This work clearly defines and catalogues the fifty historical hand-held weapons that were used in Okinawa Prefecture and the Ryukyu Islands from the dawn of its history. It show the stages of development and introduction of these weapons to the islands and how they affected the culture through the ages. The 'standard five' popular weapons of the modern era (bo, sai, tonfa, nunchaku & kama) are described in detail with many scale drawings, but surprisingly, it clearly shows the influence of bladed weapons, such as the curved sword. Firearms also made a huge contribution to Ryukyuan weapon development, so these are also introduced in their historical context. Most surprising is the contextual detail of the historic eras, such as the affects of the Satsuma Invasion of the Ryukyu Islands in 1609 & the dissolution of the monarchy in 1879. Contrary to popular myth, between these years Okinawans did not adopt farmers tools for self protection, for quite a different history is revealed herein.