Assorted Questions

[M. Sullivan]

Hello all, I have a few questions about suppliers of kobudo equipment.
1. Would it be better to purchase a set of kama which are real and for gardening, or just a set of plain old Shureido kama.
2. Where would be the best place to purchase an eku? Also, if you own an eku, could you possibly post a picture or email one to me, based on your recomendations for the company?
3. Where would be the best place to purchase a nunchaku and bo from?


Thanks :)

[TimJurgens]

Kama from a hardware store are inexpenisve and quite functional. I advise this over paying large sums of money for an "exotic" weapon. As for Bo and Nunchaku Shureido is a very good source.

[TheBadger]

Shureido makes a good Ieku if you plan on using it for actual contact. It is a bit heavy but it takes a beating. The downside is that it is not cheap, I think $140. Another option is the Century "Angled" Kai Bo. I know, I know, Century.. eww yuck. The Ieku is not too bad for a beginner and sells for about $50. I use it as the "student grade" around the dojo.

[Texasmic]

another source
http://www.ryu-te-supplies.com/

I have both "cheap-o" century kama, and "TH3 R34L" kama from a hardware store in Okinawa. I bounce the tip of the real kama off the bone in my thumb once and then to prove how truly stupid I am about a year later I bounced it off the bone in my little finger.

I finally said "the heck with it" and took out the vice and grinder and took the edge off my real ones.

The blades in Okinawa are only sharpened on one side which means they don't hold an edge very well, but they get razor sharp.

Bottom line don't use blades with a real edge to train with.

[ryukyu2000]

Mr./Ms. Sullivan:

I would recommend either the live Okinawa hardward store kama (but beware of the live blade) or a comparable safer pair of kama from Murasaki Kobudo and Gordon Shell. Gordon san makes extremely high quality weaponry, great feel, balance and tough. In my opinion, the Shureido kama are quite heavy/awkward.

Regarding eku, I have tried them from Shureido (warped, so discarded), Okinawan Adventures (medium quality/very affordable) and Crane Mountain (high quality). My next will be a custom eku through Murasaki and Gordon san.

Regarding bo I would recommend either Shureido or Murasaki.

Good luck.

Andy Morris
Delmar, NY

[M. Sullivan]

I'd like to thank all of you. This thread has been especially helpful, especially regarding the eku.

Regards,
Matthew Sullivan

[TimJurgens]

The Shureido Eku are heavier than what is considered standard and true to the oars originally used. That means they can take a few more whacks but may affect your training if you are wanting to stay true to the original dimentions. The normal solution is to shave the thickness on the Shureido Eku down a bit.