ALL FOR ONE ONE FOR ALL

Let’s get right to the point: Your ability to use traditional kobudo weapons will benefit greatly if you apply the movements and principles taught in Japanese sword arts like kendo and kenjutsu. That message was delivered to me by Dana Abbott, Black Belt’s 2004 Weapons Instructor of the Year, and I found it intriguing, to say the least. I bet you do, as well.

What makes me say that? Most martial artists train with kobudo weapons, including traditionalists, eclectic practitioners and even those who claim to have no style. In my lineage, for example, we did all the weapons, and we got very good at manipulating them. We could perform awesome demonstrations and do well in tournaments. And if we ever had to use one of these tools in self-defense, we were confident that we could get the jump on an attacker. Yet no matter how good we got, our instructors reminded us that there’s always room for improvement. Your sensei probably reminds you, too.

Just in case you don’t think traditional weapons have any self-defense value in the 21st century, know this: My wife and I recently celebrated our 40th year of operation. For 25 of those years, one of our schools was located 100 yards from an interstate offramp in Southern California. Knife-carrying undesirables would walk back and forth in front of our business. There were occasions when we had to remove a weapon from the rack to aid in persuading troublemakers — some of whom had knives — to leave our establishment.