For those of you who have worked with the Eku or Okinawan oar.?

Eku Oar

your thumb should be wrapped around the eku, not fixed on the back of the blade.

my lead hand is just below the center of balance of the eku, i had mine custom made so the balance is just a half inch below the blade. my friend has his balance set at the base of the blade

You never place you thumb on a weapon. of any kind. It is one of the classic beginner mistakes. It makes it easier to injure you by striking your thumb. It also compromises your grip making it easier to disarm you. When you grip near the blade of the Eaku, Eku, Kai, ...etc. (Okinawan Oar) your index finger and thumb are placed against the end of the blade where it meets the handle. you spread the grip formed by the index finger and thumb there where the blade begins to get wider. The rest of your fingers are still around the handle. This gives you a better grip for those times when you need to turn the blade. Also the blade has a definite front and back. The front or top of the blade has two flat surfaces that meet in the centerline of the blade. The other side is often slightly curved. The front side is always faced forward. For instance when many Kata begin the Eaku is held vertical with the right hand and leans back slightly to rest on the right shoulder. The front side known as the "Wata" should face forward. Often the Eaku is used in a sand throwing move similar to scooping and throwing sand with a shovel. When doing this the Wata is facing up.

Note: the Eaku is one of the weapons that is not seen as often where people practice Okinawan weapons. But it is a great weapon and one of my favorites. I was lucky enough to buy a hand made Eaku in Virginia years ago from an Isshinryu student that was also a wood worker. He made my Eaku out of Purpleheart. I have seen many offered at over $100. mine cost only $25 back in the early 1990's. My Eaku Kata is like that done by Shinpo Matayoshi.

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