Does shotokan kata incorporate weapons applications?

jitte or jutte your suppose to be able to use with a bo

chinte there is also a weapon called chinte, which are bamboo sleeves that would wrap around the arm, i dont think this is any coincidence.

chizakun, jiffa, hoko, techu and tekko as well as many other small less know weapons could easy be used with almost any empty hand kata

Okinawan taught and passed on there techniques through kata. and considering there are over 40 weapons with only a small hand full having traditional kata the only other alternative is they used them with karate kata

as for the the heian nidan making more sense to you with a weapon, it make a lot more sense as a grappling kata, there is no back kick in heian nidan its a side kick

the opening move can be anything from a simple pushing of your opponents 2 arms who is coming in for a push or grab, to locking up his arms and redirecting him bring him down to the floor.

kobudo is a far older art then karate, kobudo came first and dates back much further then karate.

Sensei Funakoshi did teach kobudo, the main 2 weapons were bo and sai

Yes, it does. I don't know of any entirely formal syllabus that contains weapons specific kata as there really were no kata for weapons. Weapons training was very much a pick it up and do. Kobudo is that term (with weapons), and weapons have often, because of that, been infused in preexisting kata for the training purposes.

Some people in the more modern times, have created kata for a specific weapon, but most are just flashiness.

EDIT - that's a good way to look at it with fitting in a weapon in the kata. One thing you need to keep in mind is that these techniques are applicable with your hands only, so if you do not see an application that is empty-handed that works and you like; you need to dig deeper or even from a completely different frame of thought.

A great kata that works with the sai is Bassai Dai. Give that one a look.

But don't forget to look into your kata with concepts and not just individual techniques. Keep in mind that the techniques need to be simple, and they should rely on proper mechanics more than speed or strength. When that is in place and the concept is understood, the timing and position will fall into place naturally.

Thanks for a good question! :)

EDIT - One more thing. If you look at the common bunkai for Heian Nidan, you will notice that everybody likes to leave the right arm just hanging in the air as some prepatory thing for a following punch. That's not a functional application for that technique. Every limb has a purpose and is actively engaged in something. If you think about that application (easily found on YouTube) you can find that it's full of holes; and primarily the giant one on the right side of the torso. It's like holding a red flag saying "hit me here... In my liver!" those arms rise in that pattern for something else and that something will take your opponent's weapons away from that gargantuan vulnerable hole, while inflicting some sort of pain and or damage. Every move serves an active function!

EDIT - Bassai Dai is a mid-level kata, so it may be a while before you come across it.

Why not experiment with your Aikido training in the application of the first six movements in Heian Nidan? I know I'd be interested to hear your progress on an application for that; even if by email.

EDIT - That's a great way to understand your kata! There is no better way to learn the technique than actually applying the technique! That's old school too!

Just going to add to what has been stated that all kata has grappling in it. Some instructor may not know or teach it. Weapons: A weapon is just an extension of the body. Any strike with the weapon the defense in the same as if there was no weapon. The only difference is the disarmament which is the same as with any pain compliance. There is more involved, but this is the gist of it. Mentally we change when a weapon is implied. If a knife is a thrust like a punch why would I defend any different. If it is a slash like yokomen uchi why would I defend any different. A bat, pipe, etc the defense is the same. Don't get hit. Move into your range of effectiveness, control the attack, and remove the threat.

I have only seen these Kata mention here at tournaments. So I'm not an expert in Shotokan.

I know from experience that weapons can be applied in pomise in Taekwando where appropriate. We train with weapons in Dan Gun through Juoon Gun using a Knife, Sai, and a Short stick. When the student elects after that a favorite weapon we encourage they experament under Masters guidence on appropriat aplications. I'm glad you brought this up. I thought we were unique in this regard. It seems the natural thing to do and My Master has been doing this for decades as he learned it from his Masters in Philadelphia and Vietnam.

It feels natural to me that many moves translate into weapons Kata easily.

Don't forget that they are Shuri kata and Shinken Taira learn under Funakoshi for a while.

Ryukyu Kobujutsu is very compatible with the Shuri and Tomari kata, so whether your dojo teaches it or not, it's in there!