RyuKyu Kobudo

The old weapon arts of Okinawa are called Kobudo.

There are different styles in Kobudo that perform the respective techniques differently, use other kata and also use a wide variety of weapons.

About 60 different weapons are known in Kobudo. However, most schools only use a small number of these weapons. However, there are five main weapons of Okinawan kobudo. These are:

• Bo - long stick

• Nunchaku - flail

• Sai - trident

• Tunfa - crank for millstones

• Kama - sickle

• Tekko - weaponized stirrups and horseshoes

• Eiku - Oar

• Timbe & Rochin - Shield & Short Spear

All former masters of karate were also masters of kobudo. Many karate masters have also handed down their weapon forms to us. These two combat systems have been separated in the last century and RyuKyu Kobudo started to be adopted by non Okinawan style practitioners in the last 20 to 30 years. Based on the techniques, however, it is not difficult to see that Karate-do and Kobudo have the same technical origin.

Find out more of the history of RyuKyu Kobudo in the free ebook "An Introduction to RyuKyu Kobudo" here.