Kissaki-Kobudo: About kobudo

Juju block with Sai.

Course and grading with Mike Finn Sensei in London, Oct. 2006

Training in Gushikawa on Okinawa with the late Sensei Odo Seikichi in Feb. 2001

The Kobudo practiced in the Kissaki Kai Honbu Dojo in Marlton, New Jersey, is taught by Eva Bayerlein and comes almost exclusively from Sensei Mike Finn (Taira Shinken Kobudo/ Suzuki Kobudo), but some kata taught by the late Sensei Odo Seikichi (Matayoshi no Kobudo) have been included. The diagram below shows the origins of the two styles.

Taira Shinken Kobudo:

Tawada Peichin, Yamani Chinen, Kanagushiku Sanda
(all 1800s Okinawa)

Yabiku Moden, Higa Seichiro, Kanegawa Gimu
(1800s and early 1900s Okinawa)

Taira Shinken (1898-1970 - this is where kobudo leaves Okinawa)

Suzuku Seiko (present day Tokyo, Japan)

Mike Finn (London, UK)

Eva Bayerlein (New Jersey, USA)

Matayoshi Kobudo

Gushikawa Tairagua, Jitode Moshigua (1800s, early 1900s Okinawa)

Matayoshi Shinko, Kakuzo Michio (early 1900s Okinawa)

Odo Seikichi (1927-2002, Gushikawa, Okinawa)

Eva Bayerlein (New Jersey, USA)

Sensei Bayerlein has been studying Karate since 1981 and Kobudo under Sensei John Tosney and then Sensei Mike Finn since 1989. Sensei Finn's style of Kobudo emphasizes bunkai and pair-forms as well as single-form kata training, but no free sparring is involved.

In 2001 Eva undertook her 'pilgrimage' to Japan and Okinawa to train for four weeks with the late Sensei Odo Seikichi, by whom she was taught a considerable number of kata from the Matayoshi style.