a traditional form to music would have to alter the timing and application of the techniques.I do not see the point in showing the judges how to kill to a beat.And I do not know many kobudo practitioners that would be qualified in judging band majorettes,and would not be happy to know a majorette was judging my kobudo.Somebody that did their form even poorly but with even the slightest evidence of application in my tournaments would easily beat a baton twirler.Kobudo translates to techniques of war not dance.In my dojo the difference is self evident.I do not mind people training or competeing in these flashy tournaments but I do mind them doing it in the name of the arts I have strived to do correctly as my instructors have taught me.This type of competition obviously has a place and a fairly large following shouldnt they find a more fitting name than karate or martial arts tounaments because they are neither.

I have always suspected that someone had put our bassai san together for tournament reasons,it incorporates a flying sidekick.I did not maintain this kata and now I do not remember it completely.

I just red your post in the favorite weapon thread,it sounds very similar to what we call a Techu or tekko.It may have originated from the pin used to hold the hair up.

can you describe your weapon for me,we practice one called a sansetsu kun(three sectional staff)although it is not in the syllabus for our kobudo style.We do okinawan kobudo but a chinese student gave my sensei one of these weapons and taught him a form for it.

In the shito ryu that we practice we do Bassai sho, Bassai dai,Bassai san and Tomari Bassai