At Ronin Martial Arts, weapons instruction is available to students with prerequisites of time in training and rank.

Children - Must be at least 10 years old, 12 months of training in the Children's Martial Arts program, and at least a Yellow Belt. Teens and Adults - 6 months of training and Yellow Belt in Ju-Jitsu.

Weapons in order of instruction: 1) Sword - Bokken (Oak Sword)

                                            2) Sword - White Stick (Leather padded bamboo)

                                            3) Sword - Suburito (Heavy Oak Sword)

                                            4) Sword - Fukuro-Shinai (Heavy leather padded)

                                            5) Bo - 6 foot Oak Staff

                                            6) Yari - 9 foot Heavy Oak Spear (Rubber tipped)

                                            7) Jo - 4 foot Oak Staff

                                            8) Naginata - 7 1/2 foot Oak Halberd

                                            9) Yari-ko - 6 foot Oak Castle or Cavalry Spear

                                           10) Tanto - Oak Knife (Adult only)

                                           11) Wakizashi, or Broken Sword - Oak Short Sword

                                           12) Manriki-Gusari - Spike & Chain (Black Belt only)

Weapons Instruction consists of : A) Kihon (Basics) - Holding the weapon, stances, postures, movements, blocking, cutting or striking

                                                 B) Waza (Techniques) - Combinations, pre-arranged blocking and cutting, trapping, moving while blocking or cutting

                                                 C) Kata (Forms) - 2-man set of blocking and cutting; Main Weapon Kata - A flowing set of simulated combat

                                                 D) Combat - Actual combat with the weapons with an opponent, or opponents. Headgear & padded protective gear is utilized. Many variations - Sword vs. sword; sword vs. spear, staff, naginata; Staff vs. spear, naginata; Naginata vs. spear; Single combat and mass battles using all weapons.

Weapons Instruction starts with the Sword at Yellow Belt, progresses with the sword variations, then Staff starts at Orange Belt; Spear at Green Belt; Jo, Tanto, and Naginata at Brown Belt levels; Yari-ko and Wakizashi at Black Belt; Manriki-Gusari at Sensei level (3rd Degree Black Belt).