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Ryukyu Kobudo Shinko Kai
Ryukyu Kobudo is
the weapon art of Okinawa, employing different weapons, some make-shift
and some real, for self-defense or self-protection. Ryukyu Kobudo,
along with Karate-do, had been taught side by side for centuries until
shortly after the turn of the century. At that time Ryukyu
Kobudo's popularity began to wane; ironically due to the efforts of
Okinawan Karate-do teachers' attempts at popularizing Karate-do on the
Japanese mainland.
Although many of these Karate-do masters were
familiar and proficient in Ryukyu Kobudo, most of them did not actively
teach the art to their mainland Japanese students. As a result, by the end of
the second world war, Ryukyu Kobudo was largely fragmented and seemed on
the verge of extinction. However, through the efforts of several
pioneering teachers, such as Matayoshi Shinko and Taira Shinken,
interest in Ryukyu Kobudo was rekindled and the art began to thrive
again both in Okinawa, mainland Japan, and later, around the world.
The first weapon of study is the bo (6' long
staff), followed by the sai (3 prong metal truncheon) and various other hand
held weapons. Our curriculum includes 11 different weapons in
all. Although the dojo carries
weapons to borrow initially, each student is expected to acquire their own weapon for
training purposes. E-mail or telephone the club if you need assistance in
acquiring a weapon.
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