We want you to teach us Kobudo!

I never had much experience with individuals approaching me having to learn a specific kata. On the other hand there was this one time…..

Fade back quite a few years there were no videos tapes, no CDs, no YouTube or any internet.

Many karate schools did not teach kobudo.

But what was available were some books and the karate magazines, and they built interest.

Being Isshinryu kobudo was part of my studies. Bo, Sai and Tonfa. And as I began to get around I had many who chose to share what they were doing in part, with me.

At the open tournaments you saw many things. People were creating weapons versions of kata, and the judges accepted those as Kobudo forms.

Forms like Empi kata versions of Sai and Tonfa, in fact almost any weapon possible was done with Empi kata. And there were many others, as well as forms created for the weapon. In time a lot of this went away once media of what there was became more modern.

But at the time I was competing, and just teaching youth at the Scranton Boys Club (about 1981), one evening three guy’s I did not know came into the club looking for me. I never was charging anyone for instruction.

Apparently they were black belts from some system, and knew of me from tournaments. I had no idea who they were.

Before class they came up to me and questioned me: “Smith, We know you do kobudo? We want you to teach us some kobudo kata!”

Just like that no introduction or anything.

I started with “Guy’s I don’t know you, nor am in teaching karate to adults here.”

“We don’t care, we just want you to teach us."

So I responded, “Well while I am not teaching adults I can make an exception for you. However I only teach anyone in the exact order I was taught. So you would first start with empty hand kata, and once you got through them in 4 or 5 years, it you are ready I might be able to share some kobudo. But I only teach in one order for everyone.”

They just turned and left. Guess they didn’t really want to learn kobudo.

At different times and different places I did share some things with friends. 

 

 But those are different stories.