Great Bear Teishin

Most cultures of the world give great significance to the Big Dipper constellation. Not all peoples saw a bear in its form, but it should be noted that the constellation's shape changes over the course of a year in a way that seems to depict a shift from a four-footed to two-footed figure. This is what a bear can do, move on all fours or stand like a human. Many traditional cultures recognized a deep kinship between bears and humans. The Onkodo Great Bear Teishin carries a very soft energy. It makes a great stroking tool with its prominent flat side, as well as being well designed for point-specific techniques with its tip.

An interesting side note here that there is a Dr. Bear (Iwashina Anryu sensei) in Japan with whom three Onkodo practitioners have studied. He was given the name by a leader of the Blackfoot tribe in the late 1980s. We are thus honored to have a Great Bear Teishin as a nod to our esteemed teacher.

Hammered from Rough Silver Ingot