There are 18 weapons in Oyata's Lineage and approximately 57 known kata (plus variants).*
*18th is a hybrid combination of break apart Jō into tanbo
Taika Seiyu Oyata placed an importance on weapons for three primary reasons.
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Historical Reasons as part of the Ryukyu Culture
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Open Hand Accentuation - Each weapon taught one or more skills that helped your open hand training.
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Actual Use - Each weapon teaches you both how to use that weapon as well as how to defend from that weapon.
Taika's approach to most weapons was significantly different in that even a long weapon such as a bō may be used in Close Quarters combat. Taika did not advocate for 'click clack' training where two opponents continually swapped strikes. Instead, he believed an initial strike was important to allow him to get in close and lock joints of any of the four limbs as well as the head and neck.
Dabble & Define
Dabble: Taika felt that all students should dabble a little with each weapon. He didn't think you needed to learn full kata in all 18 weapons but you needed to dabble in some of the key elements of each weapons because they teach things about your open hand techniques.
Select Examples:
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Sai - Helps aid in the development of forearm strength in punches and 3D motion or dermal redirection during the impact phase of a strike.
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Bokken and Suburito Training - Helps a student build up weak forearms and adding body weight and motion into the punching motion. Later it teaches speed principles when focusing on the back hand.
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Bō & Jō - Helps to teach sticky hand principles, sliding up and down an opponent's arms and maintaining control as well as leverage principles.
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Chizi - Helps to develop Pinky/Thumb coordination which is most commonly seen in kata such as Shi Ho Happo no Te. This pinky leading the thumb or thumb leading the pinky motion is key to a lot of Tuite as well as some higher levels of Kyūsho.
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Nunchaku - Helps with coordination as well as breaking the wrist over in both flexion and extension to aid in the development of Turtle Hands. This also aids in captures when using the tanbo.
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Manriki Gusari - Helps in the development of hand, eye, and overall body coordination.
Obviously there are many other examples of the benefits of weapons training but that would take another 20 scrolls worth of net real-estate.
Taika and Tasshi Jim Logue working on a portion of Trading Eights.
Taika on a beach in Okinawa training Eiku.
Define: Taika felt that all instructors needed to work a little bit of kata of each weapon in order to be able to guide their students in the arts, particularly if they lived in a location where there were not other instructors to lean on. For instance, in the Kansas City Metropolitan area there were so many Oyata dojo that if you didn't know any bō kata you could easily send a student to another instructor.
Jack of All Trades - Master of None
Whether an instructor or a student, mastering 18 weapons, 57 weapons kata plus each version of the core open hand kata and renshu is simply just not something most people are even remotely capable of accomplishing. Taika believed you should dabble in all to learn how those weapons can help your open hand skill. You should dedicate a little more time if you run a school so that you can aid your students in their path. And if weapons really interest you, do not overextend. Master one and stick with polishing it over a lifetime.
Site Information
OyataTe members who actually train with instructors of OyataTe have access to more videos of weapons kata in the members only area as well as via the PLEX app.