Weapons

NWLA Martial Arts Academy

Information about Okinawan Weapons

When Okinawa was occupied by the Japanese, all weapons were confiscated by the
conquerers. This prompted Okinawans to convert everyday objects into weapons, like
a boat oar into the eaku, a mill handle into a tonfa, or the sai and kama which were
both common farm tools....not "weapons".

Nunchaku - “horse briddle”
Commonly called “nunchucks” or “chucks”, this is without doubt the most well known of
the weapons. It is basically two sticks connected to each other by a string or chain.
Their farming use was that they were used as a horse briddle. The part that is rope, or
chain, was placed in the horse's mouth and the wooden stems were attached to the
reigns and traveled upwards along the side of the animal's face . The nunchaku can
be used as both an offensive and defensive weapon by using them to strike, trap, jab,
or choke an attacker.

Bo - staff
The Bo is a long wooden staff for herding livestock, guiding boats or used as a way of
carrying supplies in baskets. In this instance the Bo was placed across the shoulders
and the baskets would hang from either side. Although there are two styles of the Bo,
the average length of both is 6’ with a diameter of 3.5 inches. The Chinese Bo keeps
an equal diameter along its entire length where as the Okinawan style tapers at each
end. This tapering makes for a much more focused and affective strike. Regardless of
the style, its ends are used to strike an opponent’s eyes, throat, and solar plexus of
groin. It can also be used to block an attack as well as to sweep the feet. For those
who are well versed in its use, a broom, mop, paint handle and any number of
household items can make for an excellent stand in.

Tonfa - mill handle
The Tonfa was developed as a handle for a grinder of rice in Japan and soybeans in
Okinawa. The Tonfa is found to be effective when laid across the forearm as a way to
block a sword or Bo attack. Tonfas are made of a hardwood such as oak, are
approximately 17 inches long and have a 4.5 to 5 inch long handle near one end. The
Tonfa is usually about 2 inches thick and has gained immense popularity among law
enforcement agencies. The police issue PR-24 is carried by countless police officers
as a nightstick and seen on television regularly.

Kama - sickle
A deadly, razor sharp sickle that has a half-moon shaped blade and wooden handle.
The Kama is still used by farmers to cut rice and grass but seldom taught as a weapon
due to its dangerous nature. The Kama is a defensive weapon that was used against
sword and Bo attacks. It can become deadly when used as an extension of the users
hands. In hand to hand fighting, the Kama is used to block a punch or kick but as it
does so, the sickle blade can slash deeply into the arm or leg. There have been
reported cases where a wrist or other body part was actually severed during practice
and training.

Sai - furrow
The sai was developed for planting rice or vegetable seeds. It resembles a trident and
has central, rounded or octagonal shaped steel blade approximately 16 inches long.
On either side of the blade there are two prongs that are wrist guards. Sais can be
used for a number of things such as stabbing, slashing, punching, blocking, and even
throwing. It is believed that farmers who used the sai would carry three at a time. One
sai for each hand and one was kept in the belt to throw if necessary. Legend states a
strap of some sort was occasionally tied to the handle so the farmer could retrieve it.