Okinawa Part 2

Okinawa has a very diverse history of martial arts. They are most known for their weapons or Kobudo designed to protect themselves. One thing that is important to know about the time period when Okinawa weapons came about, is that the Okinawan natives were being oppressed, were under forced labour, and martial arts was illegal. So in order to continue their love and desire for martial arts they hid it in their daily lives. They converted all their daily tools into weapons. Kamas were used to cut plants and plow small areas. The bow staff was used to carry buckets of water on the shoulders of the carrier. The nunchaku were used as horse bits. These are just a few examples of how weapons were hidden in daily tools. It allowed the native people of Okinawa to carry on tradition and protect themselves from harm. For more information and explanation on weapons from Okinawa you should visit this site.