Tinbe Rochin

[lordameth]

Is anyone here familiar with Ryukyu Kobudo/Kobujutsu?

I was recently introduced to the tinbee rouchin, a spear and shield combination used traditionally in Ryukyuan warfare, and today in kobudo / kobujutsu martial arts. The fact that the shield is traditional made from a turtle shell makes it look quite distinctive and just plain cool, in my opinion.

Thing is, I can't seem to find consensus on which - the spear or the shield - is the tinbe, and which the rochin.

My classmates who presented on the subject said the tinbe was the spear, and rochin the shield. I don't know what sources they used; the Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia agrees with them, but the website of the Ryukyu Kobujutsu Assoc. of Great Britain has it the other way around.

I did a cursory Google search, and just sort of skimmed through the first few pages of links. Those that have the tinbe as the shield seem to be in the majority, but it's not an insignificant number that have tinbe being the spear.

So, I know Ryukyu Kobudo is a somewhat more obscure corner of the martial arts as compared to kendo, kyudo, Shotokan karate, or Tiger Shulman's McDojo, but if anyone happens to be familiar with it, I'd be curious what you've heard, or what you know, about which one is which. And, if you have anything more to add to my new, short article on the subject on the [url=http://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Tinbe_Rochin S-A Wiki], that would be great too.

Mahalo!
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My blog on Japanese art & history: http://chaari.wordpress.com

紫水晶殿 - The Amethyst Lord

[Kuseru Satsujin]

I've also seen it both ways, again with a slight majority in favor of the tinbe=shield/rochin=spear usage. While generally referring more to this as "tinbe/thinbei" in general (without specifying which), Sid Campbell goes with the majority convention as well, even providing some (questionable) history on the shield & spear combination in his book Kobudo and Bugei: The Ancient Weapon Way of Okinawa and Japan. Mark Bishop likewise uses the more general "tinbe/tinbei" rather than specifying which is which in Zen Kobudo Mysteries of Okinawan Weaponry and Te. Taira Shinken in his Encyclopedia of Okinawan Weapons makes no real reference to the use of the short spear, but implies that the "tenbei/tinbe" is the shield portion of a shield and sword combo. Meanwhile, websites like the Okinawa Prefectural Government's Karate and Martial Arts with weaponry as it the other way around.

You may also want to check out Ryûkyû kobujutsu weapons for more information and useful links.
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[lordameth]

Thanks for the info!!
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My blog on Japanese art & history: http://chaari.wordpress.com

紫水晶殿 - The Amethyst Lord