Kobudo (Japan) is the collective name for the more modern (after around 1900) forms of the classical Japanese martial art from the island of Okinawa. Contrary to popular belief, the weapons used in Kobudo are not derived from farming tools. Farmers did not have the time or energy to study the use of tools for martial arts. Furthermore, a civilian with such tools would not stand much chance against a trained professional fighter with real weapons. Kobudo was shaped by thoughtful techniques that existed within the Aji (the nobility) and by techniques adopted from various Chinese martial arts.
Weapons in Kobudo:
- Bo: 183 cm long staff
- Sai: small trident where the middle ‘prong’ is significantly longer than the other two
- Nunchaku: two (wooden) sticks connected by a chain
- Kama: wooden weapon shaped like a sickle
- Tonfa: 45 cm long staff with a short handle set at a right angle
- Katana: sword
- Handbo: wooden staff about the same length as the katana but without the sword shape
- Tambo: 45 cm long staff (short bo)
