I just got some hard wood corded nunchucks, pair of tonfas (needs modification to the tsukagashira), Rattan Escrima (or Jo to the Japanese), and 6 ft Rattan Bo (Shorter then me)
I'm familiar with using Bo and Nunchucks from sessions of self-training over the years, but what's a good starting point for practicing Kobudo?
@Luneys74012 First step: always call them "nunchaku" - anything else is disrespectful. Next is to find a sensei - when you practice by yourself, you can't see all the mistakes you are making.
@hempev I meant he is good at fighting AND good at explaining, while lots of teachers just fight with their students and expect them to learn naturally from that because they already know how
@jinasura1 About an inch in diameter, although it is tapered a bit towards the end. The length varies, but should be just a little longer than your fist.
Do you have any suggestion to tutorials as you have shown on the subject of tameshigiri. Also you show 5 iaido kata, but you say that you have many more, where can these be found.
The people who disliked this must have expected XMA or movie fantasy...
I loved these weapons when I was younger and just got a pair, I'm not in karate anymore but I remember most of what I was taught. Watching this helps keep those memories fresh.
@djrollin212 Yes! If you saw the first video, the amount is "100-80-60-20-20" as the strength of each finger (pinkie to thumb), which is also the same percentages for other kobudo weapons as well as iaido (swords).
I have the same problem. My instructor's dojo is right over a workworking shop, so I'm going to see if they can modify mine to work. I'm a tall guy, but I guess my hands aren't very wide, so it makes finding the right length and handgrip width a real pain! I sold my first pair to a guy at class because they were so big for my hands it wasn't funny... It REALLY seems like you have to have these fit because they don't spin right if they don't fit your hands...
I'm really glad this one has been added. I'm currently trying to remember this kata for class and being able to get a little "after school" help on this is making remembering this kata much easier!
@AllOfUsLoveSpam They have to be a little stouter where the handle fits in to deal with the greatest stress point - ones that are the same width for the entire length are cheaper but also less long-lasting.
@AllOfUsLoveSpam They come either way - the most important thing is they be absolutely smooth, and even enough to roll smoothly on the floor. The tradition of the taper comes not from use as a weapon, but use as a farm tool (commonly carrying full buckets at each end).
@hempev well, the taper does improve the effectiveness of thrusting techniques, on account of the smaller surface area through which the impact is focused.
@shaolinkungfu666 Certainly not as important as the overall quality of manufacture - I have had several cheap tapered ones from China that are so crappy they creaked when you did push-ups on the monouchi, but my latest is a Shureido model, made in Okinawa and the best you can find, and there is barely any taper except from the attachment of the handle (which is squared stock) for a few inches towards either end. Shihan shows several version in the first tonfa/tonkua/tuifa clip.
@goldengun5980 What are you pronouncing? If you are referring to the back of the dojo, it is urajomen (the front is shomen). I don't know enough Japanese to know what else you could be talking about.
Very skillful and good to watch. Logically though I'd be quite a barrier to overcome to actually use them against someone after training so hard to never hit someone like this.
@DeathlyCrunch Everyone who really knows and understands what a martial art is knows that it has mostly to do with your innerself, self-assurance, strenght and not with "praying to have an opportunity to show your skills".
Well-trained uses it as last resource- and poor the soul who pushed us to the limit.
Be my guest, but try to have someone who knows what to look for to observe your moves once in a while to know if you are learning it right (which comes even before *doing* it right!)
@demonfox910 Asian people are generally well conserved. I've worked with some before. There was one who looked like in his 40's , but he was actually 63 yrs old.
Hey, could you make a Tonfa Video with some tricks like Kroenen does with his Tonfa swords? ( Kroenen Hellboy movie you can search in youtube ) for the Tonfa-Actors to make show? Or if anyone want make a Movie and make it look more spectaculary?
damn, I have some martial arts experience but non with a tonfa and I am unable to take lessons for personal reasons. How do i practice independently without corrupting my form?
personally i use a PR-24 which is the composite larger police issue tonfa and it is one of the only weapons with mord defenses than attacks. thus making it a wonderful defensive option.
