Kama
Kama Parts
The kama is a tool used to cut weeds and bring in the crop, still used in Okinawan gardens today. It is a very simple but very sharp and potentially deadly weapon. Its structure, however, made it very weak when attacked with heavy blows directly to the blade. Therefore, there has been a redesign of the weapon, which is called natagama. It is stronger in its construction because the blade runs past the curve of the normal kama and all the way down into the handle. This makes the cutting edge bigger, and above all, the previous weak point where the sickle was attached to the stick has disappeared.
The kama is the first bladed weapon we weild as practitioners. The unique characteristics of our kata and waza are in the utilization of two grips. Conventional grip is what most styles subscribe to solely. We also utilize a reverse grip where the shaft lies against the forearm and we incorporate not only the cutting action of the blade but blocking, locking, and manipulations. The kama is just as functional as our use of the tonfa only now with the added ability to cut as well. All techniques with the tonfa are very translatable to the kama usage in self defense waza.
Sensei Ron Nix of Ryukoku Seidokan performing Toma no Kama at training speed.
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Seidokan Kobudo Kata performed by the class in Sensei Toma's Hombu Dojo Awase Okinawa, Japan
Toma no Kama
Seidokan Toma no Kama Karate Torii Dojo