Martial Arts in Melbourne
Bo Staff Training Melbourne
Bo Staff Training in Melbourne
What is a Bo Staff?
A bo staff is a long wooden staff, traditionally about 6 feet (around 180 cm) long, used in Japanese and Okinawan martial arts. It is one of the oldest martial arts weapons: simple, but powerful, using both ends to strike, block, sweep and control an opponent at a distance. The art of the bo is called bojutsu, and its shorter relatives are the Jo (about 4 feet) and the Hanbo (about 3 feet).
Bo Staff Lessons (Kukishin Ryu Bojutsu)
The Bo Staff Training is the central staff weapon of this school and is where you learn how to manipulate the staff in many different ways. It prepares you for the Yari/So (spear) kata of which there are 27 and 13 Naginata (Halberd) kata. So well over 100 kata using polearms it is a very extensive study and a lot of fun.
All kata (training exercises) are done in pairs against a swordsman (see our kenjutsu sword fighting classes), so each kata has three parts you need to learn. The Bo movements, the sword movements and the timing and distance or relationship between the two practitioners or how the two parts fit together to create a lesson.
We train and practice a different style of Jiujitsu and weapon each month and I have never stopped learning each time that I have stepped onto the mats.
— Matt D.
Jo Staff Training
There are 8 Jo Staff Training Kata, and just like the Bo all are practiced against a swordsman so there are three parts to learn. There is also using the Jo while doing martial arts or against an unarmed person trying to attack you when you have a Jo. They might kick or punch or grab at you in some way or a mixture of those ways and you use the Jo as a Self Defence weapon to subdue or escape.
Even today the Jo is a policing weapon in Japan with police officers receiving training in how to use it along with Hojojutsu (rope restraints). There are many martial arts styles that devote themselves only to Jo training and of course it is famous for being the only weapon to ever defeat the famous Samurai Miyamoto Musashi in a duel.
Hanbo Staff Training
Hanbo and Jo Staff Training Videos
Bo Staff Training at a glance
- Staffs
- Bo (6ft), Jo (4ft) and Hanbo (3ft)
- Style
- Kukishin Ryu Bojutsu, integrated with our unarmed martial arts
- When
- Usually the last 30 minutes of each Adults Martial Arts class (16+), on a monthly weapons rotation
- Equipment
- Borrow training weapons from the dojo when you start
- Instructor
- Taught by Craig Guest, teaching in Thornbury since 1997
- Free trial
- 4 free classes plus a free uniform. Book online.
Bo Staff Training: common questions
What is bojutsu?
Bojutsu is the Japanese art of fighting with the Bo, a 6ft wooden staff. We study the Kukishin Ryu Bojutsu, alongside the Jo (4ft) and Hanbo (3ft) staffs.
Is Bo staff training a separate class?
No. Weapons training, including the Bo, Jo and Hanbo, is usually the last 30 minutes of each Adults Martial Arts class, with a different weapon each month on a 6 month rotation.
Do I need my own Bo staff?
Not to start. You can borrow training weapons from the dojo, and over time you will buy your own.
Do I need martial arts experience?
No. Staff training is part of our Adults Martial Arts classes, which suit complete beginners through to advanced students.
How is Bo staff training practised?
All Bo, Jo and Hanbo kata are practised in pairs against a partner using a wooden sword, so you learn the staff movements, the sword movements, and the timing and distance between them.
How many Bo staff kata are there?
The Bo has 60 kata. We focus mainly on the stances, basics and the first 24 kata (the Sabaki Gata), as well as the Shoden, Chuden and Okuden levels of Kukishin Ryu Bojutsu.
How long is a bo staff?
A traditional bo staff is about 6 feet, or around 180 cm, long. The shorter Jo is about 4 feet and the Hanbo about 3 feet.
Contact Guest's Martial Arts
Interested in training? Contact us to find out more about our classes or arrange a free trial.
- Phone03 9495 1929
- Emailadmin@guestsmartialarts.com.au
- Address272 Dundas St, Thornbury VIC 3071