The jo staff

[bushido_man96]

I just finished reading a book about the jo staff, the Japanese short staff, measuring about 4 feet long.

Why don't we see this weapon very much? Who here trains or has trained with it? It seems very simple, but has a lot of great applications. I think that it would be a geat weapon to learn.

[cathal]

I have some limited experience with it. Most of my staff training was on the 6 foot bo. Many of the techniques are fundamentally similar. The intent of the bo is relatively the same as other short weapons.

[bushido_man96]

I was interested to learn that the only fight Musashi lost was to Muso Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi, who did so with the jo. He lost his first duel with Musashi, in which fight he used a bo.

[Holland]

The kobudo dojo I attend teaches Jo. I have learned one Jo kata and it is pretty fascinating stuff. You are constantly moving up and down the weapon in order to maximize the reach.

[Rateh]

Jo was the first weapon kata I learned. Unfortunatly I moved and had to start at a new school. The only thing I remember is what Holland said, about moving up and down the weapon a lot. I've never learned to do that with the Bo, but that might also be a difference in style/school.

[armanox]

There is a Jodo instructor not too far from me. It seems to me that the jo evolved as the Japanese weapon that is used to counter kenjutsu. All of the jodo's techniques are designed to counter a swordsman from what I've seen of it. Just my two cents

[bushido_man96]

In the book, the sliding up and down the weapon was used to facilitate thrusting. And the main reason it was assumed to be a weapon to counter the sword was because the sword was the most poplular weapon amongst the warrior class at the time.

It would be interesting to train jo against bo.

[lordtariel]

One of my friends taught me a jo kata from akido. You can get much closer with the jo then a regular bo, which would make it good to use when space is limited.

[BLOWN]

I have some experiance with the Jo Staff. In fact, I just about another Jo Staff. Hand made strait from the Phillipines in Kamagong wood. It's Beautiul. Feels like tile floors of how smooth it is. It has hand engraved dragons on both ends. I'll take some pics of it this weekend.

I also have trained with 6ft Bo Staffs. The Jo defintly has it's advantage and can be used in more ways and is easier to control. I love it.

-Ray