Category Archives: Comparative Analyses

The Right Staff

Manuscript Cod.Ms.3227a of around 1390 is the first book that documented Johannes Liechtenauer’s fencing theory. Folio 78r contains the possibly oldest extant written instruction on “fencing with the staff.” [78r] Fencing with the staff Anyone aspiring to learn fencing with … Continue reading

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The creation of sai choreographies – Hints on example of Yāka no Sai

I have previously noted about Yakā no Sai, explaining the meaning of the word yāka and so forth. In the meantime, I stumbled upon the oldest reference I could find so far explaining the meaning of yāka (guardian) as a … Continue reading

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Comparative analysis – Pascha 1663

In comparative analysis of techniques, there are countless similarities between the movements of Okinawan karate kata and the techniques used in historical European martial arts.This example here is just one of a total 130 fighting techniques handed down by Johann … Continue reading

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Long live the noodle soup: A cultural-historical slurp of Okinawa Soba

Comparatively recent, on March 29, 2005, the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly declared October 25th as “Karate Day.” The date was chosen in reference to October 25, 1936, when several leading karate practitioners of the era officially decided on the notation Karate … Continue reading

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Kobudo, entertainment art, or both?

It is sometimes hard to distinguish if an old photo or a demonstration on film is actually a martial art or something else. Like this, there was a question in social media about a number of sketches from the 19th … Continue reading

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Chōun no Kon, or Shōun no Bo?

There was a discussion on social media about the spelling of a kata. In the Taira lineage, the kata is generally known as Chōun no Kon. However, in a bilangual work of 1987, there is the description of “Chōun no … Continue reading

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Example of Association Rules in Okinawa

How are Okinawan karate kobudo associations organized? What distinguishes them from associations in other countries? What are the exact rules? Over years, karate kobudo practitioners around the world have asked these and similar questions. Therefore, to give you a reliable … Continue reading

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About Ryūkyū / Okinawa Kobudō / Kobujutsu / Bugei / Bujutsu etc.pp., or in short: Have a salad!

Where does the word kobudō in relation to Okinawa or Ryūkyū originate from? Ryūkyū Kobudō is distinguished from Nihon Kobudō, but when was it defined and classified as a composite word and category of Japanese budō? First of all, kobudō … Continue reading

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“Torisashi no Kon” und die Handlungsanweisung in der Form “Text plus Bild”

Wie in meinem kürzlichen Artikel beschrieben, entstammt Torisashi Ume no Kon der okinawanischen Tradition eines gewissen Kina Masanobu. Zu dem Zeitpunkt, als ich den Artikel schrieb, lagen mir nur sehr wenige Informationen vor. Zuerst hatte ich über eine weitere Person … Continue reading

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Shitsuden and Shinden

The term shitsuden 失伝 means disruption; interruption; non-continuation; to fall into desuetude; the loss of a tradition, a practice, a custom, etc. It can mean the loss of a full tradition, such as a complete school or style (ryūha), or … Continue reading

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