Im aspiring to be a police officer......from what ive seen lately officers either go hands on or taser.....too bad i think a baton used properly could be able to gain control more often than not without injury as opposed to ground fighting or less lethal weapon use, which always cause injury
@fuggsakes anytime a suspect is being forcefully apprehended there will be a small margin of injury. Essentially the more they fight the worse the injury. However unarmed restraints are less likely to cause permanent injury, whereas intermittent tools are used with the increase of force in the use of force continum. If a subject is going to endanger other people or yourself then there is no reason why that person should be allowed to continue their actions unchecked.
I've made my Homemade tonfas with PVC, i'll try, if i like it i'll buy my regular ones :P, they look so cool and usefull...Simple, Best for defense, good for attacks...i'll shure like it
That depends on what's available - for expedience, rather than going to a dojo, you could enroll in a self-defense course and a workout regime at a gym. In some ways, any martial art is going to take a long time to learn, as with anything else termed an "art".
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Self - taught martial arts is the best for me i think, because, you can connect different type of techniques and also you can improve your self discipline by teaching yourself, the only problem here is you will have to find a real fight in order to test what you learn, unlike in a dojo where you have many sparring partners
Where does this term come from? I wouldn't know it because our dojo only uses Japanese terms. All kata and hojoundo are practiced with an imaginary partner/opponent to get the position of attack and defense right, and the "partner" is always your own height. You have to adjust this when doing bunkai, since you then have a real person in front of you.
This is kobudo - while originally from Okinawa (a.k.a. Ryukyu kingdom), very little of the original Okinawan language is left, and all terms are Japanese. My sensei, Shihan Bolz, first learned wado ryu before going to Okinawan forms.
P.S. - Many in Korea won't say what originated from Japan, since the latter invaded and occupied the former for many years (the royal court of Korea effectively erased their original martial art from history centuries ago), but Japan itself got karate from Okinawa.
I've been studying Moo Sul Kwan Tae Kwon Do for a bit over 16 years, and have been combining a few other art with it. Im sorry to say TKD is the only art I've really studied, I know very little about the history of the other forms (T_T). But Im all ears to learn more!
Shihan has a private student who is a 9th dan in TKD and a sensei in his own dojo (coming from 150 miles away about once a month for a 3hr individual training session) and he said learning kobudo from him was like opening his eyes for the first time, so I can appreciate those willing to learn (or relearn).
Unfortunately, all I can offer is what Shihan Nishiuchi and Shihan Bolz have recorded, and what little I have learned from them myself.
to defeat tonfas is very hard, because when u stay from a distance they block and when you get close then can put the tonfa around your neck and pull you to the ground, its almost like you need to be better skilled then them with tonfas too or with sai.
Yeah, anything with a bit more range is your best bet in a fight against a pro tonfa user. A Shaolin Staff would work, meteor hammer, things of that sort.
i just got some practicing tonfas. They dont look so very hard to handle which can be good, but maybe problematic if it ecomes to obvious what you are trying to do
It's best to learn as many weapons as possible, but historically, we are talking about farmers and fishermen using whatever they had at hand - kuwa are used when preparing the fields, kama are during harvest, ieku when fishing, tonfa when cranking the mill or hanging the cooking pot, bo when carrying out the "night-soil"...
Allow me to rephrase: I think that Tonfas (or Tunfa, happy?) are better for self defense today because they're "more legal" than kamas, and the speed of their usage makes them more formidable. But then again, it's really just based on experience, who you fight, and what you have on hand. I realize I asked a general question there :D
Actually, kama are entirely legal, since they are used in gardens all over the world - you wouldn't get in trouble with them buried amoungst your tools! By the way, "tonfa" is how it is spelled in romaji, but Okinawan accents sometimes pronounce o's as u's, like when they pronounce ossu as ussu.
I had to double check - this is the same kata done by Oshiro and posted by YouTube member the50s60s70s - I don't usually watch other kobudo clips, but I see only style differences, not order or form. Also, the romaji is "tonfa" or "tuifa", but the pronunciation varies based on regional accents - Shureido uses tonfa as the weapon's name, and since they are the premier makers of these in Okinawa, they should be considered more of an authority than you or I (they made mine).
