Who Else Wants to Know About Kobudo?
Closely related to Karate, the history of Kobudo is
afflicted with its share of ambiguity. However essentially, Kobudo is a
Japanese martial art, practiced using a variety of weapons and taught at
numerous karate dojos around the world. In case you have learned of the
existence of kobudo and plan to take it up or are just interested to know a
little more about it, here is a concise but informative guide covering the
history, weapons, techniques and masters of kobudo.
Kobudo Origins: The
legend and the Known Facts
When the island kingdom of Okinawa fell under the rule of
the Satsuma samurai clan in 1609, the local citizens were forbidden by their
occupiers from carrying or publicly practicing with weapons such as spears and
swords. This much is fact, but legend takes over in having us believe that the
Okinawans, keen to have a means to defend themselves, took up the practice of
training to fight with the tools they traditionally used for tending their
farms.
It is certainly true that the people of Okinawa secretly
trained to fight. However historians believe that the weapons they used were
similar to those found in China, Malaysia and Indonesia, dating from before the
time of the Satsuma occupation. Whichever version of history you choose to
believe, it is plausible that Okinawan Kobudo as a fighting style was born in
those turbulent times at the turn of the 17th century.
Over a period of many years, it’s believed that Chinese and
South East Asian martial arts were incorporated into the kobudo system,
developing the style which is still practiced today. For the earliest
documented historical evidence of kobudo as an established system, we need to
fast forward to the mid-eighteenth century when two kobudo masters, Sakugawa
Kanga and Chatan Yara were teaching students using techniques heavily
influenced by their own martial arts studies in China.
The most famous students of Sakugawa were Ginowan Donchi, Matsu
Higa and Chinen Chikudun no Peichin. Much of the Kobudo practiced today can be
directly traced back to the teachings of Chinen Chikudun no Peichin.
Upholders of
the Kobudo Legacy
The kobudo kata and weapons which are known today owe a lot
to a man named Taira Shinken, who spent the early part of the 20th
century travelling the Ryukyu Islands compiling kobudo kata. He collected a
total of 42 different kata, which collectively comprised the use of eight
individual types of weapon. Another founder of modern kobudo was Shinko
Matayoshi, the son of a wealthy family from the Naha region of Okinawa. He was
the first master to publicly demonstrate Okinawan Kobudo on the mainland of
Japan in 1915. His son, Shimpo Matayoshi, continued his father’s legacy
throughout the second half of the 20th century. Shimpo Matayoshi
founded the All Okinawa Kobudo Federation in 1970 and went on to become the
technical advisor for all styles of Okinawan Kobudo until he passed away in
1997.
The Weapons
of Kobudo
Many different weapons were historically used in Kobudo,
however the most well-known weapons, which are used for training in modern
Kobudo are:
·
The Sai – Three-pronged truncheons which are
wielded in pairs: One sai in each hand.
·
The Bo – A wooden staff approximately 6 feet in
length.
·
The Kama – Basically a rice sickle with a handle
the length of your forearm and a crescent-shaped blade attached. Usually
wielded in pairs
·
The Tonfa – A straight baton with a handle
projecting at 90 degrees. Instantly recognizable as the forerunner of the
modern side-handle police baton. In Kobudo, tonfa are usually used in pairs.
·
The Nunchaku – Two equal lengths of wood
connected at the ends by a chain or rope.
·
The Ekku – An oar shaped weapon uses in a
similar way to a bo, but also designed to scoop up sand or earth to fling
towards an opponent’s face.
·
The Tekko – Another kobudo weapon used in pairs,
the tekko is shaped like a horsehoe and is gripped in the centre of the “D”
shape.
Some lesser known kobudo weapons include:
·
Tinbe-Rochin – A short spear and shield used
together
·
Sansetsukon – Similar to a nunchaku but with
three lengths of wood rather than two
·
Kuwa – A derivative of the common or garden hoe,
consisting of a short handle, with either a rectangular blade or three prongs
attached
·
Yari – A long-handled, straight spear
·
Surujin – A length of rope or chain, either with
weights at both ends or a weight at one end and a metal spike at the other
·
Nunti-Bo – A wooden staff with a sai mounted at
the end
Depending on the style of kobudo taught by a given dojo or
school, kata using some or all of the weapons listed above may be included in
training.
