style and weapons

[yamesu]

Through kobudo: Bo, chucks, san-setsu-kon and Sai.

Through Presas Arnis: Single and double sticks, single and double machete, double and single knife, knife/machete.

Long and short firearms as a personal hobby.

[Spartacus Maximus]

In the days before many Americans started to learn karate on Okinawa, kobudo was seperate from karate. Even weapons were separated and one could not learn more that one type from a single teacher.

Nowadays most people who study an okinawan karate style will have the standard kobudo weapons taught as part of the curriculum. Kata will be either from Matayoshi's kobudo or Ryukyu kobudo.

Most common are: Bo, sai, tonfa,nunchaku and eku(boat oar)

Less common are: three section bo(Chinese weapon more common in Kung fu), tinbe and rochin(a type of round shield and short saber or spear), tecchu(a knuckle duster type of weapon)

Kobudo was part of my ex-organization in Shorin ryu. I have limited experience with the Bo. My present shorin ryu sensei learned many kobudo weapons but has abandoned them altogether. That is why I do not do kobudo. His reasoning is that if you become skilled in karate, then you will be able to use almost anything in your hands as an extension of your techniques. Another point is that most kobudo weapons are impractical to carry and unlikely to be readily available.

[Canadian77]

So far I've had the opportunity to try a little bit of bo, tonfa, nunchuka and boken. I've also done some knife defense. I love the variety that the weapons add to our curriculum. We also do sai fairly frequently, but I haven't had a chance to try it yet.

[Spartacus Maximus]

The only weapon that is studied in my dojo is the knife. We train to defend against common types of knife attacks but it have not done anything like that myself as I am new and it is reserved for shodan and above. My sensei has stopped practising kobudo and does not teach it.

[sensei8]

The only weapon that is studied in my dojo is the knife. We train to defend against common types of knife attacks but it have not done anything like that myself as I am new and it is reserved for shodan and above. My sensei has stopped practising kobudo and does not teach it.

Why has your Sensei stopped practicing Kobudo??

[Spartacus Maximus]

He stopped because he stopped seeing it as something meaningful. The conclusion of his many decades of training was that it was wiser to master empty hand skills and principles.

He believes that the principles of empty hand techniques are transferable to almost any weapon or object held in the hand. Weapons will move as extensions of empty hand techniques instead of accessories. The only way he can come up with that is by having practised and used weapons

I am not certain he would be able to say that if he had never touched weapons before. It is hard for me to explain because I don't have his experience or knowledge. Another reason he briefly mentioned is that there are too many kobudo kata without logical bunkai or oyo kumite and kobudo has become too much like a weapons dance where the meaning is either lost or never properly explained. Even on Okinawa many dojos just have it as an extra gimmick because demand for it is so high.

[Wado Heretic]

RyuKyu Kobujutsu; the Taira-Inoue Line. My main focuses are the Kon and Tsai, but I am expanding into Tonfa and Kama.

HEMA with a specialisation in Armoured combat and long-sword fencing. Though my regular practice is erratic and reduced to study group meetings, and whenever my friends with interest in it want to make time to train.

I have also participated in formal study the Tanto, Jo and Ken in the past and still train with them, but I have put formal study on hold in favour of focusing on RyuKyu Kobujutsu.

[vantheman]

Because of the adaption of various arts in the history of the style of Kempo I train in, the weapon training in my school covers various arts and weapons (although weapons are definitely a secondary/optional concern in my school's curriculum). There are some escrima techniques we learn (escrima was introduced into Kempo Karate by Adriano Emperato I believe), as well as the standard collection of Okinawan Kobudo (from Nick Cerio) weapons: Bo, Nunchaku, Sai, Tonfa, Kamas, ect. Somewhere along the line some type of Japanese sword stuff came in too (Iaido I would guess). Recently, an Aikido nidan has moved into our dojo and has begun teaching some Jo and bokken techniques as well, but there truly is still no formal weapon system per say in our art.

Although this is probably outside of the intent in the question, there is a heavier emphasis on gun and knife training in our system that has been picked up from basic combative stuff and KAPAP. Additionally, there IS formal pistol training and certification offered.

Personally, I have had varying experience with the Bo, Nunchaku, knife, escrima, bokken, and jo from their respective elements within kempo karate (kobudo, self-defense, escrima, aikido).

[sensei8]

He stopped because he stopped seeing it as something meaningful. The conclusion of his many decades of training was that it was wiser to master empty hand skills and principles.

He believes that the principles of empty hand techniques are transferable to almost any weapon or object held in the hand. Weapons will move as extensions of empty hand techniques instead of accessories. The only way he can come up with that is by having practised and used weapons

I am not certain he would be able to say that if he had never touched weapons before. It is hard for me to explain because I don't have his experience or knowledge. Another reason he briefly mentioned is that there are too many kobudo kata without logical bunkai or oyo kumite and kobudo has become too much like a weapons dance where the meaning is either lost or never properly explained. Even on Okinawa many dojos just have it as an extra gimmick because demand for it is so high.

I can understand, and I repect his decision!!

[Montana]

I practice the following weapons:

Bo (6' length)

Jo (4' length)

Sai

Tonfa

Kama

Nunchaku

Cane (the most versatile imo, and legal to carry anywhere, including air planes!)

kobutan

ashtray

car keys

telephone pole

coffee mug

beer glass

rope

Well...you get the idea. Basically ANYTHING (almost anyway) can be used as a weapon. Once or twice a year I take my students for a walk around town (in street clothes, not gi's) and look for literally anything that can be used to your advantage in a fight. It gets interesting sometimes!