Martial arts supplies
There are many different forms of martial art and each form can specialize in weapons that are specific to the form. For example Muay Thai boxing will require different martial arts supplies to Okinawan kobudo. Okinawan kobudo is a Japanese term meaning “old martial way” and is a weaponry fighting system that originated from the island of Okinawa.
This form has martial art supplies that are specific to the art and came about in an interesting way. In 1447, the second Sho Dynasty, the Emperor Shoshin banned all swords and weapons in Okinawa, and as a result the Okinawans turned to karate (open hand) fighting. 200 years later the Japanese invaded Okinawa, taking advantage of their lack of weaponry. In response to this invasion, the monks, farmers and fishermen resorted to making weapons from their everyday working life tools. They developed many of the martial art weapons used today.
The Nunchaku was originally a tool for thrashing rice and the Japanese invaders saw this as just two harmless sticks held together with rope or chain, but they turned out to be an effective weapon that is synonymous with martial arts.
Both peasants and monks utilized the Bo staff. The traditional Bo staff was six feet long and used to carry buckets of water, the seemingly harmless piece of wood could be used to disarm opponents holding swords while keeping the practitioner at a safe distance. The skills used with a Bo staff can be applied to many day-to-day items such as a broom, mop stick and even an umbrella. Everyday items can become effective martial arts supplies when the practitioner is well versed in this form of combat.
When a student practices Muay Thai boxing, the student will need to wear gloves and head gear. This is required for training and competition. These martial art supplies are required because of the full-contact nature of the sport. The elbow and knee can be used to strike the opponent along with more the more common kick and punch techniques.
Because of the aggressive full-contact nature of the sport, there is heavy focus on body conditioning. The student must become incredibly focused and fit to compete in the ring. To get to that level of fitness, the student will practice on martial art supplies such as the Thai pads, focus mitts and heavy bag. The student needs to build endurance as well as skill and effectiveness both in and out of the ring.
Please explore the other pages of our site where we will tell you more about the history of martial arts weapons, the spiritual side of martial arts and recommend some essential movies that every martial art fan must see.