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WABUKAN Arsenal · Impact weapons · Okinawa

Tekkō

An Okinawan "fist-load" weapon born from horseshoes and stirrups: held in the fist, it adds mass to the punch and guards the hand. It is part of Okinawan kobudō.

Tekkō
Tekkō WABUKAN illustration

Also known as

鉄甲; tecchu; horseshoe tekkō; tekkō-kagi (clawed variant)

Origin and history

The tekkō evolved through several stages: the yawara, a simple stick held inside the hand; the chize kun bo, a stick with a rope loop; then a stick with a sharpened wooden extension between the fingers, and the tek chu, a rod with a finger ring that reached beyond the fist. The true tekkō began as the horseshoe tekkō: with weapons banned in Okinawa, people turned farm and stable implements into weapons, simply putting a horseshoe in the hand to punch with. Later attention turned to the smaller, easier-to-hide stirrup.

Martial arts that use it

Okinawan Kobudo

Construction

Traditionally wood or metal, often a flat bar bent into a horseshoe shape and closed with a bolt to make a "D". Some had extra bolts set into the curve, others sharp points at both ends and three spikes over the knuckles. It is usually made to the width of the hand.

Basic techniques

Training

Impact weapons are learned with grips, stances and basic strikes on a bag or pad, then blocks and paired drills at slow speed. Wooden or padded versions are used for partner work; heavy or metal pieces only for solo forms.

Safety

Wear a helmet and padded gloves for any contact drill, use padded or light wooden versions with a partner and check the weapon for cracks, loose studs or sharp edges before every session.

Legality (general information)

Sticks, staffs and other impact or flexible weapons are ordinary objects in some countries and restricted weapons in others (several European countries, for example, regulate nunchaku, batons or weighted chains). Carrying one in public without a good reason can be an offence even where owning it is legal. Transport it in a bag and use it in the training hall. This is general information, not legal advice: check local law.

Did you know?

A different weapon, the tekkō-kagi ("back-of-the-hand hooks"), has four iron claws like a bear’s on a metal ring, for slashing, defending and even trapping and disarming weapons.

More weapons

Kanabō Jutte Tessen Gada Knobkerrie / induku

Sources

Original WABUKAN text, written from these cross-checked sources (facts, not sentences).

  1. Wikipedia — Tekkō
  2. Wikipedia — Okinawan kobudō