Kobudo Okinawan and Japanese weapons arts

 

 

    

 
 










 
   

Introduction

Once a student has attained their 4th level in Arnis they are then free to choose their own weapons electives from the kobudo syllabus. They can either choose to learn more Arnis (for which there are a total of 9 levels of study); or choose to study any one of five weapons from Okinawan Kobudo (a weapons art that developed along parallel lines to Karate influenced by both Chinese and Japanese weapons systems); or choose to study either one of two Japanese Kobudo weapons taught under the Wu-Wei Dao system. As the weapons are taught as individual units of study a student may learn as much as they like about one weapon or they can develop a working knowledge in variety of weapons.

"Kobudo" literally means "old marital arts" in Japanese - a reference to the fact that these arts date from antiquity.

  

 

 

    

Traditionally Kobudo was/is taught alongside Karate and the Academy continues this tradition.

While Kobudo is an art in its own right and is not as easy to learn or apply as Arnis, it is introduced at a time when the increased maturity of the student is expected to match the complexity of the techniques. Weapons taught under the Wu-Wei Dao system are as follows:

 

 
   

Structure of the syllabus

  

 

  
   

Okinawan kobudo

  

 

  
   

  • 6 levels of Nunchaku (2-sectioned flail - as made famous by Bruce Lee)

  • 7 levels of Bo (6 ft staff)

  • 3 levels of Sai (trident)

  • 3 levels of Tonfa (a baton with a handle at right angles at one end, used by many police forces - originally a grinder handle)

  • 3 levels of Kama (sickles used in pairs)

  

 
   

Japanese kobudo