Master Demura decided that kobudo was not being taught intelligently, with too much emphasis on learning just one weapon and only two or three kata for the black belt. He also thought the Okinawan kobudo kata were too long for the common purposes of testing and competition. He said he can judge your performance in the first five seconds, so why wait three minutes for a 200-step kata to finish?

For these reasons he created six "Kihon Kata" for kobudo. They are beginner kata, exactly like the Heians (Pinans). The six kata cover the basic moves of bo, tonfa, nunchaku, sai, kama and ekubo. Each kata is about 20 moves long. Short and sweet. Perfect for beginners; perfect for contests and testing.

Add these katas to your Shotokan curriculum, one per kyu rank parallel to the Heians. Your students will be greatly enriched.

In this DVD, world famous instructor Fumio Demura teaches the proper way to apply the nunchaku in self-defense. Instruction for proper grips, stances, swings, strikes, blocks and a basic beginner's kata are also covered in this volume. It is recommended that viewers learn the fundamentals of each technique before attempting the more exotic moves. Originally adapted from farm tools, the nunchaku consists of two pieces of wood of various lengths that are joined together by rope (originally horse hair) or a chain (originally the bit from a horse's bridle) to create a formidable weapon of self-defense. More recently, the nunchaku has also been used in tournaments. Indeed, audiences are consistently impressed with martial artists' dazzling and innovative routines using the nunchaku. Considered one of the world's leading martial artists, Fumio Demura studied kendo and judo during his youth before going on to practice karate. After becoming an All Japan Free-fighting champion, Demura sensei concentrated his martial arts practice on karate and the art of Okinawan kobudo. A foremost authority in kobudo, Demura sensei is a member of the prestigious Black Belt Hall of Fame (1969, Instructor of the Year; 1975, Man of the Year), and travels the world to teach these two arts.

Originally adapted from an Okinawan farm implement, martial artists today use the tonfa to perform kata (techniques) and as a weapon. Former national Freefighting Champion from Japan, a member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame and tonfa authority, Fumio Demura teaches proper grips, strikes, stances, defense moves, attacks and other techniques that will improve your overall skill and coordination.

The bo is a 6-foot wooden staff used by karate students in the practice of kobudo, the weapons are that has evolved along with karate over the centuries. It has become on one the most widely-used of the ancient kobudo weapons. Today, martial artists of many styles use the bo to improve all their skills: hand coordination, balance, footwork, speed and power. Fumio Demura, author of this series on kobudo weapons, studied under Japanese master Ryusho Sakagami and Okinawan master Kenshin Taira. In Demura s lifetime of devotion to the martial arts, he has won the All Japan Karate Free-fighting Championships (1961), has twice been voted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame and is recognized the world over as one of the premier martial artists of all time. This DVD covers the most important criteria you need to learn and master the use of the bo; grasping, striking, blocking, kata, maneuvering and application.

Master Demura decided that kobudo was not being taught intelligently, with too much emphasis on learning just one weapon and only two or three kata for the black belt. He also thought the Okinawan kobudo kata were too long for the common purposes of testing and competition. He said he can judge your performance in the first five seconds, so why wait three minutes for a 200-step kata to finish?

For these reasons he created six "Kihon Kata" for kobudo. They are beginner kata, exactly like the Heians (Pinans). The six kata cover the basic moves of bo, tonfa, nunchaku, sai, kama and ekubo. Each kata is about 20 moves long. Short and sweet. Perfect for beginners; perfect for contests and testing.

Add these katas to your Shotokan curriculum, one per kyu rank parallel to the Heians. Your students will be greatly enriched.

It is a pity that Demura marketed the Kihon Kata as six separate videos. Their special utility cannot be appreciated until you see the entire curriculum. The set of six kata is a milestone in kobudo teaching, but presented one-by-one the kata naturally disappoint kobudo experts. This is a set for beginners, and for people who teach beginners. In that light, these six kata are absolutely outstanding.