International Okinawan Shorin - Ryu
Seibukan Karate Do, UAE

What is Kubodo

Here is a traditional martial art that is not nearly as well-known around the world as its Okinawan cousin, Karate-do.

Kobudo is the ancient art of Okinawan weaponry. Literally translated, it means “ancient martial way”. It is an excellent art to complement one’s Karate training. An old Asian proverb says, “A Karateka who has no knowledge of Kobudo is like a tree that bears no fruit.” In fact, many Okinawan dojos teach both Karate and Kobudo.

Combining the teachings of two great masters of his time, (Shinken Taira Sensei and Shinpo Matayoshi Sensei) it was the late Sensei Katsuyoshi Kanei who founded the Jinbukan Kobudo system.

This style of Kobudo teaches the arts of Okinawan weapons like the bo (six-foot staff), the nunchaku (popularized by movie legends like the late Bruce Lee), the sai (used by popular movie and comic book character Elektra), and the tonfa (used in pairs in Kobudo, but more popularly seen as the single baton with a handle, carried by mostly American police forces). Many other weapons – largely adaptations of ancient Okinawan farming tools – are taught in the Jinbukan system.

Not too long ago, Kobudo was considered a dying art. However, of late, it has regained popularity as more and more martial artists are turning to researching their roots and discovering more of the treasures of Okinawa’s martial heritage.