Monthly Archives: December 2023

The Right Staff

Posted on December 31, 2023 by Andreas Quast

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 discovery of a photo of Zhou Zhihe as described in “Recent Contacts of Martial Arts Between Fuzhou And Okinawa” (1988)

Posted on December 10, 2023 by Andreas Quast

Note: The following is is from a 1988 paper that recorded the early exchange between Okinawa and Fuzhou. Recent Contacts of Martial Arts Between Fuzhou And Okinawa (1988) To promote the friendship and cultural exchanges between China and Japan, the … Continue reading →

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

Posted on December 10, 2023 by Andreas Quast

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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Is Zakimi bōjutsu the original Tsuken-bō?

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Andreas Quast

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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Is Namihira-bō the original Tsuken-bō?

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Andreas Quast

As part of my ongoing research into village staff fencing (mura-bō), I stumbled upon this this performance, which took place in Hawaii. I posted about it on Facebook in January 2104. Back then, the following information came to light. It is … Continue reading →

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Tsuken Sunakake and Tsuken Akan’chū

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Andreas Quast

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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Prince Chatan and the Iron Priest

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Andreas Quast

In the list of items housed in the Okinawa Prefectural Museum, there is item #1030, a short sword. The description adds, “Legend has it that Ufumura Ōji [=Prince Chatan] killed Priest Kurogane with this blade.” (Note 1) What kind of … Continue reading →

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Reasonable expectations

Posted on December 5, 2023 by Andreas Quast

Previously, I wrote about “The Four Outer Forms of Postures Discovered by Matsumura” as described and taught by the late Kinjō Hiroshi sensei. These Four Outer Forms are the result of Kinjō’s inductive reasoning and empirical argumentation. Obviously, in Okinawa … Continue reading →

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

Posted on December 3, 2023 by Andreas Quast

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 →

Posted in Bojutsu Kata Series, kobudo, Kyūyō, Matayoshi Kobudo, Postwar Okinawa Karate, Prewar Okinawa Karate, The Technique of Okinawa Karate and Kobudo, Translations, Tsuken | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Tsuken was neither known for Tsuken-bō nor Jigen-ryū, but for horsemanship

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

Posted on December 2, 2023 by Andreas Quast

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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