We provide weapons classes for both beginning and advanced
students. Weapons training is optional at our dojo. Though every student will learn some skills with the bo (6' staff) weapons
practice is not a requirement. Anyone can learn weapons. You don't need years of karate practice. Some schools insist that
you must wait to attain a certain karate rank before you can learn weapons. This is simply nonsense. You don't need years
of karate practice.
Here are the weapons that you can learn at our dojo!
(Bo) The Rokushaku
Bo is a wooden staff. We typically use them in five or six foot lengths but seven foot long bo's are also used. The
staff is probably one of the first tools ever used since early man first picked up a branch to defend himself.
Sai
(Sai) Sai are used for striking, bocking, punching and stabbing. The sai were specifically designed
to be an efficient weapon. They were used throughout Asia as a weapon for guarding Buddhist temples. They are typically used
in pairs but in our martial art some of our techniques use a third sai, hidden in the belt to be drawn after throwing one
.
The kama was a tool used to cut weeds
and bring in the crop. It was a very simple but very sharp and potentially deadly weapon. Its structure however made it very
weak when attacked with heavy blows directly to the blade. Therefore, there has been a redesign of the weapon, which is called
natagama. It is stronger in its construction, because the blade runs through past the curve of the normal kama and all the
way down into the handle. This makes the cutting edge bigger, and above all, the previous weak point where the sickle was
attached to the stick has disappeared.
