bo materials question

[wolfen]

Hello all.

I was doing some bojutsu training (shadowbox-style and on a tall stump in our back yard) and accidentally splintered (not a full break, but cracked) the bo with a strike that I didn't think was very hard.

So the question, as I bought that bo for a group demonstration and bo kata competition (I got 3rd with "twelve winds") I was wondering if it was simply a lower quality material than it should be for striking practice.

I patched it up with athletic tape and it has held well enough to not wobble, but I want to but a new bo and thought you folk might know what material to get.

Thanks all.

[Syphax]

There are really three major categories of staffs:

Competition Staffs:

These staffs are designed to make your forms look better. They are usually lightweight and are not designed for impact. These staffs will shatter if used in combat.

 

Practice/Standard Staffs:

These staffs are made of stronger wood than the competition staffs, but are not specifically designed for combat. They can withstand minor to moderate impacts, but any major blows will crack or break the staff.

Combat Staffs:

These staffs are designed for heavy impact. They are usually made of hardwood or hardened rattan. They are much heavier than competition staffs, but they can withstand heavy blows.

There are obviously more types of staffs, but I think these are the main categories in regard to strength. For heavy striking, look for a combat staff. Hope this helps.

[wolfen]

Are there any specifically excellent materials for combat staff?

I think mine was probably a practice staff of some sort... I'll have to check. On a side note, I just realised that with the tape (already slightly worn) it sort of looks liek donatello's bo from tmnt

[bushido_man96]

Are there any specifically excellent materials for combat staff?

I think mine was probably a practice staff of some sort... I'll have to check. On a side note, I just realised that with the tape (already slightly worn) it sort of looks liek donatello's bo from tmnt

TMNT.!!

I would use the rattan, or a hard wood staff, like oak.

[Syphax]

Rattan is strong stuff. It's also a little more flexible than hardwood staffs.

[bushido_man96]

The nice thing about rattan is that when it breaks, it won't splinter off and cause serious injury.

[lordtariel]

Oak is your standard for a hardwood staff. It's heavy, has a dense grain and is fairly reasonably priced. I wouldn't recommend it for tournament as it's heavier but it's great for strength training. Ash is a good choice as well. It won't take as much abuse as an oak staff, but it's much lighter and faster and has decent strength so you can use it in tournament and in training. I have a white oak bo that has seen some reasonable abuse and held up fairly well. The light colored grain is nice and the weight ensures I get a good workout.

Here's a page that has a sort of graph about the different traits of oak, ash, and purple heart wood(Don't know much about that one)

http://www.murasakikobudo.com/pages/whypurple.html

Hope it helps.

Also... a bit of useless trivia... Did you know that hardwood doesn't have anything to do with the strength or heaviness of the wood. Balsa wood is considered a hardwood. Hardwood comes from deciduous(broad-leaved) trees while softwood comes from conifir trees(Those with needles)

[bushido_man96]

Also... a bit of useless trivia... Did you know that hardwood doesn't have anything to do with the strength or heaviness of the wood. Balsa wood is considered a hardwood. Hardwood comes from deciduous(broad-leaved) trees while softwood comes from conifir trees(Those with needles)

Interesting info....I did not know that.

I saw the charts, and that purple heart wood looked to be the way to go. I'll bet its expensive, though.

[Neo Dragon]

Red Oak has proven to be useful for endurance in striking practice (I use red oak for my Iaido class). Its also relatively cheap. Also Id recomend a taperd bo staff cause it allows the weapon to bend and not break as easily.

Hope that helps.

[KamasandSais]

solid diamond