Rocks commentary by Fred

Back in the 1990s I discovered how internet discussions on various groups often morphed into some other discussion as time passed. An example was one time I explained how many tournaments I attended in the NE region often had kobudo competitors from systems that had no traditional kobudo links, unlike Isshinryu which had its own kobudo traditions.

Many competitors would take a kata of their system and perform it with a wide variety of weapons. For example i have seen Seisan performed with Sai, Tonfa and Kama. Likewise I have seen Empi performed with a wide variety of weapons. It was the nature of open tournaments to allow such koabudo. Then there were traditional kobudo systems,Systems that modifed empty hand kata, and of course those who created their own kobudol kata.

Then as the discussion continued Fred Loese took a different tack. showing how traditional Okinawan Matoyashi Kobudo actually incorporated the use of the weapons in different ways.

I think you might enjoy this one.




The discussion from Fred Lohse.


But on a more serious track do the Okinawan arts shift to the use of environmental weapons? I remember one of Matayoshi's video's with the Eku where he flipped sand (or did he kick it up with his cross step, perhaps both).

Here's what I know:

The Matayoshi kobudo forms use a variety of "environmental" techniques.

Various kata have various techniques for flinging sand, some with the weapon, some with the foot: Tsuken Akachu no eku, Sakugawa no kon, Shishi no kon, and Choun no kon. The sunakake is also one of the kihon/hojo undo. Matayoshi also used to plant a hand after a jump and pick up sand to toss, sometimes anyway. I know that is on a number of video. Interestingly enough, he told other people (self included) not to copy him...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKOxJoVZ2yc

Shishi no kon includes techniques for flinging small stones with the foot. This is done differently (different part of the foot and mechanics) than the sand flinging. 

Guwa also uses the same technique, which with the foot can also be used for mud or dirt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNWCI6Y2tpA&t=11s

Kue no ti (Guwa) includes a technique for catching and flinging mud or dirt with the blade of the guwa. Very specific, and interesting in its use of rotational mechanics.

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

Tonfa dai ichi and ni include foot movements for getting the feet out of mud. They look like jumps in the kata. They also include techniques for flinging mud with the tonfa. They are hidden in the turns.

 Matayoshi Kobudo 又吉眞古武道 | Kama Kata | Gakiya Yoshiaki

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mffxQhFM4o

A couple of kata include techniques for moving on uneven or loose surfaces. These include Sakugawa no kon, Kue no ti, Ufutun bo, Tsuken Akachu no eku di, Tinbe. Mostly they involve cross stepping and weight distribution.

Various kata include techniques for tossing random stuff like pieces of clothing and so on. These include Chikin no kon and Choun no kon. In the kata they look like kamae or sunakake.

Some of the kuden for the kata include uses of the weapon to toss things. These would include scooping sand, water, or dirt with the tinbe, hooking things with the kama, hooking things with the nunti, etc.

In regards to the karate, the Kingai Ryu includes the use of the feet and hands to throw things. In the kata I know, the feet can be used two ways: 1 to flip sand, water, mud or loose dirt up with the whole foot (part of the crane stepping), or the toes can be used to grab small rocks or sticks and throw them. It is amazing the amount of accuracy you can get doing this. I have seen other kata that use the hands- I think there is an example in one or two of the forms Matayoshi sensei did on the dojo vid they put out- but have never done them.

Hope that helps.   cheers,   Fred Lohse



Hi Fred,

Boy what a treasure of information in your last post.

You really make me think back on that Bando Summer camp and the ties to working out outdoors.

Kobudo didn't develop in a dojo, and the manner of shifting on various surfaces, as well as being able to use environmental answers as necessary is a logical part of the art.

But being taught most of my studies inside, those facets were left behind.

The original way Shimabuku Sensei taught the Americans and his other students was outside in a field, before he had enough cash flow to build a dojo, or rather a wall around a very, very hot piece of concrete flooring.

I remember the late Sherman Harrill describing a movement from Shimabuku  Sensei's "Kusanku Sai", where the right sai is thrown into the ground adn a third sai is pulled out of the obi to continue the form. I've seen Isshinryu karate-ka place a large foam block on the floor in tournaments and use it for the target for that flow.

Tatsuo Shimabuku throwing the sai into the ground.
Mark Radunz showing the throw as is normally done today.

 

Performer using 3 sai throwing his sai in Kusanku Sai in New Hampshire back in 1996.

What Harrill Sensei shared was the sai throw was originally into the trunk of the opponent, but in the crowded dojo conditions if you did that you'd likely kill your training partner, so the floor or the field became the target of choice.

Makes me wonder how much has been changed or lost due to our indoor training?


Incidentally the Bando Short Stick form I teach can be done with anything in your hands (such as Rocks,Knives, Rope literally anything including your bare hands.

Thanks again for your sharing,

Victor