Weapons Training The primary traditional weapons used in Shorinjiryu Watanabe-Ha Karate-Do for self-defense are the Bo and Sai. Traditional weapons originated with the use of farm tools and other items commonly available to the working class in Okinawa for self-defense purposes against the sword and spear.
Weapons such as the Bo (6 foot staff), Sai (3 pronged fork or harpoon), and Jo (4 foot staff) are practiced to enhance the student's reflexes, timing, and extension of the empty hand techniques.