Okinawan archery....

[Bushman452]

I'm beginning to show a new found interest in Japanese culture and martial arts, particulary Okinawan Karate. Such styles like Goju-ryu, Shorin-ryu, Isshin-ryu, Kyokushin, Shotokan, and Kobuto are among my styles of interest but what about Okinawa's style in archery. In fact the only thing I've seen from an Okinawan bow and arrow was an antique hunting set that was autioned on ebay.com but it's not there anymore. In comparison to the samurai bow or yumi, the Okinawan bow is shorter in length (45-50" long) and can be equipped with both hunting and fishing arrows. Plus it also comes with a primitive bow quiver. I would love to show ya'll a picture but unfortunately such a picture is hard to find. 

[Ifrit617]

Hello,

I have studied Shotokan karate for pretty much my entire life and hold a black belt in it... From what I understand, Okinawa was held under strict control by the samurai during much of the time that martial arts were being developed. The warlords did not allow peasants to own weapons, which I think would include a bow, so many martial arts practitioners developed weapons such as the Bo, ( not the BOW and arrow kind but the staff kind), tonfa, sai, Kama, ect to defend themselves. Therefore I do not think that many bows would have been used other than by the warlords and their soldiers. I'm just basing this off my martial arts knowledge however so I may not be right.

[wildwills]

Hello,

I have studied Shotokan karate for pretty much my entire life and hold a black belt in it... From what I understand, Okinawa was held under strict control by the samurai during much of the time that martial arts were being developed. The warlords did not allow peasants to own weapons, which I think would include a bow, so many martial arts practitioners developed weapons such as the Bo, ( not the BOW and arrow kind but the staff kind), tonfa, sai, Kama, ect to defend themselves. Therefore I do not think that many bows would have been used other than by the warlords and their soldiers. I'm just basing this off my martial arts knowledge however so I may not be right.

Like Ifrit617, I hold a nidan in Shotokai/shodan in JKA Shotokan (but practice Judo exclusively now) and my undertsanding too is that the Japanese Shogunate kept Okinanaw under strict control.  If the time period represented by the painting was of the Shogunate era after the early 1600's then it was either a ceremonial bow or a privilege reserved strictly for the Ryukyu royal family.

[Bushman452]

Oh okay.

[wildwills]

Bear in mind though it wasn't until the Meji Restoration (1860's) that Japan sent its military in and annexed Okinawa.  So for 250 some years thereabouts, Okinawa paid tribute to both China (Qing Dynasty) and Japan.  China continued to assert its sovereignty over Okinawa and that's was basically prompted the Japanese to annex the Ryukyu islands....sphere of influence and all that.  I don't think any historian could definitively say "yes" or "no".  Part of military occupation is to disarm the populace, but that that doesn't happen over night.

So, it is possible that some Okinawans had bows in that interim period, but I woudl imagine defintive proof mightbe hard to come by.  I know it's not good forum political correctness to mention other forums, but you might want to post this same question to Stephen Selby over at ATARN.