Soeishi Sogo-Kumite

添石   綜合組手

Soeishi Sogo-Kumite (or 添石 綜合組手 in Japanese) consists of five comprehensive fighting sequences of Bo versus Bo that are derived from the Soeishi kata of Ryukyu Kobujutsu. To begin with, Soeishi ( 添石 ) was the last name of of the 18th century Okinawan Bōjutsu master Uēkata Soeishi (also known as Ryōtoku), who was the military arts instructor of the king of Ryūkyū. Within Ryukyu Kobujutsu, two versions of Soeishi kata are preserved. Next, kumite (or 組手 in Japanese) means ‘sparring’. Thirdly, ‘sogo’ (or 綜合 in Japanese; sōgō) means ‘composite’, ‘synthesis’, ‘integration’, or ‘putting together’. It has become customed to translate these forms of Kumite as ‘comprehensive’ (and described as ‘Demonstration Bunkai’). In the video embedded below (recorded on 25 April 2025), budoka Johan Oldenkamp performs the five comprehensive staff fighting sequences for the (two) Soeishi kata.

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