Gima-Ha weapons training
Blackbelts practice using tonfas against bo
By Nicole LeMire
West Vancouver Karate Club
A few months ago, I told a friend that weapons will be incorporated within our karate training. She was surprised by this and said: "I thought karate meant "empty hands" and that it was a martial art that uses only parts of the body as weapons." And then she asked me: "Why do you have to learn weapons if you can defend yourself without using them? Are you telling me that karate is not an effective way to defend yourself?" I answered her questions only vaguely as I was not sure how to respond to them. When I came back home, I reflected on her questions a little longer, but I was not totally pleased with the answers I came up with. Then, I started searching for answers that would satisfy me.
found a few articles and books on Kobudo (arts of weapons). From my readings, the origin of Kobudo confused me a little. Some people believe that Kobudo, incorporating weapons such as bo, sai, tonfa, and kama, originated from Okinawa farming tools. These weapons were an improvisation of farm implements which were converted into protective devices. They were developed from Okinawa during the Japanese occupation of these islands to defend against the samurai sword. For example, the original use of the "bo" was utilitarian, peasants balanced heavy loads at each end of the "bo" and carried it across the shoulders; the "tonfa" were derived from millstonehandles; the "sai" have evolved from the concept of pitchfork; and the "kama" was also developed from the Okinawan' farm implements.
Others say, that Kobudo is based on weapons found in southern China. Kobudo literally means "old martial arts" and refers to the practice and training with handheld weaponry. This view claims that the peasants of Okinawa did not develop weapons from their agricultural tools, however they might have used implementbased weapons in Kobudo practice. They base their beliefs on the fact that all socalled "agricultural weapons" have their counterparts in southern China.
From my readings, I also learned that, in Japan, Karate and Kobudo are practiced as two parallel martial art systems. I also found out that Kobudo, like karate, was not practiced for the sole purpose of selfdefense but to preserve the arts as part of Okinawa's cultural heritage and as an art form; Kobudo can also be viewed as an excellent light weight training program: it contributes to the conditioning of hands, wrists and forearms. The longer weapons (such as the "bo") also help develop precision, faster reflexes and a heightened spatial awareness. Similar to the aim of karate training, the practice of weapons promotes health, selfdevelopment, and mental and spiritual awareness.
All this information was very interesting to me. It made me realized that I was too hung up on my karate training. I had forgotten that my principal reason for training under this martial art system was related to my desire to perfect myself and not merely for the purpose of selfdefense.
Therefore, it does not matter which system is being used as long as it brings me closer to bettering myself.
Besides, after the few sessions given by Shihan Sameshima, I understand that learning to manipulate weapons gives me a better understanding of karate.