I've been training MMA for a little while, now one of my friends gave me some tonfa's and I would just like to say, for the basics, this video is excellent.
I just wanted to thank you for putting these up. I was a 1st kyu in Karate in High School, but ran out of money to continue training in a dojo. However, now that I've graduated university, I have a bit more money--enough to buy some weapons and train in that. Your videos have convinced me that tonfa are the way to go. I know, I know, videos aren't the best way to learn how to use tonfa, but I think my old karate training will help a little (I've been keeping it up.)
Good martial arts training in one art will help when you take up another - Shihan has been doing one-to-one training with a 10th dan tae kwon do sensei who was eager to learn kobudo, and has advanced much faster than any common student. It helps that he was willing to start as a white belt and has an open, "beginner's" mind despite a lifetime of experience! At least *he* was not satisfied with sho dan like a lot of other Westerners are - sho not only means first, it also means beginning.
Thank you so much for your vids clear precise and well executed. I have only learnt Hamahiga no Tonfa, which is advanced but it it so good to have more on the Tonfa. Would yhere be more tonfa katas to come soon
But it's good that you know the limitations of them - they are really visual hints to allow practice outside the dojo and the guidance of a sensei, which is how one *really* learns.
i learned tonfa-ichi from Yamashita sensei at a seminar about a year ago. we rarely go into tonfa detail in class so thanks for showing this video. it's very thorough.
i just got tonfa myself this helps alot bc i had no idea how they were used properly. i dont expect to master the forms by watching the vids bc there is no substitute for an actual teacher but they do help. thx
I just got some hard wood corded nunchucks, pair of tonfas (needs modification to the tsukagashira), Rattan Escrima (or Jo to the Japanese), and 6 ft Rattan Bo (Shorter then me)
I'm familiar with using Bo and Nunchucks from sessions of self-training over the years, but what's a good starting point for practicing Kobudo?
Luneys74012 2 weeks ago in playlist More videos from hempev
@Luneys74012 First step: always call them "nunchaku" - anything else is disrespectful. Next is to find a sensei - when you practice by yourself, you can't see all the mistakes you are making.
hempev 2 weeks ago
@hempev My apologies for the misspelling.
Luneys74012 2 weeks ago
It would be interesting to see this done fast.
mrjjking77 1 month ago
this guy is very good at explaining lots of teacher good at fighting but bad at explaining to other people
smile221 1 month ago
@smile221 I think Shihan is probably also good at fighting, but he never has to - maybe it's his ki...?
hempev 1 month ago
@hempev I meant he is good at fighting AND good at explaining, while lots of teachers just fight with their students and expect them to learn naturally from that because they already know how
smile221 1 month ago
@smile221 I wouldn't know how he is at fighting, I just wouldn't "go there"!
hempev 1 month ago
good.
TheKindplayer 1 month ago
thumbs up if u only watched this coz you played suikoden 2 :)
fullaznpride 3 months ago
Riou~!!
miranAElunes 3 months ago
@hempev
Please upload hama higa no tuifa if possible. Thanks. Nice vid from an obvious master.
TheTotallycoolio 4 months ago
@TheTotallycoolio Sorry, we don't have that kata. The only other one is Seibu no Tonfa, and I don't have a video of it.
hempev 4 months ago
I'm in tang so do and no one in my dojang knows how to use the tonfa this is real helpful more please
94Brooksyboy 4 months ago
This guy is really good!
24hrelectrician 4 months ago
talim till the end bro
RockeroNato 5 months ago
Talim of soul calibur~
ConnorTheCuteRilou 6 months ago
more of this please!!!!
sprawlmessiah 7 months ago
to master such weapon,one must know the good grip in the weapon,timing and good coordination is required
jinasura1 11 months ago 2
@jinasura1 That is true of every weapon used in kobudo.
hempev 11 months ago 2
how large was the tonfa handle,i'm really curious about this fascinating weapon
jinasura1 11 months ago
@jinasura1 About an inch in diameter, although it is tapered a bit towards the end. The length varies, but should be just a little longer than your fist.
hempev 11 months ago
Do you have any suggestion to tutorials as you have shown on the subject of tameshigiri. Also you show 5 iaido kata, but you say that you have many more, where can these be found.
bglee63 1 year ago
@bglee63 I know nothing about tameshigiri, and if you want to learn more iaido kata, you would need to take a class.
hempev 1 year ago
Really nice video. Kinda feel bad that there's no real class for such things around my area (without an hour long-ish drive at least) :(
draconic33 1 year ago
dancing with tonfas XP. great explanation though, sensei.
stsalisco 1 year ago
The people who disliked this must have expected XMA or movie fantasy...
