Everything you need to know about the Canadian martial art, Okichitaw

Although Canada isn’t typically thought of for being a hub of martial arts, it did invent Okichitaw which is based on the fighting skills of the indigenous peoples who first inhabited Canada. This martial art was formed by George Lepine in the 1990s who was a descendant of the first plains people. As a result, he learned various fighting techniques from a young age based on his family history. As he grew older, he also dabbled in mainstream martial arts which then led to the creation of Okichitaw which threw it all together.

So, even though Okichitaw is its own discipline, like many other arts it also takes from outside influences. What’s also worth noting is that in the big scheme of things, Okichitaw is still very small. It’s unlikely that Okichitaw will ever take off as a mainstream martial art. However, it can be learned in a few gyms in Canada. Sadly though, if you don’t live near these or live abroad, the chances are you’ll never learn Okichitaw or even hear about it for that matter.

What is unique about Okichitaw?

Perhaps the most unique aspect of Okichitaw is in its native roots. Unlike other martial arts, a large portion of its training involves the use of the Plains Cree gunstock war club and the Tomahawk. These are both weapons that were used by native Indians in combat. In this sense, Okichitaw isn’t just about learning physical techniques, it also teaches history. And, whilst these weapons aren’t used anymore in combat, there are many other martial arts like Okinawan Kobudo that also teach weapons of old.

Aside from the use of specific weapons, Okichitaw is also big on Plains Cree philosophy. Like other martial arts, Okichitaw has a lot of lessons and once again draws on past experiences of the founder’s predecessors. Here, practitioners are taught about humility as well as fighting, and these are called ‘The Grandfather teachings’. It also teaches about the medicine wheel which is also the Okichitaw logo. Here, there are four sections that also teach about combat and life in general.

There are seven aspects to these teachings which are love, respect, humility, honesty, wisdom, bravery, and truth. Whilst this system is unique and specific to Plains Cree culture, similar life lessons are also taught in other martial arts. In fairness, it’s fair to say that Okichitaw has a bigger emphasis on philosophical teachings compared to most other martial arts though.

So, how does Okichitaw work?

Aside from the aforementioned weapons, Okichitaw looks like a blend of other martial arts. As mentioned, this makes sense considering the founder George Lepine actively trained other disciplines. These other martial arts include a mix of Aikido, Hapkido, Judo, and Taekwondo. Okichitaw sometimes uses wrestling too which was used in lots of older cultures. So, if you follow Hapkido then you’ll know that itself has a very broad curriculum.

Aside from this, there’s also Aikido and Judo which mostly train submissions, throws, and grappling from the standing position, then there’s Taekwondo which is a striking martial art that emphasizes kicks. In other words, Okichitaw teaches a lot of different stuff with its own priority being with Tomahawk and the gunstock war club where weapons are concerned. For those wondering, these weapons are not bladed whilst training, for safety reasons.

As well, Okichitaw trains using a gi which is usually red or black. This makes sense, considering it uses throws done in Aikido and Judo, which are also pretty big on wearing the kimono. Overall, Okichitaw is pretty similar to Hapkido, aside from the use of certain weapons and its philosophy is different.

Is Okichitaw legit?

As mentioned earlier, Okichitaw looks a lot like Hapkido in certain areas, which means it covers a bit of everything where martial arts is concerned. One issue with this is that it can be too broad at times and gloss over the finer details. As Bruce Lee once said, it’s better to practice one kick 10,000 times, than 10,000 kicks once each. In other words, one of the downsides of Okichitaw is that you probably won’t master a specific style.

For instance, if you want to grapple then wrestling or Judo may be good enough as standalone martial arts. Similarly, there are lots of good striking disciplines out there. Lastly, if you want both then these days MMA has a lot to offer. In brief, Okichitaw falls into the same pitfalls that Hapkido does, which means it doesn’t really have much in the way of specialist techniques. Of course, there are certain indigenous weapons used and cultural practices that are interesting, but these aren’t too practical in the modern day.

At the same time, there is something to be said for training Okichitaw. Perhaps it’s not the most efficient martial art around, but if you trained it for a while, you could probably know enough to beat an untrained opponent. This shouldn’t come as too much as a shock either, considering it has kicks from TKD, grappling from Judo, and some weapons training. However, as mentioned there may be more effective stuff out there. One plus of learning Okichitaw is that it does have a cultural element and is good to learn about native Indian culture.

Conclusion

Okinchitaw is probably one of the smaller, more niche martial arts there compared to others. It probably won’t ever break into the mainstream but has a group of core members in Toronto, Canada where it originated from. Sadly, because of this, there isn’t too much information out there if you’re looking to learn – and training in person may be very difficult depending on your location.

One thing that Okichitaw should be commended on though is its open minded approach to martial arts and its link towards the past. If for nothing else, these ideas are good for preserving culture and keeping traditions alive.

Want to learn more about Okichitaw? Check out this DVD.