Karate Weapons: The Way Of The Not-so-empty Hand
If you read our recent essay on what karate means, you know that in Japanese, “karate” literally translates to “empty hand.” It would make sense if we didn’t have a list of Karate weapons. We’ll get right into them!
Karate Weapons In History:
Karate is a martial art that does not use weapons. However, the Okinawans created fighting equipment for karate and brought it to Japan when they migrated from China in 1420 A.D. The Japanese government wanted more people engaged with physical activity, so they changed two words -Karate- which means “Chinese hand” into kara, meaning empty or nothingness and te (hand) as a weapon of defence; this led to what we know today as modern-day Japanese karate.
When the Satsuma clan came to Okinawa, they forbade commoners and farmers from carrying arms or practising martial arts as per legend. This act forced them to conceal their training with these implements to not be seen by authorities. Nowadays, most Karate weaponry is based on this craft that first developed during those times when Japan ruled over Korea’s Ryukyu Islands – a style now known simply as ‘Kobudo.’ The weapons of Okinawans Kobudo are often just modified agricultural tools.
In Okinawa, one can find Karateka who are trained in both arts. Who may do many moves more effectively with a weapon in hand, and because of this, it is only natural that they would learn to use these weapons as part of their training.
The tools that make up a traditional Karate kit may look like old-fashioned armaments at first glance. Still, they’re some of the most innovative and versatile weapons in history. Have you ever seen showy Asian weapons such as tonfa or nunchaku used?
Karate Weapons On Their List:
Let’s study more about weapons used in karate now that we know where they came from. Many of these lethal weapons have interesting backstories –
- Bo
- Hanbo
- Tamo
- Nunchaku
- Sansetsukon
- Tonfa
- Kama
- Katana
- Sai
- Ekku
- Tekko
- Nuji bo
- Tinbe rochin
- Surujin
- Kuwa
I’m done with the list. I hope this was useful for you! Now, let’s move on to some more interesting things about karate.
“Stickfighting is one of the most underestimated techniques in combat. In reality, any weapon can be a formidable weapon when utilized correctly.” “If you’re new to combat and don’t know what type of weapons are best for your needs, I recommend martial arts sticks because they have many different uses, but it’s always good practice to get guidance from someone who has experienced stickfighting before engaging with them yourself.”