I loved these weapons when I was younger and just got a pair, I'm not in karate anymore but I remember most of what I was taught. Watching this helps keep those memories fresh.
Matacuz 1 year ago
Do i need to use a firm grip when im not swinging?
djrollin212 1 year ago
@djrollin212 Yes! If you saw the first video, the amount is "100-80-60-20-20" as the strength of each finger (pinkie to thumb), which is also the same percentages for other kobudo weapons as well as iaido (swords).
hempev 1 year ago
i use tonfa in my work , i love tonfa
rogeriopazduarte 1 year ago
I have a problem with it.... The Tonfa slips away from my hand when spin...and I must change the grip every time! What is the correct handle ?
IoriaM 1 year ago
@IoriaM Just slightly longer than the width of your grip.
hempev 1 year ago
@IoriaM
I have the same problem. My instructor's dojo is right over a workworking shop, so I'm going to see if they can modify mine to work. I'm a tall guy, but I guess my hands aren't very wide, so it makes finding the right length and handgrip width a real pain! I sold my first pair to a guy at class because they were so big for my hands it wasn't funny... It REALLY seems like you have to have these fit because they don't spin right if they don't fit your hands...
DrTranofEvil 1 year ago
Outstanding, not only Phys skills but his teaching methods skills
A real Sensei
franklin3321 1 year ago
This weapon has good defense, high attack speed and , if you hit the right part, a very high power! I love it
Bastardatore 1 year ago
I'm really glad this one has been added. I'm currently trying to remember this kata for class and being able to get a little "after school" help on this is making remembering this kata much easier!
DrTranofEvil 1 year ago
The hero in suikoden2 uses tonfas
Suikoden3j 1 year ago
Great Videos!!
Thank you for share them :)
sparkeones 1 year ago
is it your clothes making the "swoosh" sound or are u really going so fast u can hear it? either way this is exelent ^_^
angelofdeath9477 1 year ago
@angelofdeath9477 Swing a tonfa correctly and you will hear a woosh, even moreso with nunchaku.
hempev 1 year ago
Why is each tonfa thinner at the end?
AllOfUsLoveSpam 1 year ago
@AllOfUsLoveSpam They have to be a little stouter where the handle fits in to deal with the greatest stress point - ones that are the same width for the entire length are cheaper but also less long-lasting.
hempev 1 year ago
@hempev
Oh. I see. Is that so for staves as well?
AllOfUsLoveSpam 1 year ago
@AllOfUsLoveSpam If you are referring to the bo, no, those are just sticks, so the don't need reinforcement for a side handle.
hempev 1 year ago
@hempev
So there would be no point in making a bo thinner at the ends?
AllOfUsLoveSpam 1 year ago
@AllOfUsLoveSpam They come either way - the most important thing is they be absolutely smooth, and even enough to roll smoothly on the floor. The tradition of the taper comes not from use as a weapon, but use as a farm tool (commonly carrying full buckets at each end).
hempev 1 year ago
@hempev well, the taper does improve the effectiveness of thrusting techniques, on account of the smaller surface area through which the impact is focused.
shaolinkungfu666 1 year ago
@shaolinkungfu666 Certainly not as important as the overall quality of manufacture - I have had several cheap tapered ones from China that are so crappy they creaked when you did push-ups on the monouchi, but my latest is a Shureido model, made in Okinawa and the best you can find, and there is barely any taper except from the attachment of the handle (which is squared stock) for a few inches towards either end. Shihan shows several version in the first tonfa/tonkua/tuifa clip.
hempev 1 year ago
its pernounced "rajomen" yes?
goldengun5980 1 year ago
@goldengun5980 What are you pronouncing? If you are referring to the back of the dojo, it is urajomen (the front is shomen). I don't know enough Japanese to know what else you could be talking about.
hempev 1 year ago
ok I understand now
goldengun5980 1 year ago
Very skillful and good to watch. Logically though I'd be quite a barrier to overcome to actually use them against someone after training so hard to never hit someone like this.
