style and weapons

[devil dog]

Not sure if this has been asked but what style do you study and how many weapons have you learned? Is it a stand alone or is it through you empty hand art as an addition?

[Harkon72]

I study Nunchaku and Sai; I was taught both from a Shorin Ryu Kobudo Sensei a few years ago; I still practice with them. I train my Pinan Kata with the Sai and I have specific forms that I was taught for both weapons. My father was a knife fighter; he trained with tanto in Malaya in the 50's and 60's. i sometimes use his knife drills.

[Zaine]

I have studied multiple systems, but most of what I know comes from Shorin Ryu. Through that I have learned:

Bo

Nunchaku

Sai

Kama

Tonfa

Through Schola Saint George I am learning:

Longsword

Daga

Sword and Buckler

Polearm

Rapier

Spear

[andym]

I study Goju Ryu and was taught a Goju based system developed my Sensei over the years. I've now begun to learn Matayoshi Kobudo , a stand-a-lone Kobudo system, at tied to any Karate style. as a way to increase my knowledge.

[tallgeese]

The system I initially came out of spent most of it's weapons time with the knife, club and gun.

Since then, the last couple of years I've gotten to take a deeper look into the FMA's thru JKD. This has really let me develop a deeper understanding of the stick and knife.

I really love the fact that my job has afforded me the opportunity to get much deeper in firearms work as well. Clearly an additional thing and not part of the schools I come out of.

[ps1]

I learned Shotokan through the Kwanmuzendokai. They also had a kobudo program through which I learned to use the Bo.

Then I took a one year, very intensive, sogo bujitsu course under John Viol Shihan. In that course I was taught:

Rokushaku Bo

Tonfa

Tanbo

Then, also through John Viol Shihan, I learned Yagu Ryu Kenjitsu, though I never graded for any certifications.

[Wastelander]

When I practiced Shuri-Ryu, kobudo was taught as sort of a sister-system in the curriculum, in a rotating style. Instead of belt ranks, they tested you on each weapon, individually, and gave you a patch for each test you passed to certify that you were ranked with that weapon. Passing all six would earn you the rank of Tasshi in the Shuri-Ryu kobudo system, and the right to wear a black gi.

I passed the test for bo, and I passed everything but one requirement in the test for sai (impractical weapon manipulation--which is the most ridiculous requirement, in my opinion). At the time, I had learned three bo kata and two sai kata:

Shushi no Kon Sho

Shushi no Kon Dai

Donyu no Kon

Nicho Sai

Sancho Sai

I also learned the basics for kama, tonfa, nunchaku, and jo. At one point, I took a jo seminar, and learned 5 jodo kata (they are short) but absolutely hated the material, so I didn't keep up with it. During my time in Shuri-Ryu, I also practiced a branch of Shinkage-Ryu iaijutsu that my teacher learned during his visits to Japan over the years. I learned all four of the tachigata (standing forms) for that system, and one of the kneeling kata, but there are two other three other kneeling kata, and some wakizashi and partner kata that I never got to learn.

When I transitioned to Shorin-Ryu, I got to learn a little more about trapping/locking/sweeping with weapons, which was interesting, but I have been completely focused on my karate. I did learn on kama kata, Nakaima no Kama, and started to learn a nunti kata that comes from a family system, but it's long and complex, so I've forgotten it, now.

[ninjanurse]

Over the years I have practice bo, arnis, kama, broadsword, and naginata.

[sensei8]

In Shindokan, we've the typical Okinawan weapons at our disposal. Our Kobudo is in addition to our empty hands. Soke spoke about how "Karate-do is first, before Kobudo, but they're both equals in temperance."

[Roninkai]

Arnis, Kali and Escrima, nunchuks as well as the butterfly knife (normal for most Filipinos to play with the butterfly knives) while growing up in the Philippines. Jo and Bo from Aikido. Iaito and the shinken from Iaido.