How to use the Kubotan

[RapidAssault16]

Hey all...I'm a regular in the Filipino Martial Arts Discussion Board and I thought I'd drop in on the Japanese board today. I got a question: How does one employ the Kubotan (the keychain that is about 6 inches in length and is made to look like a small baton). I know that the Kubotan was developed by Master Taki Kubota and I was wondering if anyone had any idea as to how to use this device. I've been told to hold the Kubotan in the center of the bar and to use it in a hammerfist-type fashion. However, the keys smacking against my finger-bones aren't exactly the most enjoyable feeling in the world lol, so I was wondering if anyone here had any ideas, tips, and methods of training with the Kubotan, deploying it, and striking with it. Thanks!

[guy incognito]

If your key ring is big enough you can put your thumb trough it.that will solve your problem.Hope that ive helped.

[Nazman]

There are similiar weapons used by the Chinese (called the pens) or the Japanese (called the suntetsu). The principle in which they are all used the the same. They are very powerful personal weapons but the traditional versions are more flexible because they have a ring attached halfway along the length of the shaft, allowing them to rotate freely.

How to use them? Difficult to explain in words. Ideally, if you use the suntetsu, you have 2: one used to block attacks with the hand open and the weapon along the length of the hand and the other hand for striking. The striking hand is in a hammer fist. The blocking hand can also be used for catching in the same hand configuration but this is too difficult to explain in words. Training with the Chinese daggers will also teach the similar application principles.

If you do a search on suntetsu in google you might find some pages with techniques explained. Training in these weapons is very good for using improvised weapons.

Good luck,

[guy incognito]

Also look up japanese yawara sticks

[Hikage]

Correct Usage

Using the whatever you call it...

Many people have different names for this thing. I learned it as a Kubatan and an edakappo. I've also heard kubaton, yawara stick, palm stick, plam stick.. there's a million different names and they are all basically used in the same manner.

Truth be told, on my key chain I don't carry a kubaton or anything that looks weaponish. Instead, I use a mini-mag light which can be wielded in the same exact manner, only it doesn't appear as a weapon. Also, I can't tell you the amount of times that having a light (torch for you Brits) at my immediate disposial has been helpful. Furthermore, I have it attached to a long lanyard which can be used as a rope, but again is non-threateing.

This thing can be held in several fashions, I know of 3 main ways. There is the one way, as you described, where you hold it in the center. I don't personally prefer this method as it doesn't really give you any direct advantages.
You can hold it favoring more room at the top. This can be used to attack pressure points on the body with a stabbing motion, much like you would use a knife to attack the rib section.
I prefer to hold the stick with more exposed at the bottom. In this manner, you can still use the stick to poke with the top as I previously described. Furthermore, you can use the punyo (as you would call it) or the butt in a hammer fist motion to once again attack pressure points, anywhere on teh body. Don't limit yourself to the mid section or face. So many people are just head hunteres. You can also strick to teh arms, to the legs, hands, etc.
Also, the butt can be used to trap, hook, and lock limbs. One of my more favorite moves is to take the Uke's arm and lock the stick around hit wrist (not the hand, but the wrist) in a fashion where it makes a seal around the wrist, placing teh stick across one of the bones, as opposed to flat across both of them. As you squeeze, this put massive amounts of pain on the exposed bone. This will work on anyone, no matter how big the muscles.

Moreover, you can use the top of the stick to grab skin and other body parts such as the nose, the piltrum (area right below your nose), ears, fingers. To do this, place the thing you're grabbing at the top end of the stick, between your thumb and the stick. W/O the stick this motion would be like you were pinching something between your thumb and index finger.

These are just some basic ideas to get you started. Let me know if you need better explanations or more information.

-Hikage

[RapidAssault16]

Using the whatever you call it...

Many people have different names for this thing. I learned it as a Kubatan and an edakappo. I've also heard kubaton, yawara stick, palm stick, plam stick.. there's a million different names and they are all basically used in the same manner.

