Kenshin-ryū is a style of

Okinawan kobudō , literally "old martial way of Okinawa", is the weapon systems of Okinawan martial arts. Etymology and definition Okinawan Kobudō is a Japanese term that can be translated as "''old martial way of Okinawa''". It is a generic term coined in th ...

that focuses on the use of the

bō A ''bō'' (棒: ぼう), ''bong'' (Korean), ''pang'' (Cantonese), ''bang'' (Mandarin), or ''kun'' (Okinawan) is a staff weapon used in Okinawa. ''Bō'' are typically around and used in Okinawan martial arts, while being adopted into Japanese ar ...

staff that is taught as a complementary style to Shito-ryū

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...

. As a supplementary style, it is known across the Japan, the US and Europe. One of its primary teachers is

Akio Minakami Akio Minakami is a ninth Dan Karate practitioner of Hayashi-Ha Shitoryu-Kai, president of the United States Hayashi-ha Shitoryu-Kai, and a former professional martial arts competitor. Born in Tokyo, Japan, he immigrated to the United States i ...

. In theory, Kenshin-ryū was the "peasants' art", and consists of several blocks, strikes, thrusts, and evasions. It is, however, an effective and powerful style that provides good basics and

kihon is a Japanese term meaning "basics" or "fundamentals." The term is used to refer to the basic techniques that are taught and practiced as the foundation of most Japanese martial arts. The practice and mastery of kihon is essential to all advanced ...

that are easily absorbed into further kobudō training with other styles.

Basic Techniques

Uncategorized

* Kiti-kai k'osh (sweep from left to right, upward snap to jaw, overhead downward strike) * 270 degree spin to the left * Upward push

Sweeps

* Back leg sweep * Hooking leg sweep - stepping forward * Hooking leg sweep - stepping backward

Thrusts

* Forward thrust * Sidestep thrust forward * Crouched side thrust * Downward back thrust

Blocks

* Push block - forward * Push block - downward * Spinning downward block

Strikes

* Spinning strike to the head * Overhead sword strike - forward * Overhead pulling strike - any direction may be used. In kata, 90 degrees right or 45 degrees left * Collarbone strike/crush, stepping forward * Collarbone strike/crush, stepping backward * Snap strike, right to left

Fundamentals

Basic posture is a high front stance, right leg forward, with the hips rotated to face forward. The bo is held in three equal portions, with the left hand at the hip and the bo pointing at the opponent's throat. Forward strikes are either executed from the shoulder or above the head (kendo style), with the bo either being stopped with the left hand at the hip or with the staff tucked into the left armpit. This is substantially different from most other bo styles as normally the body is turned to the side, presenting a narrow target to the opponent. Direction changes are typically done by dropping the center of gravity while also opening the hips while stepping. Also, in some instances a 270 degree spin is employed that also includes a retreating step, or a simple step/step technique where the feet come together briefly and the body rotates to the desired direction before resuming the desired stance. Power is developed in most techniques by utilizing the rear leg and minimal hip rotation in combination with upper body torsion. Beginning students typically either use extremity strength only or exaggerate the leg push/hip rotation. This is rectified easily by repetition training and attacking a weighted target to train for timing. There are some thrusts and strikes that generate power from the rotation of the shoulders from a leading to a trailing position - these are most pronounced in Kubo no koan, and typically only performed properly by advanced students. Most of the strikes are pushed out by the upper body and generally don't generate much obvious speed due to the short distances traveled. The exception to this is found toward the end of Kubo no koan, which utilizes a long pulling motion to execute a blow to the head - this is similar to Yammani-ryū.

Kata

There are five (5),

kata ''Kata'' is a Japanese word ( 型 or 形) meaning "form". It refers to a detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements made to be practised alone. It can also be reviewed within groups and in unison when training. It is practised ...

in the

syllabus A syllabus (; plural ''syllabuses'' or ''syllabi'') or specification is a document that communicates information about an academic course or class and defines expectations and responsibilities. It is generally an overview or summary of the curric ...

, though only the first three are generally taught outside Japan. There are minor variations in kata between schools that commonly teach it. * Shodan no koan * Nidan no koan * Kubo no koan * Sanbon no koan * (Sakugawa No Kon) 5th kata Shitō-ryū Okinawan kobudo {{karate-stub