Local sportSport
Wondrous wizardry with weapons
Four years of intense training has paid off for the members of the Tenshinkan Ryu Kyu Kobujitsu Club (Japanese Weapons Club), based at the Health World Lifestyle Centre, on O’Reilly Merry Street.
Weapon-wielding karatekas graded for shodan (first Dan black belt), while Roy Pickett graded for his sandan (third Dan black belt).
“It has been hard work and many hours of training, including four fingers cut to the bone by a sword and other bone and joint knocks while training with the weapons,” said chief instructor hanshi Hans Haupt.
To qualify for their black belt the student had to learn, and master, the required first range of seven weapons.
For each weapon they were required to know the kata, the five-man fighting form and kumite basics (defence and counter attacks).
The range of weapons graded to obtain black belt status is:
- Kon (long stick),
- Nunchaku (short sticks),
- Tonfa (similar to police batton),
- Kamma (sickle),
- Tekko (knuckle-dusters),
- Sai (pronged fork),
- Katana (Japanese sword).
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