Some of you may wonder why, when we watch martial arts movies featuring karate, there is often, various weaponry associated with the art. We’ve all seen the nunchaku, sai, bo, kama, tonfa, etc, spinning with great flash and effect, in the hands of the movie villains/heroes. Well, we understand that it’s entertainment, but we also see many of these weapons (along with the ekku – oar, which hardly ever makes it into the movies) at traditional karate tournaments in kobudo competition. Sometimes, it’s hard to differentiate which implements are really associated with karate and which are part of the vast list of weaponry belonging to the Chinese martial arts. Not to mention those associated with Filipino martial arts such as escrima and kali.

The implements I have just mentioned are those associated with Okinawan Te, the root of modern Karate-do. Formerly, the majority of Te practitioners in Okinawa all were adept with some or all of these weapons. The founder of Shotokan, Master Funakoshi Gichin, was very familiar with Okinawan weaponry, and has been photographed using the bo, sai, etc. However, during the formulation of Shotokan, a decision was apparently made not to include any of the weapons in the syllabus. We were never given a reason, though it may be related to the idea of creating karate (empty hand) and its evolution into a Do (Way/Path of life). Shotokan is noted for its focus on character and technical excellence…as well as its total lack of weaponry.

When I was younger, among the karate myths we learned, was that the art had been created by peasantry in Okinawa, where all swords were outlawed during the 250 years the defeated country was under the occupation of the Satsuma bushi or samurai. There may be some truth to this, but today, it’s generally agreed by those who study karate history, that much of has come down to us from Okinawa, is a product of the Okinawan bushi. There was a mid-level class of Okinawan bushi called “chikudun peichin”, which apparently was a class that included magistrates, police officers, and body-guards for the Sho family, the puppet-rulers of Okinawa. Most of the knowledge we have of the early karate masters only occur from sometime in the 1800’s. It was also in the late 1860’s, when the modern era abruptly began in Japan, that the bushi in Okinawan were abolished (as in mainland Japan), family stipends permanently suspended, and for the first time, persons of the bushi class had to find work as laborers, merchants, or farmers to support themselves and their families. Some believe that this is why we first begin to hear about karate masters during this timeframe. They also point to the fact that so many of the early masters were of the peichin or more specifically, of the chikudun peichin rank. While they were experts of unarmed combat, many appear to have been weapons experts, especially with the Okinawan Bo (usually, a 6′ wooden staff). In any case, instead of the martial art of farmers, it is now thought that when we practice karate-do, we are practicing the art of the guardians of kings and of protectors of old Okinawan society.

Interestingly, some twenty years ago, my mom’s brothers (the Okinawan side) were able to obtain a copy of our family’s geneaology (Shimabukuro) from relatives in the Ryukyus. Unfortunately, it was in Japanese kanji. A couple of years later, a priest from Japan was able to translate the tree into English. When I glanced through the translated copy, I only noticed that the tree went back to the early 1700’s. Imagine my surprise, several years ago, when I took a closer look and realized that from the earliest entry in the tree, dated in the early 1700’s, until the abolishment of the bushi in 1868, each generation of the family held the title of…chikudun peichin. It gave me a “chicken-skin” moment, to think I might truly be practicing the art of my ancestors.

Anyways, as I mentioned at the outset, Shotokan Karate-Do is a weaponless system (unless you count hands, feet, elbows and knees). As such, I was never given any weapons training from my Shotokan senseis throughout many years of practice. However, as have many of the Shotokan black belts, my friend Paul and I had the opportunity to learn and practice with many of the Okinawan weapons, in the early 1990’s. I’m not a weapons expert by any means, but did get to practice for several years under a senior Matsubayashi Shorin-Ryu sensei in a small group (the sensei, my friend, and me). My main purpose in practicing kobudo was to gain an awareness/appreciation of the possible influence that the weapons may have had on our modern-day movements. On reflection, I will have to say that my limited experience with kobudo, in particular, the Bo, have definitely had a positive influence on my practice of karate-do.

After a lot of thought/prayer and with the approval of the karate ministry council members, I’ve decided that we’ll begin to incorporate Bo exercises as a part of the training for our sempais. Of course, this will be on a voluntary basis, and I don’t expect any of us to become experts. I do, however, envision the gradual strengthening of wrists, forearms, and upper torso. Using a long implement, like the Bo, requires that one gain a real feel for the weight, length, and placement of the weapon, until it can become literally, an extension of one’s body. Our goal will be to practice basic kihon with the Bo, in a manner that is similar and compatible with Shotokan kihon practice. The fruits we seek will be; enhanced eye-hand coordination, weapons awareness, and increased upper-body strength. Beyond that, I expect that we’ll have a lot of fun!