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Kobudo is the art of Okinawan weaponry - Basically farming and fishing implements - it is an art in its own right but also the weapons associated with Karate (empty hand). When training in kobudo the weapon is simply an extension of the body. Most basic Karate moves can be duplicated with a weapon. The perfection of basic moves is paramount for weapons training.
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Early in the 1600s, Japan conquered the Ryukyu Islands whose main island is Okinawa. Okinawa is located some 300 miles south of mainland Japan. Fearing an over throw, the emperor of Japan forced the people of Okinawa to give up all weapons of war such as swords and spears and they were all forbidden to the 'common man'. This left farmers and fisherman easy pray for the bandits and pirates of the time. To counteract this law, the Okinawans as well as the inhabitants of neighbouring islands in the Ryukyuan chain developed a system of self-defence using farming and fishing tools. Water carrying poles, boat oars, grist mill handles, sickles, rice flails etc .. were all used. These everyday tools are now recognised as..The Bo Staff, Jo Staff, Sai, Shuriken, Tonfa, Nanchuku and Bokken.
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Like other Okinawan weaponry, the origin of the Nunchaku is misleading. Some say it is Chinese in origin, others say it was developed from a horse bit; most likely it was used by peasants to beat rice. It probably came into use about the 16th century (as did the sai and tonfa). The nunchaku is made out of 2 sticks, usually hard wood, and joined together with a rope made out of a horse-tail hair or chain. As the sticks can vary in length, so does the size and weight, and the length of the connection between the two sticks.
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The nunchaku stick is normally about the length of your own forearm, but it is up to your personal preference to make it as long as you want. The Chinese had "amaru gata" or "round stick" nunchaku. The Japanese made it a little more efficient by making octagonal sticks, called "hakabukei" nunchaku. There is also a nunchaku with one long stick and a short stick, which is called "so setsu kon" nunchaku, developed to stop you from hitting your own hand if you miss an attacker.
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The 'san setsu kon' & 'yon setsu kon' nunchaku are sectional. The sticks may vary in size, sometimes the middle stick is shorter than the other two. Other modifications of this nunchaku, one has a normal stick, and the other 2 sides are shorter . It makes it a lot harder to block an attack but easier to loop another weapon or attacker.
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The Kama was a tool used to cut weeds and bring in the crop. It is a simple but very sharp and potentially deadly weapon. The risks involved in kama training may be the main reason why it is not used as much as other kobudo weapons. There have been instances where students of the kama wounded themselves, even cutting off fingers.
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The kama has been redesigned and is now called a natagama. It is a stronger because the blade runs through past the curve of the normal kama, all the way down into the handle, making the cutting edge bigger. Not all weapons used in Kobudo started out as farm tools.
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The stem of the Sai should cover the complete forearm, to guarantee full protection when countering an attack. The butt of the handle can have various shapes.
Originally, the Sai was made out of two separate parts: the stem and the curved prongs. These two parts were then pounded together in a process similar to that used by sword smiths.
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Around late 19th century, another method was used. A finished saï would serve to create a sai shaped cavity in the ground. Molten iron was poured into this shape, producing a perfect twin of the first sai when the iron had hardened. Rough edges were removed and afterwards the saï was polished.
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The Shuriken is also known as the ninja throwing star. Originally developed to provide a distraction despite its portrayal in martial arts movies, shurikens can severely injure but not penetrate deeply enough to kill.
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The Jo staff was developed by Master Muso Gonnosuke after suffering a defeat by the swordsman Minamoto Muashi in the early part of the1600s. The Jo is made of hard wood and 4 feet (1 metre 22 cm) in length and Japanese in heritage. Being shorter in length allowed for close fighting which was not possible with the longer Bo staff. The Chinese Bo keeps an equal diameter along its entire length where as the Okinawan style tapers at each end. In addition to its uses for striking blocking an opponent, the Jo can also be used to choke, pin, lock, and throw. A few years later, Muso again faced the swordsman Muashi, this time emerging as the victor. Gonnosuke then founded the school Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo. The name refers to the claimed supernatural origins of the art. "Shindo" refers to the spirit. If you can use the Jo you can use a Umbrella, Pool cue, even a broom handle.
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The Bo staff is said to come from the 'tenbib', (a pole used to herd livestock, or when slung across the shoulders, to carry buckets of water or fish at each end). The bo staff is 6 feet, (1 metre 83cm) in length. The bo is probably one of the first weapons used to defend or hunt. It could easily be found, was not difficult to handle, and could be used for a multiple purposes. It could also have originated from "walking sticks" or poles that monks used to use when hiking or to defend themselves. The techniques executed with the bo were probably developed very early in history, and were almost certainly refined after the Heian Era 1127 AD.
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Like all other weapons of kobudo, the Tonfa served as a working tool, before becoming a weapon. The tonfa was the grist mill handle used on a millstone for preparing grain, which could easily be removed.
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The tonfa is effective when laid across the forearm to block a sword, nunchaku or bo / jo staff attack. The tonfa is now used by police forces all over the world, called the Monadnock PR-24. The tonfa shaft consists of a large hardwood body, about 17 inches, (50 to 60 cm) in length, and a smaller handle grip secured at a 90° 4.5 to 5 inch long (15 cm) from one end end about and is about about 2 inch thick ( 5cm).
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The Bokken started out as a practice sword so that training could be done in relative safety, wooden swords were used, named the bokken. The bokken is made from hardwood, usually red oak. Although it started out as a practice weapon, the bokken gradually become a weapon in its own right. Where the sword is used for cutting bones, the bokken is used to break and smash them.
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