Tekko
Okinawan fist weapon of wood or metal, derived from horse stirrups and horseshoes, which increases the fist's mass and thereby the force of a strike.
Quick Facts
JapanAbout the weapon
The tekko is an Okinawan fist weapon, a form of knuckleduster that increases hand mass and thereby strike force. According to one source it arose during the weapons bans, when bushi warriors used their horses' horseshoes as an improvised weapon. Its development is described in five stages: jawara, a plain rod held in the palm; chize kun bō, a rod with a rope loop; tekko, a wooden or metal attachment between the fingers; teku with finger rings and protruding spikes; and finally a version made from horseshoes and stirrups. The tekko was made of wood or metal. The stirrup version has the shape of the letter D and sometimes fitted pins or spikes; the horseshoe version was made by welding two horseshoes together. The tekko-kagi variant has four iron spikes resembling bear claws, fastened to a metal ring. The techniques derive from empty-hand fighting and include cuts, thrusts, blocks and catching an attack. Taira Shinken composed the kata Maezato no Tekko, in which metal horse stirrups are used. The tekko is one of the nine standard weapons of the Ryūkyū Kobudō Hozon Shinkōkai, and in Matayoshi kobudō the Tekko no Kata is practised. Teachers traditionally require years of demonstrated martial discipline before instruction.