Kuwa Kata

No description available.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Shihan
• Nishiuchi
• tutorial
• kuwa
• kua
• hoe
• kobudo
• kobudou
• okinawan
• weapons
• bunkai
• martial
• arts
• gardening
• farming

[privetprivetprivet]

I have a question; why are most of the strikes in the kata done with the blunt side of the hoe? I'm talking about the opposite side of the metal part, not the other end of the wooden handle. wouldn't it be much more effective to use the blade, when the only difference is the twist of the hoe?

[hempev]

Ya got me - I'll try to remember to ask Shihan one of these days.

[rdemeyere]

Just a thought.

In this kata, the student is fighting multiple opponents. If the blade became stuck in one of the opponents (possible given the nature of the blade (probably dull) and the muscle and bone of the human body), you have just effectively disarmed yourself.

In addition, with all the instruction about slinging dirt, as an Okinawan, you might just be fighting your hot headed brother-in-law in the fields. Killing him would not be too good for family or community relations.

[hempev]

One would hope a budoka would have more self-control than to use the bladed side of *anything* against a family member, just as samurai would use the munouchi (back side of the blade) on someone he *didn't* want to kill!

All our kobudo kata are meant for multiple attackers, but farmers are used to pulling their hoes out of the stickiest, hardest earth, so human flesh would feel pretty soft to them!

Contrast this to iaido, where many of the kata meant for individual attackers.

[edanarpe]

I believe that the "self disarm" (not wanted) is one of the main facts to explain why the attacks are made with the back side of the blade. There is a kata of Sai that is made with 4 Sais, one in each hand and 2 on the belt because in the midle um make an attack where have to leave the Sai you are helding in the ground as if it was stuck in the opponent. (This movement happens twice, that's why you need the 2 Sais in the belt)

[hempev]

We have ni cho zai and san cho zai, but no yon cho zai - sounds like something created recently by a gaijin!

[muaythai2005]

@edanarpe

I don't believe a "self disarm" is accurate. Just because this isn't sharp doesn't indicate it isn't dangerous. Imagine going full speed with the back side of that into say... a coconut. I would imagine the head weighs 1-3 lbs... at the end of a 3-4 ft lever. This would be more than enough to crack said coconut when driven with intent. If it can crack a coconut it can destroy bone, including skull. This is a kata, based around the use of a weapon, do not mistake its purpose.

[demonfox910]

i may have an answer to that. i dont study a martial artbut as i understand it a kata is used to fight multiple opponents. and overhead strikes to the head might quickly dull the blade or leave it stuck in the skull of an opponent, leaving the martial artist at the mercy of his remaining adversaries

[edanarpe]

I don't know.. I've seen a 4th Dan (or 5th, not sure) doing it, with 4 Sais.. I don't know were it came from...

[jeremybur]

remember these are farm tools first. if they break the blade it would take precious time to replace. they need the tools to make their living. they weren't warriors they were farmers!