Traditional Kobujutsu

Kobujutsu is the Japanese term used to define the art of using weapons. This volume concerns itself with the tonfa baton and with the nunchaku rice flail. The guide should be of interest to students of the Oriental martial arts, including jiu jitsu, kung fu, karate and taekwondo.

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For over 300 years the use of weapons was confined to the warrior caste of Japan - all other members of society were forced to defend themselves with their bare hands and with whatever agricultural implements and tools might be available. Thus there evolved a sophisticated system of using these tools which became known as kobujutsu - the art of using weapons. This training guide is concerned with the tonfa baton and with the nunchaku rice flail. The former has recently been adopted by police forces as the side-handled baton while the latter was made famous by Bruce Lee in the film "Enter the Dragon". The book combines traditional training forms - or katas - with detailed explanations to provide an examination of how these weapons were used.