Truth be told, on my key chain I don't carry a kubaton or anything that looks weaponish. Instead, I use a mini-mag light which can be wielded in the same exact manner, only it doesn't appear as a weapon. Also, I can't tell you the amount of times that having a light (torch for you Brits) at my immediate disposial has been helpful. Furthermore, I have it attached to a long lanyard which can be used as a rope, but again is non-threateing.

This thing can be held in several fashions, I know of 3 main ways. There is the one way, as you described, where you hold it in the center. I don't personally prefer this method as it doesn't really give you any direct advantages.
You can hold it favoring more room at the top. This can be used to attack pressure points on the body with a stabbing motion, much like you would use a knife to attack the rib section.
I prefer to hold the stick with more exposed at the bottom. In this manner, you can still use the stick to poke with the top as I previously described. Furthermore, you can use the punyo (as you would call it) or the butt in a hammer fist motion to once again attack pressure points, anywhere on teh body. Don't limit yourself to the mid section or face. So many people are just head hunteres. You can also strick to teh arms, to the legs, hands, etc.
Also, the butt can be used to trap, hook, and lock limbs. One of my more favorite moves is to take the Uke's arm and lock the stick around hit wrist (not the hand, but the wrist) in a fashion where it makes a seal around the wrist, placing teh stick across one of the bones, as opposed to flat across both of them. As you squeeze, this put massive amounts of pain on the exposed bone. This will work on anyone, no matter how big the muscles.

Moreover, you can use the top of the stick to grab skin and other body parts such as the nose, the piltrum (area right below your nose), ears, fingers. To do this, place the thing you're grabbing at the top end of the stick, between your thumb and the stick. W/O the stick this motion would be like you were pinching something between your thumb and index finger.

These are just some basic ideas to get you started. Let me know if you need better explanations or more information.

-Hikage

Awsome stuff man...I wish I could see some pics or illustrations of the wrist lock technique so I could better grasp it. If you could send me a site or smth that showed pics or illustrations that would be great. Thanks.

Also, I dig that flashlight idea...how big is the Mini-Maglite? If I were to strike with it...would it be able to take the punishment? How is bright is the light? Is it enough to momentarily blind an assailant?

Thanks.

[guy incognito]

A aa/e91/lr6/an3 mag lite will definately take the punishment.Might break the lens but you will hardly care about that in a self defence situation.

[Hikage]

A aa/e91/lr6/an3 mag lite will definately take the punishment.Might break the lens but you will hardly care about that in a self defence situation.

Yeah, that's the one. It's about 6 inches long and relatively bright. It's not going to light your house or anything, but it'll light your way when you need it too or help you find your whatever when you drop it in the dark. Don't worry, it's made of strong metal, it'll hold up.

As far as pictures of the wrist locks.. hmm.. I have some basic yawara stuff written by a ju-ju instructor on another computer I'll see if I can dredge that up. However, the locks was the one thing that I don't have. We don't really write stuff down in my art, I'm sure you can imagine why. Let me see if I can do a better illustration for you... if this doesn't work, lemme know, I'll see what I cna find.

take your stick and place both hands on it at either end in an over hand fashion, leaving some room in the middle. Then, place the middle of the stick over the bony part of your Uke's wrist. Lastly, your thumbs go on the bottom of the wrist for support. Roll your fingers down, turning the stick into the wrist much like a rolling pin. If you're doing this right, it'll be hard for your uke to take the pain for very long. Try it on someone, it's hard to imagine in your head. Let me know if this helps.

-Hikage

[RapidAssault16]

Yeah, that's the one. It's about 6 inches long and relatively bright. It's not going to light your house or anything, but it'll light your way when you need it too or help you find your whatever when you drop it in the dark. Don't worry, it's made of strong metal, it'll hold up.

