Maezato no Tekko

前里の鉄甲

Maezato no Tekko (or 前里の鉄甲 in Japanese) is a Ryukyu Kobujutsu Tekko Kata. The first part of this kata’s name – Maezato (or 前里 in Japanese) – refers to surname at birth of Shinken Taira (1897 – 1970), as this was his father’s surname (Maezato), but after his adoption the boy Shinken chose to carry his mother’s surname (Taira) instead. Furthermore, the last part of this kata’s name – Tekko (or 鉄甲 in Japanese) – refers it the weapon used in this kata, namely a pair of Oriental brass knuckles without finger dividers. By the way, this weapon was not developed from a pair of horseshoes or a stirrup, as as is often erroneously claimed. In this video (recorded on 8 April 2024), budoka Johan Oldenkamp, a former national champion from the Netherlands, performs this ‘Tekko Kata composed by Shinken Taira formerly known as Maezato’.