As this site approaches its two year birthday, I wanted to give everyone an update of where it is at, where it is going, and how everyone can help. When I started this site in 2010, it was my ramblings about karate class and I expected about five readers (that was all the bigger the class was). Within two months it had grown at a pretty rapid rate. By the end of the first year I had a co-writer (who does a fantastic job), a lot more viewers, and some pretty regular comments. Since last year, I have gained a second partner on this site (who is off doing amazing things in the military at the moment), some money coming in, and a lot more viewers.

Right now, the big strengths of this site are:

• Philosophy
• Lifestyle
• Kata (Videos)

Our big weaknesses are:

• Application
• Weapons
• Organization of the Site

Where I Would Like to Be in May

For those of you who don’t know, I will be graduating the United States Air Force Academy in May of 2013. It will be the end of a big chapter in my life and I think it will both open and close doors in my karate training. As such, I am planning everything with this site on the premise that I may not be able to continue running it after May of 2013. Ideally, I will, but I treat this like a book – and I want to finish the story while I have the time.

Some big things I would like to get finished before then are:

• Complete Section on Okinawan Kobudo (Weapons)
• One Article for Each Technique in Karate
• Videos of A Lot More Application
• Reorganization of the Site by Rank

That last one was suggested by someone on my recent survey. If it was you – please take credit for it in the comments, it was an awesome idea.

How You Can Help

One of the biggest limiting factors of doing everything on that list is the fact that I am a full time college student and on active duty in the military. Everything you see on this site is the product of my free time and the help of readers like you who got involved with this idea.

I would like to start dedicating more of my time to creating videos explaining the application of techniques in kata. I think that is something a majority of people who read my site mention they want more of. In order to do that – I won’t have much free time to write articles.

If I could get a few other karateka who read this site that would be willing to create articles about the hundreds of techniques in karate, I feel pretty confident that this site will be a comprehensive  guide to learning practical karate by May.

I Would Be Willing to Write an Article – How Do I Start?

Leave a comment or email me directly. I will create you a login for the site and explain the very simple instructions to creating an article.

Do I Get Credit for My Work

Of course! I love showing off the great community this site has become. All of your articles will have your picture and bio at the bottom (similar to the other guest writers).

Do I Get Some of That Money You Mentioned

I know at least one person was thinking about that, so let me address what I do with the money. It all stays within the site. I use the money I have been making on this site to pay for hosting, give away things when I have extra, and for the digital camera I use to take photos and shoot video. None of it goes into my own pocket, so I hope that seems fair that none of it will be going into yours either.

This site isn’t over running with random google ads and I try to keep it that way. Being sponsored and getting money lets me do a lot more, but my primary goal is to provide quality karate information to everyone for free. Can’t do that if this whole site looks like one big advertisement.

I Want to Help But Don’t Have the Time/Ability to Write

Make sure to leave suggestions then. As I said above, treat this site like a big book. If you read it – what would you wish was included in the book? Let us know and hopefully we can get it added.

One comment I want to make on the “ability” part – I am not a professional writer. No one who has ever wrote for this site is. If you are willing to write, but don’t have “ability” – try a short article anyway and I can fix any grammar problems and give you some feedback on the article. Any help goes a long way because editing articles is easy – starting from scratch is a bit harder.

A Big Thanks

It wouldn’t be right to end such a big request without a bit of thanks. First, thank you if you are still reading this. Secondly, thank you in advance for any help you can give to this project. I think Noah and Billy will agree, its a lot of fun to treat this as a small team project, but I am realizing there are a lot of people who read this site, know a good bit about applicable karate, and could help spread this message of “karate isn’t just for kids” a lot faster than just the three of us can.

Hope to see you in the comments.

While not talked about very much on this site (yet), weapons training is a large part of my curriculum when I teach and when I was taught. For many, it is an outdated tradition that isn’t practical in the modern world. This is an understandable viewpoint – when is the next time you expect to use your nunchaku to save your life? For me it provides a better understanding of the fighting style of the people of the time. The difference in movements, turning, stepping – it all provides a better picture of martial artists of the time like Sokon Matsumura.

