History
From the Ryukyu Kingdom through the Pechin warrior class to the modern preservation work of Taira Shinken. Trace how these weapon arts survived centuries of political change.
Ryukyu Kobudo
The weapon arts of the Ryukyu Islands — their history, lineages, tools and kata. A research resource tracing traditions from the Ryukyu Kingdom to the present day.
Explore the site
Styles & Lineages
Ryukyu Kobujutsu, Matayoshi Kobudo, Yamane-ryū and others — each lineage carries distinct technical approaches and a unique transmission from named masters.
Traditional Weapons
Eight core weapons form the Taira curriculum: Bō, Sai, Tonfa, Nunchaku, Kama, Tekko, Tinbe-Rochin and Surujin. Each has its own history, technique and kata.
Kata
How kata names cross style boundaries — the same family such as Sakugawa no Kon or Hamahiga no Sai recurs across Taira, Matayoshi and karate-based weapon curricula.
Research
Core Japanese-language books and reference works for researching Ryukyu weapon arts — from pre-war anthologies to modern encyclopedias of Okinawan karate and kobudo.
About
About this site — its purpose, scope and how to contribute corrections or additional sources to this ongoing research project.