thick bo staffs

[nickb123]

Hey all. I was just wondering about thin/thick bo staffs. I like to do the whole spinning and twirling to practice some control over the weapon. I used to use really thin bamboo stick (as I was broke at the time lol) and was able to do quite a bit of spinning (as well as the proper stuff!), then I bought a thick red oak staff and obviously found the transition difficult. Its great for like blocks etc but virtually impossible to spin. Do you think this will get easier, or is it easy to do with a 'toothpick' staff? I know many of you don't approve of spinning around weapons but just humour me lol

[Sauzin]

Well what are you aiming to do? Do you want to look good? Well then stick with the fancy baton, ahem, I mean toothpick bo. If you want to learn how to really do battle with a stick then you’re going to have to transition to something that wont break, bend, or bounce when you hit someone. Will it be a hard transition? Well yea, sure it will. There's a whole world of things about combat you're going to have to learn to move a real weapon correctly. But once you do, then you can proudly say that you practice a martial art as apposed to a something that might lead a marching band.

[nickb123]

I get what you're saying, but aren't thinner bo staffs more maneouverable (I know I spelt that wrong!)? I mean thicker ones are stronger and would hurt more, but do they slow your agility more in your view?

[Drunken Monkey]

what's a toothpick staff?

 

i only know of the chinese tapered thing which is NOT for spinning.

 

and er, they're meant to be heavy.....

 

actually they're not heavy at all.

 

you find them heavy because all you've been doing prior to getting your hands on a proper staff, is play with a stick.

 

a bamboo rod even.

 

my teacup weighs more than those things.

 

i can comfortably 'flower' a staff.

[Sauzin]

I get what you're saying, but aren't thinner bo staffs more maneouverable (I know I spelt that wrong!)? I mean thicker ones are stronger and would hurt more, but do they slow your agility more in your view?

Good question. And there's a simple answer. If you were in a fight what would you rather have? A full sized metal hammer from a garage or a small plastic one from a toy tool set? Now sure the small plastic one is more maneuverable and faster, but it doesn't really matter does it?

 

Same thing applies to the bo. You can't block a red oak bo with a toothpick bo. While you might give someone a welt with the toothpick bo the red oak bo will put someone down. You might poke an eye out with the toothpick bo but even still if you thrust too hard it will likely snap. If you're spinning it around you're more likely to poke out your own eye. Also a toothpick bo doesn't have enough width to get a good grip on the bo over the whole length, as a result you are more likely to loose it.

 

Now I'm not advocating using a big 2" steel pipe. Obviously there is a point where it gets too heavy and unwieldy. But a full sized red oak isn't that heavy and is plenty quick and maneuverable. You just have to take the time to learn how to use it properly.

[steveb]

The speed will come as your arms get stronger and used to the weight. Plus, once you are accustomed to using a full size / weight bo you will really be able to make that bamboo rod fly!

[nickb123]

lol yeah I see what you mean. I got used to the weight of sai after I moved on from a wood/rubber one to metal, I just was less confident with a bo staff. But I'll practice with it whenever I can. Sai are just a lot easier cause you can train with them almost anywhere, bo are way to big for around the home

[street fighter]

A bit of info you may not be aware of and if you are it is not meant as an insult. There are some forms of staff fighting that require and large or thick hardwood staff, from some of the spanish influenced islands such as the canaries you will find a system called Grote e Mano which uses hard blows and block and tripping or upsetting of the balance. Cool but can be rough on the hands. Just thought i would throw that in , good day