One of the things we do in our class is free sparring with the weapons. We will go half speed and rather unscripted as we attack each other and practice the blocks in a more natural manner, compared to simply calling out the attacks and responding with a scripted defense. As you can see in the above video, this works even when people are injured.

Why Bother with Weapons

The other aspect of training with weapons is the practical aspect. I mentioned how unlikely nunchaku would be in a fist fight. What about a stick? Also known as Bo? Think of all the things that would work: a mop, a broom, a pool stick, a yard stick, anything stick shaped! This provides some useful insight into fighting with a weapon should the situation present itself. Rarely is having a large stick a disadvantage in a fight, but it isn’t always an advantage.

Monotony

The other great benefit of weapons training is that it breaks up the monotony of doing the same karate routines over and over. Typically we will train weapons when everyone is clearly getting burned out doing the same kata (like Naihanchi Shodan) over and over. Having something other than karate to train with is great of helping people stay motivated and not get worn down by doing the same stuff every class. Another alternative is playing games – we also enjoy a rather ignorant version of a kendo fight. Real kendo stick, no real kendo training.

Training with Injuries

The last thing I want to point out is the ability to still train your karate even if you are hurt. Jeremiah broke his finger and didn’t think he would be able to do class. He came down and worked two of his kata he needed to learn and was able to join in for some games and even was able to practice weapons. We just needed to make some minor tweaks, like removing one of his two tonfa  for the fight. Remember this when you get a bruise or break a toe – there are ways to keep practicing, you just need to really want to do it.

Karate Katas with Weapons

I have my students practice one of the first katas, usually either the Kihon series or the Pinan series, until they are comfortable with it. Then I teach them a simple variation holding either two Nishaku Bo (2 foot sticks), Kama (sickles), tonfa (police baton), or sai (metal forks). Doing this, they do not have to learn a new pattern, only some variant techniques with the weapons.

I teach these katas different quite regularly and do not have any set pattern or “correct way” to do them. It is meant to familiarize the student with the weapons, allow them to compete in the weapons divisions early on, and build confidence in their Kobudo ability. Similar to teaching Karate katas, I insist that all students understand the application behind their kata (with the weapons) so that they are not simply swinging a weapon around and calling it a kata.

The other added benefit of using a kata they are familiar with is that when they are in their first few tournaments and they get nervous before performing, they do not have the chance of mixing up the two kata. Additionally, if they do well on the first kata, then they have confidence in their ability to repeat it. Should they do poorly on the first one, then they have a chance to make up for it .

The next step in introducing the student to Kobudo is Hojo Undo. Rather than overwhelm someone who is already new to Karate with more kata and pattern memorization. I transition from the open hand katas with weapons to pure kobudo bunkai. We go move by move and practice with partners. One person will attack and the other will block. As time goes on, we start going faster and then start moving more fluidly back and forth.

Sensei Yamashita had a few sets of simple Kobudo katas that involved moving forward and backwards in straight line performing different moves repetitively for practice. There were three sets for bo, two for tonfai and sai, and I believe one for nunchaku and kama. I will search through my papers and see if I can find the original directions I received when I started learning years ago.

Kumite

My final strategy in teaching new students weapons is to have them practice slow unscripted kumite. I have them attack and defend at half speed. We will practice going back and forth with the same weapon. Once the student is comfortable, we switch so that we each have different weapons. It is important that this is practiced slowly and not amongst two inexperienced karateka. I think it is safest to have at least one black belt amongst the pair.

Note: The bo in this article is the rokushaku bo, or the six foot bo. There are other bo in Matayoshi Kobudo such as the nishaku, yonshaku, and hachishaku (two, four, and eight foot respectfully).

More Refined Art

Having first learned Matayoshi Kobudo, I will always have a slight bias to it simply because it was my first style. Regardless, I think there are numerous advantages to it, primarily speed. Additionally, I think that because it was the only thing taught by Shinpo Matayoshi for over 30 years, it is much more refined than other schools who teach Kobudo in addition to their Karate-Do.

