Tekko

(These may be purchased from Kevin Roberts Kyoshi at BushiFitness.com.)

One of the more unusual and little known weapons employed in Ryukyu Kobudo are the tekko and tecchu (also known as tikko and tecchuy). The tekko can be roughly equated with what is commonly referred to as “knuckle duster” in the west. While the tecchu is a short tapered wooden or metal rod approximately 20 to 30 cm in length.
 

According to martial arts historians, the use of the tekko appears to have originated when Bushi in Okinawa used the shoes of their horses as a make-shift weapon to defend themselves against a surprise attack (McCarthy, 1998; Nakamoto, 1983) The weapon was later modified and developed into a simple and effective hand-held weapon (McCarthy,1998; Nakamoto, 1983).

The tekko became popular weapons for self-defense in old Okinawa, since they are both small, easy to conceal and could produce severe trauma.

One famous tekko kata is Maezato no tekko. Maezato no tekko was formulated by the late founder of the Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinko Kai, Taira Shinken and was named after his original family name, Maezato.

The Okinawan Karate Club of Dallas teaches Maezato no Tekko passed down thru Tatsuo Shimabukuro Hanshi to Douglass Perry Kyoshi  and taught to us by Smoger Sensei.