Okinawan Kobudō (沖縄古武道), literally "old martial way of Okinawa", is the weapon systems of Okinawan martial arts.
World Kobudo Championships 2015
Traditional shields used in kobudō
Okinawan martial arts refers to the martial arts, such as karate, tegumi and kobudō, which originated among the indigenous people of Okinawa Island. Due to its central location, Okinawa was influenced by various cultures with a long history of trade and cultural exchange, including Japan, China and Southeast Asia, that greatly influenced the development of martial arts on Okinawa.
Karate training with Shinpan Gusukuma sensei at Shuri Castle c. 1938, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan
The genealogy of Shuri-te
Ankō Itosu, often called the "Father of modern karate"
The genealogy of Tomari-te