In some styles, the kobudoka (not sure if that is the proper term) will put the bo under the armpit with the rationale that, if they were to lose a grip on the bo they could maintain control of it with their arm and chest.

Matayoshi Kobudo holds the bo on the outside of the back arm. This serves to protect the forearm and increase the speed of the attack. When under the arm, near the armpit, you have to first move the bo and then attack. With the bo on the outside of the arm, you simply swing. This increased speed gives Matayoshi Kobudo a huge advantage. The disadvantage of not being able to catch it between your arm and chest is negligible if you simply hold onto the bo.

Kihon no Bo Shodan

The first video is of me performing Kihon no Bo Shodan (First Basics of Bo). It is a Yamashita-Matayoshi Kata that is called by many mixtures of Japanese and English (Basic Bo One, Kihon no Bo One, or Bo Shodan for example). Regardless, most people can figure out what kata you mean by mentioning “The twirl move”. Without any knowledge of the kata, it is easy to identify which part I am talking about on first viewing. While not the most technical term, it helps to figure out which kata someone is talking about.

Shushi No Kon

The second video is by a youtube user known only to me as Hempev (Russell). His videos are top quality and tend to include a slow version of the kata, a regular speed version, bunkai, and deep explanations behind both the weapons and the Japanese. This one is of Shushi No Kon. By far one of the best resources online for anyone studying Matayoshi Kobudo. Notice how the bo is held in the kata and the speed between attacks. The power of Matayoshi Bojutsu.

His art was passed down for generations between family members until his death. When I was coming up through the ranks, we had a policy that no one would begin formal weapons training until green belt (7th Kyu). I began learning Matayoshi Kobudo and have kept up with it every chance I get. One of my favorite places to get refreshers is on youtube. A Youtuber has a large collection of both Matayoshi Kata, but the Bunkai and a detailed explanation of the weapons.

One of my favorite katas I learned as a kyu rank was Chitahman No Sai. This is most likely the wrong name, but I believe the moves in it identify it as a Matayoshi creation. My instructor said he learned it from Tadashi Yamashita in the early 90s. Since then, I have yet to find anyone else who knew it or where it came from apart from the teacher who taught it to me and the teacher I currently learn from. They shared a common instructor in the 80s named Max Thacker who may have something to do with it, but again, it is all a mystery to me.

This is another clip from my Sandan test (expect more and more of these over the next few weeks). There are some interesting differences in Kobudo and Karate-Do. In Kobudo, you step away from the oncoming attacker, rather than into them. Rarely will you try to muscle your way into an incoming strike. Either you shuffle back away from it, or you step out and away from the attacker, and then turn back to it to block.

It is important to realize that Karate-Do and Kobudo are very different things. They are almost always taught together at Karate schools, but I think it is wrong to require Kobudo as part of your Karate testing. They use different stances, stepping, attacks, and one obviously has a weapon, where the other doesn’t. I think all martial artists should consider both in their training, but no one ever questioned how well Shinpo Matayoshi did Karate-Do (he did that amazing too by the way) because his Kobudo was more than enough to impress. I feel if your Karate is good, then your Kobudo skills are irrelevant in your testing for a promotion in Karate.

Because I have talked about how amazing Shinpo Matayoshi was, I feel I should probably include a video of him doing a Kobudo Kata. Someone noted that he stumbled as he is finishing the kata, this video would have been taken towards the end of his life – picture your grandpa doing this before commenting on things like that.

Final video for tonight is an example of absolutely phenomenal martial arts. Kyoshi Neil Stolsmark put on a demo with some of his students. I have nothing to say about it other than, we should all be so lucky to look this good doing Kobudo.

I will be discussing other weapons used in Matayoshi Kobudo. My three favorites are the Bo, Sai, and Tonfa. I am learning the three piece staff and would love to one day train in the Timbei/Rochin (Spear and Turtle Shell). The farm hoe is another interesting weapon to see done in a demonstration.

