I'm trying to find out more information on a training tool used in Okinawan Goju-ryu, the kongoken.
I know it was brought back to Okinawa from Hawaii in the early 1930's by Miyagi Chojun sensei.
I've spoken to a karate historian in Hawaii and he reckons it might have had something to do with the suger cane crushing machines they had back then, or maybe as ships balast? [they weigh around 60lbs].
There are no known photographs of people on the islands using a kongoken either for work or training.
Anyone out there know anything?

Mike.

I had never heard of it! For those curious about what it looks like, a Yahoo! search does turn up some examples, including this (modern) picture of this race-track shaped iron hoop:
http://www.iogkf.se/Eng/09hurtranarman8kongo.htm

The link show two of many exersizes done with the kongoken.
The guy on the left twisting it to swing around and he take the impact on the shoulder, and then twisting it back to take the impact on the chest.
The second picture shows a two person drill where the kongoken is thrown at the other person in a way that helps build up explosive power by using the hips to generate the push [not just the shoulders].
A kongoken weighs around sixty pounds, and is in common use in Okinawan karate, along with many other training tools. collectively this kind of training is known has 'hojo-undo', which just means 'supplementary training'.
All the tools used found their way to Okinawa from China, except the kongoken, and so I was hoping someone out there had some info on it?

Mike.

Osu,

Don't know, but i have a few shihans i can ask ;)

Michael
www.inigmasoft.com/goyukai
www.dentokanhombu.com

Thank you Michael,

Let's hope they have more info than I've been able to come up with so far.

Mike.