/uneducated opinion
DeathlyCrunch 1 year ago
@DeathlyCrunch As it should be...
hempev 1 year ago
@DeathlyCrunch Everyone who really knows and understands what a martial art is knows that it has mostly to do with your innerself, self-assurance, strenght and not with "praying to have an opportunity to show your skills".
Well-trained uses it as last resource- and poor the soul who pushed us to the limit.
erikborgersen 1 year ago
@erikborgersen Can't hear you over how hard you're preaching.
I like how you quoted something I didn't say, an extra special touch of retard there.
DeathlyCrunch 1 year ago
@DeathlyCrunch Haha...
erikborgersen 1 year ago
suikoden ^_^
soccerwill04 1 year ago 7
@soccerwill04 HAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAH, yeah...
Nergal131 1 year ago
*was directed from there as well
lol
DeathlyCrunch 1 year ago
@soccerwill04 Ryou from suikoden II
IoriaM 1 year ago
looks hard
rechicken2008 1 year ago
Where can I find a trustworthy website that sells reliable tonfa?
BankheadBreaker 1 year ago
@BankheadBreaker ShureidoUSA (dot) com for the best, not just reliable
hempev 1 year ago
Thank you very much.
LearnHowToMerge 1 year ago
Tonfa's are mad
hoylej2 1 year ago
Do you think that tonfa are ideal for Escrima?
xXVampgothXx 2 years ago
I don't know any other martial art, but I think tan bo (half staff) are more typical for escrima - I have a clip of that tutorial, too.
hempev 2 years ago
are all tonfa techniques designed for one in each hand.? i only have one.
JNT20 2 years ago
We've always practiced with 2, whether hojoundo, kata or bunkai, so if you were doing our style, I guess you should get another one!
hempev 2 years ago
hmm debating on these or kamas to learn next.
sapyian 2 years ago
I guess it would depend on whether you like your weapons sharp or blunt...
hempev 2 years ago
I wish he was my sensei :D
Cute00Vampi 2 years ago 2
he is very fast
kamiazee 2 years ago
I learn this kata slightly differently, what martial art is this?
djcomedy3 2 years ago
Okinawan kobudo
hempev 2 years ago
Happy to see a kata properly demonstrated. Can I use this video to learn your Kata
cstelth 2 years ago
Be my guest, but try to have someone who knows what to look for to observe your moves once in a while to know if you are learning it right (which comes even before *doing* it right!)
hempev 2 years ago
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Looks hard to get the form right.
copperblade 2 years ago
Looks hard to get the form right.
copperblade 2 years ago
Not really, just keep your mind open and practice regularly. The Sai on the other hand is a tricky weapon to master.
subhankhan123 2 years ago
Excellent Demo
bambamslh 2 years ago
grande MAESTRO
OSS.
MasOyama10dan 2 years ago 2
how old is shihan now? he looks bout 50 but im sure he could tear just bout anyone i know apart
demonfox910 2 years ago 11
That's about right - I think he's 68 now, and these videos are from the early '90's.
hempev 2 years ago
@demonfox910 Asian people are generally well conserved. I've worked with some before. There was one who looked like in his 40's , but he was actually 63 yrs old.
xxdragoonz 1 year ago
Ossssssu.
Thankyou for the outstanding video.
Respect to Nishiuchi Shihan!
weztin 2 years ago
wow....this dude really puts together good vids
Drinalin 2 years ago
Is this video still available? I can't find it on the internet and would love a DVD.
AndyMorrisFriedman 2 years ago
Century Martial Arts
hempev 2 years ago
Hey, could you make a Tonfa Video with some tricks like Kroenen does with his Tonfa swords? ( Kroenen Hellboy movie you can search in youtube ) for the Tonfa-Actors to make show? Or if anyone want make a Movie and make it look more spectaculary?
