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KOBUJUTSU
8 points
“Kobujutsu” (or Kobudo) is a term for all Okinawan
weapons training, military or civilian – although it occasionally
describes ancient (pre-Meiji) martial arts in general.
According to some accounts, a 15th-century Okinawan
king banned all weapons but ceremonial ones among civilians.
Okinawans responded by learning to fight with
weaponized versions of day-to-day tools, as well as by honing
their unarmed fighting arts (see Te, pp. 169-170). Later,
Japanese invaders banned all weapons – ceremonial or otherwise
– along with unarmed-combat training. All this did
was drive the Okinawan martial arts underground and further
encourage practitioners to disguise kata and weapon
drills as dances.
Okinawan military weapons included the bisento, bow,
broadsword, crossbow, katana, knife, naginata, shortsword,
and yari. Even the musket and pistol eventually entered the
fold. Post-ban civilian weapons were the bo (staff), eku, jo,
kama, kusarigama, nunchaku, rokushaku kama (kama-staff
combination), sai, spear, tekko (brass knuckles), tonfa, and
tuja, and such hidden weapons as the fan, pipe, and umbrella.
Traditional Kobujutsu also covered the timbe, a form of
buckler used both to block and to strike. For weapon
descriptions, see Chapter 6.
Given the number of weapons involved, it was rare for a
school to offer training in everything. Most emphasized a
few choice weapons. Thus, the style described here covers
only the weapons most commonly associated with
Kobujutsu. Traditionalists, Weapon Masters, instructors,
and so on should still learn most or all of the listed weapon
skills. The complete style would only be readily available in
Okinawa, however!
Like Karate, Kobujutsu seeks to deflect an incoming
attack and then retaliate with a single crushing blow.
Kobujutsuka (Kobujutsu stylists) commonly take the Wait
maneuver and attack the enemy when he steps into range,
or parry his attack and then counter with a blow aimed to
finish him. Many strikes are Deceptive Attacks, because
while they’re direct and linear, they’re also quick and difficult
to defend against. Stylists learn to fight against each
weapon using any other.
Today, “kobujutsu” often refers to training in the civilian
weapons developed under the weapons ban. Some masters
do still offer the complete art, but this is rare. Modern
schools tend to focus on the kama, nunchaku, sai, staff,
and/or tonfa. In many cases, these weapons are taught as
part of a Karate style.
Skills: Axe/Mace; Flail; Jitte/Sai; Savoir-Faire (Dojo);
Staff; Tonfa; and at least one of Broadsword, Knife, Kusari,
Polearm, Shield (Buckler), Shortsword, Spear, and Two-
Handed Axe/Mace.
Techniques: Disarming (Jitte/Sai); Feint (Any weapon
skill in style); Reverse Grip (Axe/Mace or Jitte/Sai).
Cinematic Skills: Power Blow.
Cinematic Techniques: Dual-Weapon Attack (Axe/Mace,
Flail, Jitte/Sai, or Tonfa); Dual-Weapon Defense (Any
weapon skill in style); Whirlwind Attack (Any weapon skill
in style).
178 STYLES
Perks: Grip Mastery (Staff); Off-Hand Weapon Training
(Any one-handed weapon skill in style); Technique
Adaptation (Feint); Technique Adaptation (Whirlwind
Attack).
Optional Traits
Advantages: Ambidexterity; Combat Reflexes; Enhanced
Parry (All).
Disadvantages: Obsession (Master all Okinawan
weapons).
Skills: Bow; Combat Art form of any weapon skill in
style; Crossbow; Guns; any weapon skill above not learned
initially.
KUNTAO
6 points
“Kuntao” is an umbrella term for the martial arts of the
ethnic Chinese in Indonesia and Malaysia. The name comes
from the Chinese term chuan do (“way of the fist”) and
describes Chinese kung fu that has been influenced by contact
with Pentjak Silat (pp. 189-191) – Kuntao’s traditional rival.
Like Pentjak Silat, Kuntao isn’t a style but a range of styles. The
version given here is a “hard” variety. For softer forms, use the
style components of Pa Kua Chuan (pp. 187-188) or T’ai Chi
Chuan (pp. 200-201).
Kuntao stresses hard strikes and speedy counterattacks.
The emphasis is on punching, but the style also includes lowline
and spinning kicks for use against foes caught off-guard
or on the ground. Stylists learn to retract their punches quickly
to counter Pentjak Silat practitioners’ attempts to grab
incoming limbs, and study the Evade technique – and employ
it often – to stay out of grappling range. They make frequent
use of the Counterattack technique and the Riposte option
(pp. 124-125) to exploit the openings that opponents leave in
their defenses when attacking. On the defensive, Kuntao fighters
often follow up parries with throws.
Like its ancestor styles and its close neighbor, Pentjak Silat,
Kuntao teaches many weapons. These include the
broadsword, butterfly swords (usually paired), chain, hook
sword, jian, lajatang, liangtjat (sharpened stick), sai, siangkam,
spear, staff, three-part staff, two-handed sword, whip, and various
polearms. See Chapter 6 for descriptions of these
weapons. Students eventually learn all weapons but commonly
start out with only a few.
Historically, because of Kuntao’s rivalry with Pentjak Silat,
each school’s teachers and students kept it secret from their
non-Chinese neighbors and other Kuntao schools alike. At its
most peaceful, this took the form of phony demonstrations
intended to obscure the true art. There were also bloody
clashes between Pentjak Silat and Kuntao schools, though –
and even between rival Kuntao schools.
Today, finding a Kuntao instructor is difficult – in part
because of the art’s tradition of secrecy and in part because
many masters believe modern students lack the focus needed
to learn the art. Nevertheless, there are a few schools abroad.
These sometimes combine Kuntao with other forms of kung
fu, Karate, or even Pentjak Silat!
Skills: Broadsword; Judo; Karate; Shortsword; and at least
one of Jitte/Sai, Knife, Kusari, Polearm, Smallsword, Spear,
Staff, Two-Handed Flail, Two-Handed Sword, and Whip.