Kubodo

[kivikala]

Thank you, Andrew!, Hmmm, rock on a rope huh... I wonder what soap on a rope would be?

[Andrew_Patton]

Well, the great thing about Kobudo is that virtually anything you pick up can be utilized as an implement of self-defense, lighters (think along the lines of a kubatan), belts (nunchaku), pool-cues (I know quite trite), and even your soap-on-a-rope could inflict quite a lot of damage. I've heard an interesting concept from a few okinawans, that your Martial arts experience cannot be completed unless you learn how to handle a weapon, and, many concepts from Kobudo do translate quite nicely into your empty hand/grappling/striking background.

And yes Mr. Green you are correct the Hoe is unique to Matayoshi Kobudo. I have read many times that the only lineage keeping Kuwa-jutsu (art of the Hoe) alive is Matayoshi Kobudo, I have yet to find any system that teaches the weapon that has not learned it from Master Matayoshi.

[thesasafras]

kobuto is very flexible in that any thing can be used as aweapon your right,

khun: walking staff

sai:axle for cart

kama: used to dig potatoes

[Goju_boi]

I'm about to start kobudo monday,can you guys tell me more about it please?I know the that it has the weapons mentioned ,except for the hoe(well at my dojo).How many katas does it have? Why you wear a black gi?Is there some form of sparring?How closely related is it to chinese weaponry(I'm asking because okinawan martial arts are closely related to chinese martial arts)?How long does it take to get a black belt in it?....etc

[Andrew_Patton]

okay Goju_boi, let me take a crack at answering your questions...

"How many katas does it have?"

well, the matayoshi syllabuss has many different katas;

Bo;

Choun No Kun

Shiishi No Kun

Shushi No Kun

Tsuken No Kun

Sakugawa No Kun

Sai;

Sai Dai Ichi (Nicho Zai)

Sai Dai Ni (San-cho Zai)

Chinbaru/Matayoshi no sai

Kama;

Kubo Nicho Gama

Matayoshi Nicho gama

Iyeku;

Tsuken Akachu No Eku de

Nunchaku;

Nunchaku Shodan, nidan, and sandan

Tsunkuwa;

Tunkuwa Dai Ichi, Tunkuwa Dai Ni

Surichin;

Surichin No kata

Nunti;

2 nunti kata

Tinbe;

Matayoshi no tinbe

Tekko;

Maezetto Tekko

Kuwa;

Kuwa no De

San-setsu Kon;

Sansetsu Kun dai

each of these weapons also has a set of basic movements called Hojo-undo, these vary in length from weapon to weapon, i.e. Bo has 15 movements while tinbe has six. This is a nearly complete list of kata from Matayoshi Kobudo, at least it's all the kata I know from Matayoshi Kobudo (I train a hybrid style of Kobudo developed by Tadashi Yamashita, that incorporates Shorinka-Shorin Ryu's weaponry into the Matayoshi Kobudo lineage, making for an insane amount of katas, complexes, and clashes.

"Why you wear a black Gi?"

We wear a black Gi to symbolize the realationship between Ying and Yang, hard and soft, and to symbolize the melding of Okinawan and Chinese fighting arts into a singular system (Shinko Matayoshi learned the Hoe, sword and shield, and three sectional staff from a few different masters in china)

"Is there some form of sparring?"

that all depends on the dojo, if you go to the right place you might not be suprised to see advanced students break out the bogu (simmilar to kendo armour, but with shin armor added) and practice with bamboo bos.

"How closely related is it to Chinese weaponry?"

If you take up Matayoshi Kobudo, or a system derived from Matayoshi Kobudo, you'll be learning mostly chinese weaponry, Shinko Matayoshi learned IIRC the tonfa, bo, hoe, sword and shield, and three sectional staff from many Chinese martial artists.

"How long does it take to get a black belt in it?"

it all depends on your instructor, many will adhere to a very rigid structure of dates, others will play everything by ear... it's like asking how long a piece of rope is.

I just wish to add that if your instructor learned from one of the Matayoshi family, or the US head of the zen okinawan kobudo ranmei (applying to matayoshi kobudo only) you're in for a real treat.

[Goju_boi]

thanks for the reply.It was very specific and helpfull.as for the lineage or style of kobudo,I guess I have to ask my instructor tomorrow.Anyways you say a lot of the weapons are chinese weaponry,so will the way that you wield any of the weapons be the same or similar as someone in a Kung-Fu class?Also from what style or styles of kung-fu did kobudo get their techniques?

[thesasafras]

for us we wear a black skirt thingy when we are blackbelts

[AndrewGreen]

black skirt thingy

I suggest not using that wording when speaking with your instructors...

I believe you mean a Hakama.

[Goju_boi]

yep,hakama.those are so freaking cool,but I haven't seen my instructor wear one.The only people at my dojo that wear hakama's are the aikido black belts(lucky dudes ).

[thesasafras]

I suggest not using that wording when speaking with your instructors...

I believe you mean a Hakama.

hahahah dont worry i wont i had just lost the name for a sec and was to lazy to think of it