Greetings
444Wyrd14198 2 years ago
No, no tricks, no juggling, nothing done for show, that's the basis of true budou.
hempev 2 years ago
damn, I have some martial arts experience but non with a tonfa and I am unable to take lessons for personal reasons. How do i practice independently without corrupting my form?
yToshimitsu 2 years ago
Can't help you with that - I wouldn't try *any* weapon without a sensei helping me out!
hempev 2 years ago
great body and weapons control... I would probably hit myself with these swings at the beginning :D
cruisemissle87 2 years ago
I have hit myself many times...only occasionally now
hempev 2 years ago
kool
Adam572b50 2 years ago
this is the the most good kata i have even seen iam a martial arts too and went to learn weapons too and i shaolin goju
adamsk2009 2 years ago
Well, don't skimp on the 3 R's...
hempev 2 years ago
personally i use a PR-24 which is the composite larger police issue tonfa and it is one of the only weapons with mord defenses than attacks. thus making it a wonderful defensive option.
DueoMaxwell 2 years ago
Im aspiring to be a police officer......from what ive seen lately officers either go hands on or taser.....too bad i think a baton used properly could be able to gain control more often than not without injury as opposed to ground fighting or less lethal weapon use, which always cause injury
fuggsakes 2 years ago
@fuggsakes anytime a suspect is being forcefully apprehended there will be a small margin of injury. Essentially the more they fight the worse the injury. However unarmed restraints are less likely to cause permanent injury, whereas intermittent tools are used with the increase of force in the use of force continum. If a subject is going to endanger other people or yourself then there is no reason why that person should be allowed to continue their actions unchecked.
DueoMaxwell 1 year ago
I've made my Homemade tonfas with PVC, i'll try, if i like it i'll buy my regular ones :P, they look so cool and usefull...Simple, Best for defense, good for attacks...i'll shure like it
badacastro 2 years ago
Wow, I'm having the same idea, to make Tonfas out of PVC. :P
neoplayer25 2 years ago
good idea for practice or movie prop for safer full contact but be aware that they can still injure you or your opponent...
tsutv 2 years ago
If you plan on full contact, padding as we use on our Sport Warrior equipment is worthwhile so you can use full force (which can still be painful!)
hempev 2 years ago
fill it with concrete =P
somekid93229 2 years ago
look mister you put those door handles back on right now
inbredagogo 2 years ago
He'd need to find some mighty big doors to have handles that big, like those on a church or some Masonic hall...
hempev 2 years ago
I really want to learn martial art. Basically for two reasons: (1) to help me become fit and healthy and (2) to protect my love ones.
However, I haven't decided what particular martial art I will enroll. Could you please give me a hand? Thanks in advance... ^_^
jcaspe 2 years ago
That depends on what's available - for expedience, rather than going to a dojo, you could enroll in a self-defense course and a workout regime at a gym. In some ways, any martial art is going to take a long time to learn, as with anything else termed an "art".
hempev 2 years ago
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Self - taught martial arts is the best for me i think, because, you can connect different type of techniques and also you can improve your self discipline by teaching yourself, the only problem here is you will have to find a real fight in order to test what you learn, unlike in a dojo where you have many sparring partners
Santouryu111 2 years ago
One can only be as good as the experience level of one's sensei...
hempev 2 years ago
I think your right too...., well what's written above is just my opinion.
Santouryu111 2 years ago
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i found that hapkido was a good mix of aikido, jujitsu and judo, but ultimately it depends on what you are looking for
ianswilliams 2 years ago
It also depends on whether you want to learn the original source material or something derived from it.
hempev 2 years ago
Ah the tonfa, a simple but quite effective weapon.
KC0TCH 2 years ago
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O -- V
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aceproductions1983 3 years ago
Poomse is the korean term for Kata basically.
brasshandmartialarts 3 years ago
Excellent!
superiorsantateresa 3 years ago 2
...Its not the weapon that make the fight, its the user...
love the poomse though.
BlazeEkoWolf 3 years ago
True...but "poomse"?
hempev 3 years ago
poomse means form, or pattern. It's like a 4 wall fighting simulation.
andrew33323 3 years ago
A poomse as basicly practicing a combonation of attacks on invisable attackers, helps muscle memory (^_^)
BlazeEkoWolf 3 years ago
Where does this term come from? I wouldn't know it because our dojo only uses Japanese terms. All kata and hojoundo are practiced with an imaginary partner/opponent to get the position of attack and defense right, and the "partner" is always your own height. You have to adjust this when doing bunkai, since you then have a real person in front of you.
hempev 3 years ago
Japanese? what art do you study?
