Korean Farm Tools as Weapons

by Ray Bennett

Fist and Foot: no weapon

Taekwondo is roughly translated from Korean to mean "the way of the foot and fist" or more descriptively "the way of kicking and punching." The translation leave no room for interpretation that Taekwondo has anything to do with weapons. Though that may be true, weapons were most likely used by Koreans. During the Japanese occupation in the early 1900's, all metal weapons were banned. Koreans had as great swordsmen as any other culture, but with the melting down of Korean swords by the Japanese invaders, the art became lost.

Farm Tools: we have weapons now

What the Koreans did have at their disposal were farm tools. The Koreans quickly learned that these tools could cut, beat, and stab a hostile invader as easily as they could their crops. Most of the weapons we have in our dojo were never meant to be used as such. In fact, most are still used by traditional farmers in Korea to this day.

Nunchaku

Nunchaku or "nun chucks" are the most common of martial arts weapons and are used as a flail. They are simply two sticks connected together by a cord or chain. In farming methods they are used to beat rice stalks to release the grains from their husks.

Kama

Kamas are razor sharp sickle like instruments with a crescent shaped blade with a short wooden handle. Unlike western sickles, the kama is comparatively small and meant to be used with one hand. They are still used today to cut rice and grass. When used as a weapon, they are typically used defensively against a sword or staff attack. They can also be used as an offensive weapon and become a deadly sharp extension of the wielder's hand.

Bo

The Bo is a wooden staff used for all sorts of practical purposes: sheep herding, guiding boats, as a walking stick, or carrying heavy objects in baskets. This is done by placing the Bo on the back of the shoulders and hanging baskets on either end of the staff. A person can carry a much heavier weight with the load distributed evenly across his or her back. As an offensive weapon the Bo can be used to stab the eyes, groin, or solar plexus. It can also be used to sweep the feet out from under the opponent. As a defensive weapon, the Bo can block any number of attacks due to its length.

Tonfa

Tonfas were originally handles off of grinders. They are typically made of wood and can act as both a shield when laid across the forearm or a club. Tonfas today are commonly seen as weapons preferred by police forces. The "nightstick" is practically ubiquitous with non-lethal law enforcement.

Sai

The Sai is a three pronged metal instrument used for creating holes in the earth and planting seeds and seedlings. The middle prong is about 16 inches long while the outer prongs are shorter used to guard the wrists. Sais can be used to block defensively, and stab, punch, slash and throw offensively.

Learn a weapon at American Karate & Self Defense

American Karate & Self Defense has many of these weapons/farm tools at our dojo (and a few others, like the Escrima - Filipino stick fighting). We offer weapons classes every other Saturday to Black Belt Club members. The types of weapons we use changes occasionally to give the students an inside to a variety of methods.