Kobudô, Okinawan
The term kobudô(Japanese, as are all terms that follow unless indicated)
translates as “old martial arts.” It is generally used, however, to refer to
weapons training. Kobudô may be incorporated into an empty-hand cur-
riculum as supplementary instruction or taught as a separate discipline, with-
out cross-training in empty-hand forms. Okinawan di(hand) uses empty-
hand forms that correspond precisely with the weapons forms used in the
system. Weapons may be divided into martial and civil combative categories.Martial and Civil Classes
There are a number of weapons formally taught in Okinawan kobudô. The
term includes the military combative disciplines that utilize theôyumi
(longbow); koyumi (short bow); ishi-yumi (crossbow); katana (single-
edged curved sword: single- or double-handed); ryôba katana (double-
edged straight sword); tantôor kogatana(knife or short sword); tamanaji
or yamakatana(mountain sword: broad-bladed, single-edged sword); nag-
inata(Japanese glaive); bisentô(Chinese glaive); and yarior hoko(spear),
hinawajû(musket), and kenjû(flintlock pistol).
Civil combative weapons include the puku(hunting spear), tuja(fish-
ing trident), tinbe(short spear or machete used with shield), kama(sickle),
kusarigama(sickle and chain), Rokushaku kama (kama attached to 180 cm
[6 shaku] staff), kuwa(hoe), sai(three-pronged truncheon), manji no sai
(saiwith swastika-like arrangement of wings), nunti(manji no sai attached
to 7 shaku [212 cm] staff), suruchin(in Japanese, manrikki) (weight and
chain), gekiguan(weight and chain attached to stick), tekko (knuckle
dusters), tecchu(small rod projecting beyond both ends of hand and held
on with swivel-type finger ring), bô (in Chinese, konor kun) (staff, of var-
ious lengths), jô(stick), take no bô (bamboo cane), gusan jô(cross-sec-
tioned stick), tanbô (short stick), eku or kai(oar), nunchaku (flail), sanbon
nunchakuor sansetsu kun(three-section flail), dajô(rods joined by long
length of rope), uchi bô (long-handled flail with rods of unequal length),
tonfa(truncheon with handle affixed at right angle to shaft), kasa(um-
brella), ôgi(fan), kanzashi(hairpin), kiseru(pipe), and various obscure
weapons. The five primary weapons used in conjunction with karate are
rokushakubô, sai, tonfa, kama, and nunchaku.Various Forms
Some of the many kata (forms) that are extant on Okinawa include the bô
kata Sakugawa no kon(Sakugawa staff, from its creator Sakugawa Toudi)
and Matsumura no kon (from its creator Bushi Matsumura [Bushi here286 Kobudô, Okinawan