Tadashi Yamashita was born in Japan in 1942, but he considers himself an Okinawan. His father died when he was three, and his mother moved to Okinawa when Tadashi was eight years old. He lived in Okinawa until, at the age of 24, he came to the U.S.A. where he became a citizen. Sensei Yamashita’s experience of more than four decades in the martial arts began at age 11. He was the roughest kid in school, and picked fights with other students, as well as the teachers.

This was brought to the attention of the Parent Teacher Association; which realized they could not handle him. The president of the PTA, who was also a karate instructor, went and picked up Tadashi after school. Always the warrior, Tadashi tried to fight him. The instructor grabbed the rebellious youngster and dragged him off to the dojo where he was taught the elements of kicking, punching, and, most important of all, discipline. Tadashi found his probation period very interesting. His destructive energy was channeled into a hidden talent. The young man had found an art form, a religion, and a way of life. Sensei was awarded his black belt at the age of 16, in 1960.

Rise to Fame

He captured the All-Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Free Sparring Grand Championship Title. In 1968, he visited Okinawa and tested before his Sensei, Shugoro Nakazato, 9th Degree Black Belt. Also on the panel was the famous Grand Master Chosin Chibana, 10th Degree Black Belt. Sensei Yamashita became the youngest 7th Degree in the history of Japan. Sensei Yamashita moved to California in 1972 where many top artists, such as Mike Stone and Ed Parker noticed his talent and skill. The Pro-Am Tournament in Los Angeles in 1973 was the first of many in which he would demonstrate that talent. He brought 7,000 spectators to their feet for a standing ovation and from that moment on the magic of his kobudo genius spread throughout the martial arts world. Sensei Yamashita is also known for teaching the late Bruce Lee the use of the nunchucku. Sensei is the foremost Karate and Kobudo expert in the United States today and the Head Instructor of Shorin Ryu in the United States.

Life as a Star

Sensei Yamashita has made many movies over the past 20 years. His first was “The Karate” in 1973. He then went on to do The Octagon, The Shinobi Ninja, American Ninja, and The Sword of Heaven and has appeared in and choreographed many others. Sensei is planning to publish a series of books on all facets of Martial Arts training, philosophy, and health studies. A unique individual, who practices a classic art form, he continues to generate excitement in students all over the world.

Sensei Tadashi Yamashita has dedicated over 40 years of his life to the practice Okinawan Karatedo and Kobudo. A highly respected man in all circles of the martial arts, Sensei Yamashita is sought after for karatedo and kobudo seminars from all over the world. He currently retains the rank of ninth degree black belt in both karatedo and kobudo. Sensei is also the President and Director of U.S. Shorin-Ryu Karate Association, and U.S.A. President of the Zen Okinawan Kobudo Association.

International Impact

Sensei Yamashita has traveled as far as South America and regularly visits Greece. Sensei also keeps a close connection with his birthplace of Japan and Okinawa. Not only is Sensei Yamashita recognized as a leading authority in the martial arts, but his accomplishments also include his study with several notable high ranking masters. These masters include the late Chosin Chibana of Shorin Ryu, and Shuguro Nakazato, founder of Shorinkan Shorin Ryu. Additionally, he trained directly under the late Shinpo Matayoshi, founder of the Zen Okinawan Kobudo Renmei.

Well known for his explosive open hand techniques, Sensei Yamashita combines many progressive fighting tactics with traditional aspects of karatedo, thus resulting in a devastating fighting system. Sensei’ Yamashita’s dynamic fighting system known as “Suikendo,” translates to, “the way of the fist that flows like water.” This non-stop flowing system of fighting, allows the karateka to simultaneously block and strike his opponent with blinding speed and accuracy.

Feats

Tadashi Yamashita has become world famous for various martial arts feats. Once he sliced a watermelon in half, blind folded, on top of his student’s stomach. He has smacked an apple out of many people’s mouths with nunchaku, normally blindfolded. He once held a live bird in his hands, broke a board in half hanging from a string, and then let the bird fly free. Needless to say, he is one of the most skilled martial artists in the world.