Kobudo

Kobudo is the name given to the study of traditional Okinawan weaponary.

The main weapons are the Bo, the Tonfa, the Sai, the Kama and the Nunchaku.

When we study Okinawan Kobudo we tend to think of the weapons as being primitive - peasant weaponry perhaps, but in terms of development over thousands of years, many of them are really quite sophisticated with a wide range of techniques.

The Bo, or 6’ Staff, is the most widely studied of the traditional weapons of Okinawa. It is known as the ‘Kon’ on Okinawa to distinguish the weapon from a simple stick. The term ‘Kon’ is derived from the Chinese word ‘Kun’ which is their word for a Bo. Originally, the word ‘Kun’ was used to describe the metal end caps on the Chinese version of the weapon, but when the practise of fitting these was discontinued, the name was retained for the weapon.

Master Gichin Funakoshi originally taught Bo and Sai at the Shotokan, but the practise was discontinued after the WWII.

Ian MacLaren has been studying Okinawa Kobudo since the early 70’s, first with Master Teryuo Hayashi and later with Master Kiyoshi Yamazaki. He has taught his Senior Student, Josie Wynn, 4th Dan to be his senior teaching assistant, and Sam and Joe Birch as junior teaching assistants. both Ian and Josie with the help of Sam and Joe teach at various venues throught the UK and Ireland.

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