Kobudo - (Contributors: Steve Gombosi, John Simutis)

Intro:
"Kobudo" literally means "ancient martial ways". In the karate world, it generally refers to those traditional Okinawan weapons whose history and practice has been linked to that of karate.

Origin: Okinawa.

Description:
Most Okinawan styles have at least some kobudo/kobujutsu curriculum. In addition, there are at least two major Okinawan organizations whose primary focus is these weapons arts: the Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinko-kai and the Okinawa Kobudo Renmei. In the US there is 'Okinawa Kobudo Association, USA'; the shihan in the US is in Citrus Heights, CA. There may be other US Kobudo organizations.

Weapons:
The most common kobudo weapons (and the ones most often taught by Okinawan karate systems) are:

* Bo - staff, usually a rokushakubo or "six foot staff", although 4, 9, and 12 foot staffs are also used.
* Sai - three-tined iron clubs, usually carried as a set of 3.
* Nunchaku - two short tapered wooden clubs, connected at the narrow ends by a short rope or chain (a flail, as well as other uses).
* Kama - a sickle, used singly or in pairs;
* Tuifa/tonfa - a club with a hand-length perpendicular handle, the ancestor to the police PR-24; usually used in pairs.

Less common weapons are:

* Koa - a hoe.
* Eku - a boat oar.
* Tekko - essentially brass knuckles.
* Shuchu - a small kubotan-like thing about 5" long.
* San-setsu-kon - the 3-section staff.
* Surujin/suruchen - a weighted chain with a spike or blade on one end - similar to the Chinese chain whip or the Japanese manrikigusari;
* Tinbe - actually, this is two weapons...the tinbe itself, which is a small shield traditionally made of the shell of a sea tortoise, and the rochin, which is a short spear with a cutting blade - the weapon actually resembles a Zulu spear more than anything else.
* Kusarikama - a kama on the end of a rope or chain.
* Nunti - a short spear.

and a few other oddball implements of mayhem including spears and the occasional pilfered Japanese sword ;-).

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