Common Kobudo Styles
Many karate styles incorporate kobudo as part of the
training curriculum. There are also a few pure styles of kobudo which focus primarily
on use of the traditional weapons, although they may also incorporate elements
of unarmed karate.
Matayoshi Kobudo is one of the oldest kobudo styles and was
pioneered by Matayoshi Shinko and his son, Matayoshi Shinpo. There are an
estimated 2,000 dojos teaching this style today. Matayoshi Kobudo incorporates
kata in all the known kobudo weapons with the exception of the Yari.
Ryukyu Kobudo is a type of Kobudo which was developed at the
hands of Taira Shinken. The style focuses on swift and fluid hip movements and
primarily makes use of the bo and the sai. Other weapons in which Ryukyu kobudo
kata are taught include the Tonfa, Kama, Ekku, Tinbe-Rochin, Tekko, Nunchaku
and Tonfa.
Tokushinryu Kobudo is a very modern style developed by Tokumura
Kensho. This is an eclectic style of kobudo which emphasizes the use of
chinkuchi (explosive use of sudden bodily tension when blocking or punching).
This style utilizes some of the less common kobudo weapons as well as standards
such as the bo and sai.
Yamanni Ryu Kobudo is a style which was almost unknown
outside of Okinawa until very recent times. This style of kobudo focuses
primarily on the use of the bo, with the sai, tonfa, nunchaku and kama taught
as secondary weapons. The signature characteristics of Yammani Ryu Kobudo are a
powerful and swift circular motion, pliable footwork and vibrant body dynamics.
As well as these common styles, there are many hybrid
versions of kobudo which blend the kata and characteristics of multiple styles
and may also include unarmed karate elements.
Some Famous Kobudo
Masters
Perhaps the most celebrated master or sensei of kobudo is
the great Taira Shinken. He was born on the Okinawan island of Kume in 1897.
Taira was the second son in a family of four children and his name at birth was
Shinken Maezato. However at some point in his early life he took on his
mother’s maiden name, Taira. In 1922, Taira traveled to Tokyo searching for
work and it was there that he began studying Ryūkyū kobudo.
In 1932, after studying kobudo for three years, Taira opened
his own dojo in the prefecture of Gunma, where he taught kobudo and karate in
which he was also a master. In later years he opened further dojo in Naha,
Okinawa as well as at Kanto and Kansai in mainland Japan. In 1970, Taira became
president of the Ryukyu Kobudo Preservation and Promotion Society.
Unfortunately, 1970 was also the year of Taira’s death.
It’s thanks to the tireless work of Taira Shinken that
kobudo is an Okinawan marshal art which thrives as a topic of study in karate
dojos around the world, although this form of weapon wielding self-defense has
never been as popular as the empty-hand techniques which it’s designed to
complement.
Toshihiro Oshiro is a kobudo sensei from Haneji in Okinawa,
who now resides in California. He began studying karate when he was six years
old and later took up the study of Yamanni-Ryu. Today, Toshihiro holds the
status of eighth Dan in Yamanni-Ryu as well as ninth Dan in Shorin-Ryu Karate.
He still teaches Okinawan martial arts at his dojo in San Mateo, CA.
Motokatsu Inoue was a grandson of former Prime Minister of
Japan, Katsura Taro. Motokatsu was born in 1918 and began learning martial arts
at an early age from his family’s security specialist. His teacher’s name was Soke
Seiko Fujita, credited with the honor of being the very last true ninja.
Motokatsu later studied kobudo under Taira Shinken and was eventually
recognized officially as the grand master of Ryukyu Kobujutsu.
Why Study Kobudo?
As a martial art, kobudo is about much more than simply
learning to block attacks and strike back with a weapon in your hand. Kobudo
enables you to develop physical and mental skills as well as enhancing physical
wellbeing through the rigorous workout the training puts your body through.
Elements of your physical and mental condition which kobudo can enhance
include:
·
Mental discipline
·
Physical strength and speed
·
Stamina and coordination
·
Spiritual discipline, motivation and
self-control
If you should decide to take up the study of this ancient
and revered martial art, you will be able to use your dojo’s equipment
initially. However if you’d like to purchase your own Kobudo weapons, you can
find them for sale online from vendors such as Swords of the East.