Kubotan

What is Kubotan?

A kubotan is a self-defense keychain weapon developed by Sōke Takayuki Kubota in the late 1960s. It is typically a small, cylindrical rod made of hard plastic or metal, about 5.5 inches long and half an inch in diameter. The kubotan can be attached to a keyring for convenience and concealment.

The primary function of a kubotan is to enhance the effectiveness of various self-defense techniques. It can be used to apply pressure to sensitive points on an attacker's body, strike vulnerable areas, or assist in joint locks and holds. Because of its size and shape, it can be easily carried and used discreetly.

As with any self-defense tool, it's important to receive proper training to use a kubotan effectively and to be aware of the legal regulations regarding its possession and use in your area.

Related Article: Fist-Load Weapons: Traditional and Modern Varieties

There is a difference between working out and training. So far, you just work out. You sweat a little and get a good amount of exercise. Yes, you do get a little better, a little stronger and a little smarter, but mostly your skills are derived from your natural abilities. Training is very different. When you train, you have to push your body and your fighting spirit to the point of breaking every time. When you train, you have to go right up to the limits where your physical being and your spiritual self scream ‘no more.’ And at that barrier, which naturally evolved throughout your lifetime as protection against possible physical harm and mental anguish, you must force through or be forced through into a world of seemingly unreasonable pain in order to glimpse and then realize another level beyond your current abilities. This must happen over and over again in order to truly progress on this journey. And of course, the cruelty of all this is that the next level itself is illusory, as is the one after that, and the successive barriers you must force your way through will seem boundless.” “Even for the strongest person, training extracts a heavy and oftentimes damaging toll on your body and on your psychic health, which is why I rarely push my students that hard,” he continued. “The harmful effects of such hard training is also why you need a trustworthy guide and teacher, someone who can catalyze your training but, more importantly, someone who can pull you from the abyss and show you that the white hot pressure to advance and constantly surpass your previous achievements is also an illusion in and of itself.
Kathryn Yang

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