Monthly Archives: August 2023

Okinawan “Colonist Samurai”

Posted on August 31, 2023 by Andreas Quast

Okinawan peace theory is a difficult topic, most of all for Okinawans themselves. Often, the era of the 15 Years War and Okinawan participation in “the system” is categorically marginalized, denied, and not addressed. The reasons for this are varied, … Continue reading →

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An incomplete chronology of the nunchaku

Posted on August 31, 2023 by Andreas Quast

The oldest source on the nunchaku so far seems to be by William Henry Furness III (1866–1920), American physician, ethnographer and author, who visited Okinawa from March 13 to 26, 1896, saying, Non-shaku [nunchaku] is played with a stick about … Continue reading →

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Getting a grip: Positioning of the Tinbē

Posted on August 31, 2023 by Andreas Quast

Before I talked about the disadvantages of the single grip of the Taira tinbe. To give you an impression, I assumed a two-sided lever with the formula F1 · l1 = F2 · l2. As a comparison, the punching forces … Continue reading →

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When was Kanegawa no Tinbē created?

Posted on August 30, 2023 by Andreas Quast

Yesterday, David Hansen of Isshin-ryū posted a good question on Facebook. It is as follows. This photo shows Shinken Sensei to be holding more of a machete than short spear.  What year did this lineage change to short spear and … Continue reading →

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Kobudo kata list – then and now

Posted on August 30, 2023 by Andreas Quast

There has always been some confusion as to why the Taira-Inoue lineage of Kobudo practices more kata than the Taira-Akamine lineage, this even more since a comprehensive kata list written by Akamine Eisuke is found hanging at the Shimbukan that … Continue reading →

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Sagurite. For real.

Posted on August 27, 2023 by Andreas Quast

There was a recent post on the Facebook group “Karate Nerds,” a really good and diverse group with an open approach to communication. The post referred to a photo with a short text description taken from a translation of the … Continue reading →

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Sound Effects in Karate Kobudo – Theatralical or Functional?

Posted on August 27, 2023 by Andreas Quast

Sound effects in karate and kobudo are an underestimated part of the art of performance. The best known example of it is slapping the uniform (dogi) with the pull back hand (hiki-te) while executing a technique with the other hand. … Continue reading →

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Arakaki Ankichi’s Hanging Scroll of a Thunder God

Posted on August 24, 2023 by Andreas Quast

In 1928, at the request of Dr. Iha Magobei, who owned a hospital in Chatan’s Yara Village, Ankichi painted a hanging scroll depicting a god of thunder and composed a poem for it while at a party near Murochi. This … Continue reading →

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Welche Kampfsportarten eignen sich am besten zum Abnehmen?

Posted on August 21, 2023 by Andreas Quast

Kampfsportarten werden schon lange für ihren ganzheitlichen Ansatz in Bezug auf körperliche Fitness und seelisches Wohlbefinden geschätzt. Sie helfen dabei, den Geist zu fokussieren, die Sinne zu schärfen und eine Art Einheit mit der Umgebung in dein Leben zu bringen. … Continue reading →

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Chatan Yara no Kon w/paddle

Posted on August 21, 2023 by Andreas Quast

As I wrote in 2015, Chatan Yara no Kon can be performed with an Uēku (paddle) without any adaption to the gripping and hand changing methods. I wonder whether there was a unilateral or a mutual influence with Tsuken Sunakake … Continue reading →

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