Traditional Karate Weapons

Traditional Okinawan karate weapons do not include swords and spears. Karate weapons are more likely to be an adapted tool—a walking stick, a sickle or an oar—than they are to be a weapon made by a master swordsmith. Karate weapons predate empty hand, but they are practiced today along side empty hand.

  1. Bo

    • The bo is a 6-foot staff made of wood. The bo's strength is in its length. A skillful practitioner can keep an attacker 6 feet or more away using the fast-moving ends of a bo. The bo also has a very large blocking surface. Since it is essentially a long stick, a karate player skilled in the bo can pick up any long stick or spear and use it as a weapon.

    Sai

    • Sai are short-handled tridents.

      The sai is a short-handled trident. Sai are typically used in pairs, sometimes with a third sai tucked in the back of the belt for throwing. Sai were brought to Okinawa from India by way of China. Sai are held handle-out for punching. When in the handle-out position, the blade of the sai rests against the forearm, creating a reinforced blocking surface. When sai is used blade-out, the point can stab or strike, and the hooks can catch and trap incoming weapons.

    Tonfa

    • The tonfa was the model for a kind of police baton.

      The tonfa is a forearm-length stick with a handle attached at a right angle. Tonfa are typically used in pairs. The tonfa is unique to Okinawan karate and is not found in any other martial arts tradition. Tonfa can be held blade-in, with the blade resting along the forearm. Like the sai, the tonfa's blade is used to reinforce blocks. The tonfa can also be spun, creating a fast-moving strike or parry.

    Nunchaku

    • Nunchaku were originally used as a crowd-control weapon.

      The nunchaku, referred to casually as "chucks," is constructed of two sticks tied together with cord or chain. It was originally used as a crowd-control weapon. The nunchaku can be spun rapidly, creating powerful strikes. But it can also be used to press sensitive points on the body or to capture and hold a wrist or arm. Over 200 law-enforcement agencies in the United States, including police and sheriff's departments as well as private investigators and security guards, use nunchaku as their primary control device.

    Kama

    • The kama is a sickle, a farm tool that was adapted to be a weapon. It is a short, curved blade attached to a short handle. As such it is the only bladed weapon among the six main Okinawan weapons. Originally used to cut grain stalks, the kama can be used to block, stab and slice.

    Eiku

    • The eiku, also known as the eku, is an oar. Okinawan fishermen developed eiku technique to help defend themselves while at work. The eiku is a long weapon like the bo, and has many of the same advantages. But the eiku also can be used to scoop up sand or water to thow into an attacker's face.