Karate Weapons

From Karate, Kungfu, Wrestling, Mixed Fighting Information Source

Although technically meaning only "old martial way," in context kobudō refers specifically to the old martial way of Okinawa, and even more specifically, to the traditional weapons of Okinawa

Sai

see main articlesai The sai (釵) is a weapon found prominently in Okinawa (there is evidence of similar weapons in India, China, Malaysia and Indonesia. Sai are often believed to have originated as an agricultural tool used to measure stalks, plow fields, plant rice, or to hold cart wheels in place, though the evidence for this is limited. Its basic form is that of an unsharpened dagger, with two long, unsharpened projections (tsuba) attached to the handle. The very end of the handle is called the knuckle.

Bo

see main article bo A bō is a long stick, usually made of wood or bamboo, but sometimes it is made of metal or plated with metal for extra strength; also, a full-size bo is sometimes called rokushakubō (六尺棒). This name derives from the Japanese words ろくroku (meaning "six"), shaku (a Japanese measurement equivalent to 30.3 centimeters, or just under 1 foot) and bo (kanji, Chinese character meaning "staff"). Thus, rokushakubo refers to a staff about 6 shaku (181.8 cm, about 6 ft.) long, other types of bo range from heavy to light, from rigid to highly flexible, and from simply a piece of wood picked up off the side of the road to ornately decorated works of art.

Kama

see main article kama Kama 鎌 are Okinawan and Chinese weapons that resemble traditional farming devices similar to a small scythe or a sickle. The development of this tool as a weapon began after Japan annexed Okinawa and outlawed all traditional weapons. Before that, it was used in fields to cut down crops. The sickle, implemented as a redesigned weapon form, was called a natagama. The kama resemble another weapon familiar to the Japanese koryu, the Kusari-Gama, which had a weighted chain used to parry and club an enemy from a distance before the final Kama strike was administered. The kama itself is a stabbing and slashing weapon that is most effective for any type of hand-to-hand combat. The world's most renowned master of this kobudo style is Tadashi Yamashita, seen using these weapons in the film "The Octagon".

The 'freestyle' forms popular today have little or nothing to do with the original weapon or its historical techniques.