No Kobudo

Why don't we read any posts in any of your blogs about kobudo? Well, that is a story in itself. Lucky it is a short one. I practiced all eight weapons kata of Isshinryu. I also took up the nunchaku, kama and to tuifa after it came to my attention about ten years ago. As to the other weapons, i.e. sai and bo, I stopped those about fifteen or so years ago.

I took up kobudo a bit in early 2001 or so because I was participating in a local Isshinryu dojo where they spent an exorbitant amount of time and effort in their practice. When I decided to stop "working out" there I once again dropped the weapons, all of them.

Long ago I finally came to the conclusion that I too was falling prey to the adage of "more the better" adding kata after kata to my practice. I found that I was losing site of what mattered so cut my practice down to "one dominant main empty hand kata" and all the basics and fundamentals, etc. That was it. I wanted to bring my focus back down to what would serve me best in a conflict, hand-to-hand types.

I listened to all the reasons why one would still practice weapons, etc. but it did't jell with me. All my kobudo kata had lack-a-daisical bunkai and were mostly for show, flash and to impress - so I dropped them.

I thought to myself, should I continue on under the umbrella of traditional and a connection to the past. I decided I could do that just fine with the empty hand practice.

I do not regret learning and knowing the bo, the sai, the tuifa, the kama and the nunchaku but I wanted more so I went with less, empty hand focus and intent.

I don't post on kobudo, etc. simply because I have no real qualifications, information or history that is not already out there in far better form then my writings. I write here more for myself to learn and grow then anything. I do appreciate those who read my stuff and feel like I am contributing in a small way, that is satisfying.

I also felt that I needed to really understand empty hand first which includes beyond the physical and technical to the cultural and beliefs of the system, the people and the place - past and present. I feel I can achieve a deeper and more meaningful understand of my system and its applications by this study, this particular path.

So, no kobudo.