Category Archives: Bojutsu Kata Series

Kongō no Kata (formerly known as Shūshi no Kon)

I wrote about Kongō no Kon recently, which was created by Taira Shinken based on elements taken from Sueyoshi no Kon, Sesoko no Kon, and Soeishi no Kon. Then Mr. Y, one of the inquirers, asked about another kata called Kongō he had … Continue reading

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A Revival of Kongo no Kon

It was just one or two weeks ago that Mr. X asked if I knew something about a certain bō-kata, or made a movie about it etc. I immediately knew what was going on and had a guess which dōjō … Continue reading

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Soeishi no Kon – Fusion-Edition.

The following excerpt from by Tawada Shinjun (1973) was translated by Motobu Naoki Sensei. Soeishi no Kon […] was handed down by the Soeishi family who held the post of the martial arts instructor of the king of Ryūkyū. It … Continue reading

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Ancient Martial Arts of the Ryukyu Islands – Mekata-bo

The video at the end is a remake taken from an Okinawan Mēkata-bō. In particular, this Mēkata-bō was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Asset on June 27, 1990. Mēkata-bō is the opening dance for purification on stage or at festivals, … Continue reading

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Is Zakimi bōjutsu the original Tsuken-bō?

In a similar line of thought as in the previous article, I continue the search for hints to the spread and characteristics of Tsuken-bō. This time it is about Zakimi bōjutsu, sometimes simply called Zakimi-bō as handed down in Zakimi … Continue reading

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Tsuken Sunakake and Tsuken Akan’chū

I published a number of articles related to the tradition of Tsuken before. Here is another piece I once copied in a Okinawan dōjō. The text is as follows. Tsuken Sunakake It is said that Master Tsuken was defeated during … Continue reading

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Tsuken was neither known for Tsuken-bō nor Jigen-ryū, but for horsemanship

As mentioned before, today Tsuken Uēkata Seisoku is considered the originator of Tsuken Bō and an expert in Jigen-ryū swordmanship. Even an English Wikipedia entry says he “was good at riding horses and Jigen-ryū,” presenting the Kyūyō as the source. The Kyūyō … Continue reading

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Tsuken Akan’chū and the impossibility of a direct personal instruction by Tsuken Uēkata

In my previous article I shared the story of Tsuken Uēkata. At the end of that story, Tsuken Uēkata was interned in Kagoshima after his political intrigue was discovered. So, how, and when did he create Tsuken-bō, and how was … Continue reading

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Tsuken Uēkata Seisoku

In the previous article, I wrote about Tsuken no Kon. This kata is said to be one of the oldest bōjutsu of Okinawa, dating back to a certain Tsuken Uēkata Seisoku. According to historian Majikina Ankō (1923), Tsuken Uēkata Seisoku … Continue reading

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Kihon created from Kata – Shiromatsu no Kon

A new playlist on my channel sports “Kihon created from Kata.” There I present various ideas and suggestions of how to use techniques and combinations from kata as kihon routines. The second installment features combos from Shiromatsu no Kon, which … Continue reading

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