As far as pictures of the wrist locks.. hmm.. I have some basic yawara stuff written by a ju-ju instructor on another computer I'll see if I can dredge that up. However, the locks was the one thing that I don't have. We don't really write stuff down in my art, I'm sure you can imagine why. Let me see if I can do a better illustration for you... if this doesn't work, lemme know, I'll see what I cna find.

take your stick and place both hands on it at either end in an over hand fashion, leaving some room in the middle. Then, place the middle of the stick over the bony part of your Uke's wrist. Lastly, your thumbs go on the bottom of the wrist for support. Roll your fingers down, turning the stick into the wrist much like a rolling pin. If you're doing this right, it'll be hard for your uke to take the pain for very long. Try it on someone, it's hard to imagine in your head. Let me know if this helps.

-Hikage

Awsome, I get it now, thanks! I practiced it on one of my buddies and he tried it on me and holy crap...it's nothing short of piss-your-pants painful lol. See ya around!

[millie]

todays yesterday is tomorrow

if u use a kobaton and get caught using a martial arts weapon to kill some one u will go to jail.
the same tech work with a cell phone or a pen
stike the eyes,neck or xiphoid process
locks are nice if you have all day but

[darrianation]

I have a stinger and a mini can of OC spray.

[EmptyneSs]

one of my friends who has done martial arts for 13 years gave me one of these not too long ago. the kind i have is made of metal i think and it has a dull tip. u can get hard plastic ones too that end in a sharp spike, but those are totally illegal. the one i have is legal i think since the tip is not sharp at all.

the point is to jab with the tip or put it into painful places, like the ribs, or chest or whatever. u can also hold it in your fist to strengthen ur punch. the plastic sharp spike ones u can use to just stab people. thats about it though. ithink this weapon is weak. u cant do much with it. nothing beats small folding blades.

[Karate-ka19]

A non-traditional technique I've heard of is using it as a whip. If you have several keys attached to it. Use the keys to cut and slash instead of the kubaton itself. It might be nice to have 2 or 3 key rings attacked also to give you a little more reach.

[Tant01]

the point is to jab with the tip or put it into painful places, like the ribs, or chest or whatever. u can also hold it in your fist to strengthen ur punch. ...
... thats about it though. i think this weapon is weak. u cant do much with it. nothing beats small folding blades.

I see this pattern in your posts of underestimating things you seem to know little about... I like the short stick. The "triangle" lock mentioned above works better with a longer version about 9 inches. The shorter fist size weapons are excelent impact tools. We have the right idea of pressing it against hard exposed bone and such but it can also defang your small folder quite handily. Glancing blows against multiple targets in the so called "ricochet" techniques. A short stick can break many small bones including the clavical and cranium. It can be used with any number of "submission" techniques and choking. Don't limit your opinion of a weapon because of it's small size or obvious simplicity.

Here, check out this stuff...

http://www.donrearic.com/jujo.html

http://www.donrearic.com/yawara.html

http://www.donrearic.com/koppostick.html

See also "Judo stick"...ENJOY!

[EmptyneSs]

I see this pattern in your posts of underestimating things you seem to know little about... I like the short stick. The "triangle" lock mentioned above works better with a longer version about 9 inches. The shorter fist size weapons are excelent impact tools. We have the right idea of pressing it against hard exposed bone and such but it can also defang your small folder quite handily. Glancing blows against multiple targets in the so called "ricochet" techniques. A short stick can break many small bones including the clavical and cranium. It can be used with any number of "submission" techniques and choking. Don't limit your opinion of a weapon because of it's small size or obvious simplicity.

Here, check out this stuff...

http://www.donrearic.com/jujo.html

http://www.donrearic.com/yawara.html

http://www.donrearic.com/koppostick.html

See also "Judo stick"...ENJOY!

yeah if this stick is so awesome how come u dont see more people carrying these around and using em or advocating them for self defense? u say it can be used in many submissions and chokes, well if thats they case why would u even use the stick? u can just use the submission and choke itself. anything can be used as an impact weapon. u can pick up a rock on the ground and use it the same way u can this short stick. a blade on the other hand u can do more with. it can cut, and puncture, and the sight of a blade itself can be a deterrent , while the little stick isnt. i have one of these myself, and to be honest, its no different than if i was carrying around a pen. anything u can do with this little stick can be done with a pen, except a pen can write and this little stick cant.