Not all weapons training can be found in the organized associations. Many of the individuals who passed on these techniques to the founders of the present day associations had other students as well. These students may never have been part of any organized group. This so called "village art" can be found in many styles which preserve the teachings of the kobujutsu heritage.

The Kazoku Karate Dojo preserves and promotes many weapons kata and the way of using the weapons in Kihon Kumite and Kata Bunkai Kumite. There are, however, popular forms that are most common, and are easily recognizable from group to group.

There is also a definate Okinawan weaponry renaissance happening in the world. However, outside of Okinawa and Japan proper, few have been expossed to the breadth of kobujutsu, either in numbers of weapons or kata.

Shinpo Matayoshi

For the art to remain popular, and hence survive more will have to be taught and exported to the west. In this way, true kobujutsu will continue to be studied, and not atrophy for lack of full and proper exposure.

These teachings and traditions are continued today by the generations of students who have devoted themselves to the study of Ryukyu Kobujutsu. Affiliated branches of the Honbu dojo exist now in the United Kingdom and throughout the world.

Courtesy of RKAGB

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