Category Archives: Bojutsu Kata Series

Minowa Katsuhiko on the teaching contents of Taira Shinken

Posted on June 30, 2022 by Andreas Quast

Minowa Katsuhiko was a karate and kobudo practitioner and one of Taira Shinken’s original students. Minowa began training with Taira around 1960. At that time, Taira had no dojo of his own and training was conducted out of one of … Continue reading →

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Urasoe no Kon (Oki.: Urashī nu Kun)

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Andreas Quast

Urasoe no Kon is one of the higher kata in Okinawan Taira-lineage and learned for the 7th or 8th dan or so. It is rarely seen for several reasons, one being that it takes a long time until students get … Continue reading →

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Sakugawa no Kon Dai

Posted on February 19, 2022 by Andreas Quast

In Taira lineage kobudō exist a Shō and a Dai version of Sakugawa no Kon. These versions came via Chinen Sanra (Yamane-ryū)→Yabiku Mōden→Taira Shinken. Taira’s student Inoue also maintains a Sakugawa no Kon Chū, which derived from an older version. … Continue reading →

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Shirotaru no Kon by Horikawa Hisami

Posted on February 19, 2022 by Andreas Quast

Below is a video of “Shirotaru no Kon” performed by Horikawa Hisami of Ryukyu Kobudo Seiryukan 琉球古武道清流館 at the “1st Okinawa Karate World Tournament 2018” in Naha, Okinawa. Shirotaru no Kon is a 5th Dan level kata of Ryukyu Kobudo … Continue reading →

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Shushi no Kon (old-style) 3 – Nejiru

Posted on February 13, 2022 by Andreas Quast

This is about Shushi no Kon (old-style) as I have described here in text and illustration as well as in video here. In his 1930 description, which is the earliest description of a Bō kata, Miki uses the term nejiru on … Continue reading →

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Shushi no Kon (old-style) 2 – A Video of the Kata

Posted on February 13, 2022 by Andreas Quast

This is the video of Shushi no Kon (old-style) as I have described here. I have learned this kata from various sources. First of all, I have learned it as “Koryū Shūshi no Kon” from Akamine Hiroshi Sensei of Shimbukan … Continue reading →

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Shushi no Kon (old-style) 1 – The 1930 Description by Miki Jisaburō

Posted on February 13, 2022 by Andreas Quast

This post is my 2009 translation of “Shūshi no Kon” as published in 1930 by Miki Jisaburō. Miki had learned it from Ōshiro Chōjo in 1929. I have shortened, simplified and renumbered the description to make it easier to follow … Continue reading →

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Sakugawa no Kon (Koryū)

Posted on January 15, 2022 by Andreas Quast

Sakugawa no Kon (Koryū) is an older form of the Sakugawa kata that originated in the teachings of Yamane-ryū which trace back to the 1920s teachings of Chinen Sanrā and Ōshiro Chōjo, who taught the village youth of the Kakazu … Continue reading →

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Tsuken Sunakake no Kon

Posted on April 18, 2021 by Andreas Quast

One of the famous kata with the paddle (uēku) is Tsuken Sunakake no Kon (oki.: Chikin Sunakachi nu Kun). As it is generally demonstrated using the uēku (paddle) it is also referred to as Chikin Sunakachi nu Uēku-dī (Tsuken’s skills … Continue reading →

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The Ueku was the Sword of the Fisherman

Posted on January 19, 2021 by Andreas Quast

Earlier today I wrote a piece about a current design of an ueku (oar), which you can read here. I would like to add a short note about the various designs of the ueku and what the design means for … Continue reading →

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