And the term is Korean, in Tae Kwan Do
Its pretty much the same thing as a Kata (^_^)
BlazeEkoWolf 3 years ago
This is kobudo - while originally from Okinawa (a.k.a. Ryukyu kingdom), very little of the original Okinawan language is left, and all terms are Japanese. My sensei, Shihan Bolz, first learned wado ryu before going to Okinawan forms.
P.S. - Many in Korea won't say what originated from Japan, since the latter invaded and occupied the former for many years (the royal court of Korea effectively erased their original martial art from history centuries ago), but Japan itself got karate from Okinawa.
hempev 3 years ago
I've been studying Moo Sul Kwan Tae Kwon Do for a bit over 16 years, and have been combining a few other art with it. Im sorry to say TKD is the only art I've really studied, I know very little about the history of the other forms (T_T). But Im all ears to learn more!
BlazeEkoWolf 3 years ago
Shihan has a private student who is a 9th dan in TKD and a sensei in his own dojo (coming from 150 miles away about once a month for a 3hr individual training session) and he said learning kobudo from him was like opening his eyes for the first time, so I can appreciate those willing to learn (or relearn).
Unfortunately, all I can offer is what Shihan Nishiuchi and Shihan Bolz have recorded, and what little I have learned from them myself.
hempev 3 years ago
to defeat tonfas is very hard, because when u stay from a distance they block and when you get close then can put the tonfa around your neck and pull you to the ground, its almost like you need to be better skilled then them with tonfas too or with sai.
ty99999returns 3 years ago
Yeah, anything with a bit more range is your best bet in a fight against a pro tonfa user. A Shaolin Staff would work, meteor hammer, things of that sort.
blackhorse1988 3 years ago
i just got some practicing tonfas. They dont look so very hard to handle which can be good, but maybe problematic if it ecomes to obvious what you are trying to do
XaerousCorpus 3 years ago
this dude rocks.
tetapene 3 years ago
I ain't going to pick a fight with him !!!!
ExiledCarebear 3 years ago
I wish he'd do the fighting applications too with the nunchaku
Findecan 3 years ago
same here now that you made me thing of it.
ty99999returns 3 years ago
Love this guy.
JeffDeBiase 3 years ago 10
where to u bye a tonfa from and how much do they cost ???
hardstyle1531996 3 years ago
Use the link for Century Fitness (but for U.S. only), otherwise a good web-search usually comes up with plenty of sellers, and even eBay has them.
hempev 3 years ago
Thank you very much, 5 stars!
PaulczynskiXxX 3 years ago
What's the name of the kata? Tonfa-Kata? Can anybody write it down, please? =)
Thanks.
PaulczynskiXxX 3 years ago
Tonfa Kata Ichi is what I have been taught to call it. It may be given a different name in other schools.
hempev 3 years ago
In all honesty I think tonfas are better than Kamas, but I guess it is all based on what you weapon you face and the style right?
KamakaziKamikaze 3 years ago
It's best to learn as many weapons as possible, but historically, we are talking about farmers and fishermen using whatever they had at hand - kuwa are used when preparing the fields, kama are during harvest, ieku when fishing, tonfa when cranking the mill or hanging the cooking pot, bo when carrying out the "night-soil"...
hempev 3 years ago
Allow me to rephrase: I think that Tonfas (or Tunfa, happy?) are better for self defense today because they're "more legal" than kamas, and the speed of their usage makes them more formidable. But then again, it's really just based on experience, who you fight, and what you have on hand. I realize I asked a general question there :D
KamakaziKamikaze 3 years ago
Actually, kama are entirely legal, since they are used in gardens all over the world - you wouldn't get in trouble with them buried amoungst your tools! By the way, "tonfa" is how it is spelled in romaji, but Okinawan accents sometimes pronounce o's as u's, like when they pronounce ossu as ussu.
hempev 3 years ago
what Tunfa kata is this?? it sure isnt Matayoshi no tunfa nidan or shodan.
