Looking at the Kobudo of Shinken Taira- Part 1

 

 

Understanding what Taira Shinken meant to Okinawan Kobudo and then comparing Tatsuo Shimabuku's Kobudo kata  to what Taira taught. I will do a series of blog posts to try and show what is available.

This is not meant to be a historical record rather a way to view him performing a few of his kata. Note he suffered a leg injury as a young man,that injury affected his motion for the remainder of his life. Meaning his performances were knowingly not necessary the correct performance for his students. Still seeing his performances does show us something about what he was doing.

Taira Shinken was originally a student of Funakoshi Ginchin. He later trained with one of Funakoshi's other students Yabiku Moden which was where he begin his kobudo studies. In time he began to seek out other Okinawan kobudo instructors and added their kata to his studies. Over his years he accumulated many kobudo kata, Then he began creating other kobudo kata to expand what he thought kobudo could be used for.

He had groups of followers in Japan and on Okinawa, In time hey each went slightly different ways.

Taira went out of his way to share kobudo to other instructors. Such as with Kenwa Mabuni of the Shito Ryu and many instrurctors on Okinawa. He was known share those instructors should take one of their basic kata and add kobudo techniques to make it easier for those instructors students to learn the weapon handling. It those cases he oftrr only shared a few kata. His purpose was to develop understanding among Karate-ka of what Okinawan kobudo was about

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He did publish one volume of an intended 5 volumes showing some details about his kobudo. He never completed the 5 other volumes.

I have a .pdf file of the book by Taira (translation) that is also helpful. The book is 'Encyclopedia of Okinawan Weapons'' by Taira Shinken.

Taira Shinken demonstrates:

Sai, Tonfa, Nunchaku, Bo, & Nunti
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKkMRkYF8QY 

 

1960’s Taira Shinken 平 信賢 | Ryukyu Kobudo | Sai Kata ~ Colorized

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot32q8mJUUE

 

1960’s Taira Shinken 平 信賢 | Ryukyu Kobudo | Bo Kata ~ Colorized
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEe9rLJ3QZU

Founder of modern Ryukyu Kobudo master Taira Shinken demonstrates some nunti techniqes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2f8vB-9O54

1960’s Taira Shinken 平 信賢 Tonfa Kata | Ryukyu Kobudo ~ Colorized
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6AdvZLmmuE

Taira Shinken - Manjisai-jutsu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqoqxUxNPe8

9-Foot-Bo (Kyushakubo) by Taira Shinken
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXcuMko2TPQ

Taira Shinken - Nunchaku-jutsu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxQgG90Zd14

平 信賢 • 先生 • 琉球 古武道 ▪ Shinken Taira Sensei • Ryukyu Kobudo "Sakugawa nu Kun Dai"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8br5beRT_k

The Tsuki-fication of Bojutsu

 The video shows excerpts of Taira Shinken performing kata. In it, I highlight the points in which he does not perform a chudan-zuki, but where a tsuki is done today. The kata used here as a reference are:

- Shushi no Kon Sho
- Shushi no Kon Dai
- Sakugawa no Kon Dai
- Sueyoshi no Kon
- Chinen Shikiyanaka no Kon
- Soeishi no Kon

There is a simply pattern in it: Basically, everywhere Taira performed a Shomen-uchi folllowed by a Chudan-uke, a tsuki was added in between. Exceptions verify this rule.

In short, Taira Shinken did not perform the kata of bojutsu with so many tsuki as is done in today's Okinawan Taira-lineage. Therefore, he didn't learn nor teach the kata with as many tsuki as done today.

Therefore, the tsuki must have been added in the postwar era, probably since the 1960s, by Taira's students in Okinawa.

This is what I refer to as the "Tsuki-fication of Bojutsu."

That is, adding up all the bo kata of Taira lineage on Okinawa, and even though some kata are already lost, today there are more than 130 tsuki in the kata, when originally there were maybe ten. Also, the kind of tsuki is different: Taira did a sliding thrust (nuki-zuki), and mostly to jodan level, while today's tsuki-invasion is a mid-level both-handed thrust (chudan-zuki).

His students Okinawan and Japanese carried on his tradition. Here are examples showing the differences.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx6QgMXN69s