In the Dojo

Training in Matayoshi Kobudo Kodokan.

You can start training in traditional Matayoshi Kobudo Kodokan International without any prior martial arts experience. Our Dojo is happy to lend new students some of the necessary weapons until they acquire their own.

The lessons in this system follow a structured approach, aimed at enhancing the student’s proficiency with each weapon taught. This progression enables students to undergo periodic grading, similar to the practice in other Japanese martial arts, and advance through a coloured belt system. The MKKI Kyu Grade belt system is detailed in the table below. Each lesson typically spans a minimum of 1 to 1.5 hours.

Kyu Kyu – 9th Kyu (White Belt Black Stripe)
24 Lessons (3 months) or longer since started training
Nana Kyu – 7th Kyu (Yellow Belt)
24 Lessons (3 months) or longer after the 8th Kyu
Roku Kyu – 6th Kyu (Yellow Belt Black Stripe)
24 Lessons (3 months) or longer after the 7th Kyu
Go Kyu – 5th Kyu (Green Belt)
48 Lessons (6 months) or longer after the 6th Kyu
Go Kyu – 5th Kyu (Green Belt)
48 Lessons (6 months) or longer after 6th Kyu
Roku Kyu – 6th Kyu (Yellow Belt Black Stripe)
24 Lessons (3 months) or longer after the 7th Kyu
San Kyu – 3rd Kyu (Brown Belt)
48 Lessons (6 months) or longer after the 4th Kyu
Ni Kyu – 2nd Kyu (Brown Belt Black Stripes)
48 Lessons (6 months) or longer after the 3rd Kyu
I Kyu – 1st Kyu (Brown Belt 2 Black Stripes)
48 Lessons (6 months) or longer after the 2nd Kyu

The order in which the weapons are learnt is as follows: Bo, Sai, Tunkua, Nunchaku, Nunti and Ueku etc. The syllabus is structured so that the student can build up their skills for each weapon. These skills come from Hojo Undo (Basic Techniques), Kata (Forms), Bunkai (Analysis of these Forms) and Kumi Waza (Pre-arranged Sparring). Within the Matayoshi Kobudo system, the students are drilled in the Bunkai for each of the weapons. Thereby learning the correct Ma-ai (Fighting distance and speed) of each of the weapons.

Some of the Kata in the Matayoshi Kobudo system are

  1. Bo
    • Bo Shushi no Kun
    • Choun no Kun
    • Tsuken no Kon
    • Sakugawa No Kun
    • Shi ish No Kun
  2. Sai
    • Sai Nicho Sai
    • Sancho Sai
    • Shinbaru No Sai
  3. Tunkua
    • Tunkau Dai Ichi
    • Tunkau Dai Ni
  4. Nunchaku
    • Nunchaku Nunchaku No Kata
  5. Nunti
    • Nunti Nunti No Kata
  6. Ueku
    • Chikin Ueku Aka Chu No Ueku Di
  7. Kuwa
    • Kuwa No Kata
  8. Tinbe
    • Tinbe No Kata
  9. Sansetsu Kon
    • Sansetsu Kon No Kata
  10. Kama
    • Kama No Kata
  11. Suruchin
    • Suruchin No Kata

These kata are covered as the student progresses to black belt and beyond.