OK This question may be pretty 'dumb', but the answers will help me with my *ahem* research *ahem* Right, as many of you know I practice/teach Okinawan Kobudo, (and if I were to be strict, I could add to that I could say its Matayoshi ). Since I started my club earlier this year, I have had several encounters with the World Jiu-Jitsu Federation, who also happen to train students in "Kobudo". It also seems that the WJJF (or whatever its called) teaches Kobudo as a solo martial art, much like we do. It (I know I'm generalising by saying "IT") teaches does very different techniques - more throws, less strikes, no kiais etc. Ok, the question......I would like to know.... Does anyone know anything more about the Kobudo taught by the Jiu-Jitsu Federations? This question stems from the fact that a young woman from Warrington said she is coming to my city in September and wants to continue her Kobudo training, which she has just started. Shes currently training with a JJ club, and I would like to do a bit of research first, so I know what to expect - as I have only seen the JJ Kobudo performed once (and I wasn't impressed - but I don't generalise) I welcome all responses (if anyone can understand my inane babble)
Well, Jiu-jitsu is japanese, and Ryukyu Kobudo is, of course, Okinawan. Are you sure you are refering to the same thing? Japanese Kobudo is not the same thing as Ryukyu Kobudo, which is what you do. What weapons where they using? Even then, she might be doing something different from the group you encountered. I'd ask her what weapons she used, and what kata she has done, and any others her group does that she knows of.
Andrew, thanks for your probing reply To be honest, I don't really know what I know I first encountered the Jiu-jitsu Kobudo at the Royal Armouries here in Leeds. Basically, the interpreters were learning and grading in "Kobudo". If memory seems me correctly, it was advertised on the daily programme as "Kobudo: Join a training training session as the interpriters practice this Ancient Japanese Martial Art" I spoke to a female interpreter before the session "off the record" and she said that they are being taught Kobudo by the World Jiu-Jitsu Federation, and that they are grading. Anyway, I watched the session. It seems that the students choose three weapons to train in, and get graded in those weapons - compared to training in a syllabus with the introduction of weapons gradually. I won't say what I thought of the techniques they were performing, except that with the staff, there were a lot of trips (for grading they had to perform three trips), hardly any strikes, hardly any blocks and no kiais. The 'Leader' (who had graded once compared to everyone else who hadn't graded at all) then pulled out his nunchaku and begin to twirl them about. This included bouncing the nunchaku off his foot - and the rest of his moves remided me of what I see at the Creative Kata Weapon catagories All the time they were actually practising the syllabus for their grading. The reason I ask the question is that this weapons training was very VERY different from what we do, and I am just generally interested if anyone who is taught 'Kobudo' by a JJ federation can give me some more information. DISCLAIMER: I understand that different schools teach very different things - no karate is the same, so why should kobudo be. I am not saying that JJ teach crap Kobudo, I'm just interested in te differences.
Sorry, I forgot one thing. They used Staff, Nunchaku, Tonfa (which they called Tonfa - a hint that it is Japanese?), Kama and Katana.
My guess would be that it is a modern creation, not a art with any lineage. The weapons are Okinawan, with the exception of the katana (although some Okinwans did use this) but the movements and kata don't sound like they where derived from Okinawan kobudo. Basically something someone made up to compliment their jiujitsu.
Basically something someone made up to compliment their jiujitsu. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This would appear to have a certain amount of truth to it. I was at a couple of JJ asociation gatherings last year and watched the weapons katas being performed. My first huh? was 'Why is a Japanese art using traditionally Non-Japanese weapons?' Ie nunchucks, Sai, Kama Sickles, Tonfa etc'. Perhaps appropriated is a better term? Particularly with regards to some of the more modern JJ systems...alot has been brought in to expand the syllabus of some styles.
Yeah, I get 'cha. I kinda feel bad for them though. They are all about history and tradition, yet they are not practising what they think they are I'm going to the Armouries sometime next week, so I shall see if they are actually still training (it was last year when I saw them). I might have to bring along a few business cards.......
Just a couple innocent questions regarding their history should sort things out. And maybe the history of the weapons they use... Like "Why is a japanese art using Tonfa, nunchaku & kama which are Okinawan weapons?"
Just came back from the Armouries, and watched as much Kkobudo as I could before I was thrown out (closing time) They only did katana today, and had an informal training session with the Sensei looking on. The association is the World Jiu-Jitsu Kobudo Federation/Association. They have a system of where you choose the weapons you want to learn. One of the practitioners came to us (my dad and I) when most people had left, and said "Oh hello, you are the O-kin-awan Kobudo people. How are you?" I was very surprised, because they remembered us from last year - and as we know these people see hundreds of thousands of people every year. He was very understanding of the different forms of kobudo, something which I thought was their weakness. I would like to do more investigation into this, but my (2nd)1st impression was that they are pretty sound. BUT I don't know much about other kobudo schools, so I don't have much to compare with. All I can say is that they did a lot of throws, locks and rolls. OK, so I don't really know whos interested in this post, but I feel I needed to give the guys some justice. Cheers All -Tob
