Re: Re: Longstaff- help me out please!!!
Originally posted by Kaoru
...Speaking of the Naginata and the Japanese art called Naginata...Naginata is a staff (glaive) art. Erm.. I forgot the other term used for the Naginata. Sorry. You might want to try that art out too.
Hi Kaoru-san,
Another name for a glaive, and probably more common, is "halberd."
I wouldn't classify naginata as a "staff" art, so much as a "polearm" art. When I think of a staff I think of weapons like the bo, jo, hanbo, quarterstave, etc. that do not have blades.
Polearms, like the naginata, yari, etc., share some traits with staffs, but because they are bladed they have other traits that are dissimilar.
Kenshin Ryu is a style of Ryukyu Kobudo (Okinawan Weapons) of which Hayashi Teruo is the Soke. He is also Saiko Shihan of Hayshi-ha Shito Ryu Karate.
Kenshin Ryu includes nunchaku, bo, sai, kama, tatami tenbe, tonfa, etc. If you ever get to see the video Budo: Art of Killing, Hayashi Sensei demonstrates several of the Kenshin Ryu forms along with several sequences on Karate-do.
Hayashi Sensei is my karate teacher's teacher, and I got to meet him once back when I was still studying karate and kobudo. The breadth and depth of his knowledge and skill was awe inspiring.
Yours in Budo,
---Brian---