Zen Kobudo: Mysteries of Okinawan Weaponry and Te

by Mark D. Bishop

Kobudo is the famous armed Okinawan fighting art that utilizes farming implements in combat. Developed centuries ago by peasants who had been disarmed by the government, this ingenious art is a vital component of the Okinawan fighting arts. This book studies the individual kobudo systems as they are practiced in Okinawa today and discusses their various histories. Illustrations.

Genres: Martial Arts

182 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1996

Reviews

[Raymond Goss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read Mr. Bishop's "Okinawan Karate: Teachers, Styles and Secret Techniques" a few times, but don't know why I hadn't thought about reading other books by him before. This book is good. (I recently read another author's book "A Stroll Along Ryukyu Martial Arts History", which is much more detailed, but like Mr. Bishop's better.) The first part describes the development of Zen, it's mixing with other religious beliefs (Christianity, Daoism, Zoroastrianism, etc.) - which I wasn't aware of and then goes into the introduction of weapons over time to the Ryukyu kingdom with geographic constraints and other tidbits of data. He discusses a few stories about martial artist who also perform religious functions in Okinawan society and of at least one who who is believes is receiving lessons as a psychic medium from the past (section could be a turnoff, but he is reporting what the instructor and others believe and doesn't claim it to be absolute fact). After reading this book, I pulled out a few other books on my shelf to compare history and backgrounds and decided to read one that I haven't yet that will tie a few more details together. Some readers might find that this book is not comprehensive enough as he primarily only covers systems that he knows and favors, like Udundi/Te.

[GORDON · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening text on the modernity of many kobudo traditions and the complex history of Okinawan weapon arts. Bishop spent many years in Okinawa studying with many elders in martial arts and Okinawan dance, shedding light on the skill sets retained and lost over the centuries.

[Mark Lacy · Rating 2 out of 5]

too scholarly, even if it is relatively short; doesn't really say much about the details of kobudo, just its history and how it spread