The Okinawan art of kobudo consists of the use of agricultural and fishing implements that were developed as weapons. The emergence of kobudo is erroneously paralleled with the 1609 invasion of the Satsuma samurai on the island of Okinawa when in fact; kobudo existed for quite some time before. It could be theorized that the fighting aspect of kobudo may have been refined during this occupation and then much later in the 19th century, systemized into an actual curriculum

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The bo is considered to be the quintessential Okinawan weapon and has varying lengths from six to nine feet in length. The rokushaku-bo (6 foot staff) is the weapon used most commonly and is extremely effective due to length and maneuverability. One can see a great deal of links in the movements within bo kata to empty-hand methods and a concrete understanding of karate helps the techniques with the bo.

BO KATA PRACTICED AT SHORIN-RYU KARATE OF WILLIAMSBURG

Shushi no Kun	Sakugawa no Kun
Choun no Kun	Kubo no Kun
Y	Tokumine no Kun

Thought to have originated from China and or Taiwan, the sai were employed by local authorities as an effective means of restraining and or striking. It was not uncommon for one or more sai to have been concealed to replace one that had been thrown at an opponent. Some say that the sai was a pitchfork, which is ridiculous. The sai has always been a weapon having never been adapted from farming implements or tool use.

SAI KATA PRACTICED AT SHORIN-RYU KARATE OF WILLIAMSBURG

Nakaima no sai dai ichi	Nakaima no sai dai ni
Sai Dai San	Chatan Yara no Sai

The tonfa's use came from being the handle for a millstone grinder and was a very effective weapon for defense. It could be twirled by the handle or flipped upside down to be use for hooking a weapon and then striking with the grip-head. The tonfa has been adapted by law enforcement in the form of the PR-24 however, creators of this adaptation claim that it has no tie to the tonfa. Interesting that one of the creators, before he was in law enforcement, was a marine and spent time on the island of Okinawa.

TONFA KATA PRACTICED AT SHORIN-RYU KARATE OF WILLIAMSBURG

Tunfa no kata	Hama Higa no Tonfa
Yara Gwa no Tonfa

The kama has long had it's place in agriculture in the east and was not a foreign visitor to the Ryukyu islands. Farmers have used and continue to use kama to cut sugar cane, pineapples and other crops native to the islands. They may be found in most hardware stores today in Okinawa and are available in different shapes and weights.

The kusarigama is an attachment of a rope or chain to either the handle or reinforcement ring of the blade. This adaptation increase the danger of this already risky weapon and should be practiced with utmost seriousness and slow speed.

KAMA KATA PRACTICED AT SHORIN-RYU KARATE OF WILLIAMSBURG

Nakaima no kama Dai ichi	Nichogama dai ichi

This weapon can have two to three pieces of wood connected by thread, cord, chain or horsehair. It was used in Okinawa as a thresh and also as a horse bridle. It has origins in China as well as the Philippines and has been popularized a great deal from motion pictures. They are common today in many areas of Southeast Asia being used in agriculture. They are not practiced with the flash used in movies but use specific strikes and blocks with not a great deal of turning or flashy twirling. These types of motions are found in kihon(basics) and not so much found in application.

NUNCHAKU KATA PRACTICED AT SHORIN-RYU KARATE OF WILLIAMSBURG

Nunchaku no kata	Tonaki no nunchaku

Still use in the Dragon Boat Races in Okinawa, the eku is another weapon that is truly an Okinawan treasure. Used in a similar manner as the bo, the eku employs the use of cutting with the edge of the blade and the thrusting of the saki or tip. One commonly used technique is the throwing of sand into the eyes of an opponent. In some kata, such as Akahachi no eku, there is a kicking of sand with the feet followed by a reverse strike with the butt of the oar. Legend has it that this weapon was used against attackers by fisherman and was effective against the katana.

EKU KATA PRACTICED AT SHORIN-RYU KARATE OF WILLIAMSBURG

Eku no kata	Akahachi no eku
Tsuken sunakake no eku

The rochin and timbe are the most archaic looking of the weapons of Okinawa and yet seem so evolutionary. The timbe (shield) was once made from turtle shells but now wood, metal or fiberglass are used. The rochin was a hand-held short spear with a metal or sharpened wood point. The methods of the two weapons together are obvious but the timbe was also used for striking, not just for blocking. Many techniques with the rochin involve cutting the weapon hand of the opponent and then striking with the timbe.

TIMBE KATA PRACTICED AT SHORIN-RYU KARATE OF WILLIAMSBURG

Kanegawa no Timbe

Shushi no Kun
Sakugawa no Kun (Quicktime)
Kubo No Kun

Choun no kun, Tokumine no kun

,Kanegawa no timbe