In 1609, the Satsuma samurai clan attacked and swept the Okinawan defenses. The islanders used turtle-shields and short-strabbing daggers, but they were of very little use against horse-backed, sword-carrying samurai or bows. The only instruments the farmers had were their simple farmingtools. The unique martial arts of Okinawan karate and kobudo were born from this background. Over long years, the techniques of Chinese and South East Asian martial arts were incorporated into Okinawa Karate and Kobudo to establish the forms known today. The Chinese methods were a combination of techniques with empty hands and with weapons like the San-Ku-Chu (ancestor of the saï).
