Kobudō

Kobudō

Kobudō literally means “the old martial way.” It is a weapons system mainly using or adapting traditional farming tools. After studying empty handed (Karate) for some time, students have the opportunity to learn this traditional weapons system. In Okinawa, Karate and Kobudō go hand in hand. From our perspective, Kobudō enhances our Karate ability and understanding. We are lucky enough to have spent extended periods in Okinawa, where we have learned Kobudō from Akamine Hiroshi Hanshi in the Honbu Dōjō. We run our own Shibu (branch) of the Ryūkyū Kobudō Shimbukan and practise every Thursday on Zoom and Friday in our Wimbledon Dōjō.

“There’s no short-cut to learning how to handle Kobudō weapons. It’s a skill that demands time and dedication. But once you get good, the ability to manipulate a weapon and use it as an extension of your body is awesome.”

2nd Dan Kobudo post graduate student and pilot

Akamine Sensei with one of our senior students