Sensei Nakamoto with Alain. New Year 2014
Sensei Masahiro Nakamoto and his son Sensei Mamoru Nakamoto, training at Bunbukan Brussels. 25 March 2013.
Ryukyu Kobudo
In the 17th century, under the occupation of the Satsuma Samurai clan and the reign of several kings, the use of sharp weapons (katanas, tantos, sabres) was banned in Okinawa. Faced with these restrictions, the Okinawan people developed fighting techniques based on agricultural and everyday tools. Over time, these practices became rarer and were no longer taught.
At the end of the 19th century, Sensei Taira Shinken set about bringing together this scattered knowledge by creating a single school. To do this, Sensei Taira Shinken followed the teachings of the kobudo masters of the time, including Kenwa Mabuni, founder of Shito Ryu karate. His pupil, Sensei Nakamoto Masahiro, went on to found the Okinawa Association for the Preservation of Traditional Kobudo. Master Nakamoto Masahiro, 10th Dan, is currently its president.
In 2013, Master Nakamoto was recognised as a Living Cultural Treasure for his expertise in the traditional martial arts of Okinawa. Alain Berckmans met him on his first trip to Okinawa in 2001 and has been following his teaching ever since.
In the school, various weapons are used to complement the bare-hand training. The weapons practised are : Bo, Sai, Nunchaku, Tomfa, Tekko, Kama, Timbe, Eku and Surushin.