TiffnayT 3 years ago
I had to double check - this is the same kata done by Oshiro and posted by YouTube member the50s60s70s - I don't usually watch other kobudo clips, but I see only style differences, not order or form. Also, the romaji is "tonfa" or "tuifa", but the pronunciation varies based on regional accents - Shureido uses tonfa as the weapon's name, and since they are the premier makers of these in Okinawa, they should be considered more of an authority than you or I (they made mine).
hempev 3 years ago
great explanations and easy to follow
Pninja885 3 years ago
The attack or counter attack is never finished in Tonfa, there is always a possibility to hit. There are so many different ways for hiting.
paulpacheo 3 years ago
This is the best and very well explained it helps greatly Thanks for the video
CragsterEagleWarrior 3 years ago 2
Hibari Kyoya is a fictional anime character in Katekyushi Hitman Reborn who also uses tonfas as well.! Hes awesome
Buster2dearka 3 years ago
Ahh, that explains it - for those who equate games, movies and TV martial arts with this, remember: this is real life.
hempev 3 years ago
I've been training MMA for a little while, now one of my friends gave me some tonfa's and I would just like to say, for the basics, this video is excellent.
1PLEAZE 3 years ago 3
I don't know who Hibari Kyoya is, but I know Shihan would never need to kill anyone - his ki is too clear.
hempev 3 years ago
I just wanted to thank you for putting these up. I was a 1st kyu in Karate in High School, but ran out of money to continue training in a dojo. However, now that I've graduated university, I have a bit more money--enough to buy some weapons and train in that. Your videos have convinced me that tonfa are the way to go. I know, I know, videos aren't the best way to learn how to use tonfa, but I think my old karate training will help a little (I've been keeping it up.)
Gabefro 3 years ago
Good martial arts training in one art will help when you take up another - Shihan has been doing one-to-one training with a 10th dan tae kwon do sensei who was eager to learn kobudo, and has advanced much faster than any common student. It helps that he was willing to start as a white belt and has an open, "beginner's" mind despite a lifetime of experience! At least *he* was not satisfied with sho dan like a lot of other Westerners are - sho not only means first, it also means beginning.
hempev 3 years ago
Yes , thank you for the videos , much appreciated
DjKungfuBoy 3 years ago
Thank you so much for your vids clear precise and well executed. I have only learnt Hamahiga no Tonfa, which is advanced but it it so good to have more on the Tonfa. Would yhere be more tonfa katas to come soon
lisalee150 3 years ago
These are all the tonfa videos I have - Shihan Nishiuchi has more advanced DVDs that I don't have.
hempev 3 years ago
I wish I could learn how to use these just from videos.
shoyhakuryu 3 years ago
But it's good that you know the limitations of them - they are really visual hints to allow practice outside the dojo and the guidance of a sensei, which is how one *really* learns.
hempev 3 years ago
heeh queue the white guy!!!
robifox 3 years ago
nice
freddiefernandez 3 years ago
kihon no tonfa shodan? nidan?
Psychomantix88 4 years ago
A kata is not kihon, since kihon comes even before hojoundo.
hempev 4 years ago
i learned tonfa-ichi from Yamashita sensei at a seminar about a year ago. we rarely go into tonfa detail in class so thanks for showing this video. it's very thorough.
OnlySinner 4 years ago
What is the name of this kata?
okinawagoju 4 years ago
We know this as tonfa-ichi kata - there is also seibu no tonfa, but I haven't learned it, so I can say what the difference is.
hempev 4 years ago
is there a clip of seibu no tonfa?
okinawagoju 4 years ago
Not in this video series, and since it is the next advanced form, I haven't even seen it in class!
hempev 4 years ago
So what is the name of the guy in the video? His control of the tonfa is incredible. His knowledge is excellent. Where do I find his videos?
daddymac247 4 years ago
i just got tonfa myself this helps alot bc i had no idea how they were used properly. i dont expect to master the forms by watching the vids bc there is no substitute for an actual teacher but they do help. thx
thesikniss1777 4 years ago 2
That's the proper attitude when using these videos!
hempev 4 years ago