which bo/staff?

[cam506619]

I'm looking for a bo/staff I am 140 pounds 5 feet 8-10 inches tall...which size, wood material, and should I get straight or tapered?I will be using it for just training and hitting things really hard and that's it so I would like it to be light and durable also What is another bo/staff that is heavy (for a work out) and durable?

[Kruczek]

I had mine made by a student, just a doll rod from lowes that was tapered slightly on the ends, sanded really well, and given a handful of layers of polyurethane. I believe it is oak. Different woods would be lighter.

Best to use a heavy one for training, why ever train and not consider it a workout?

[Dark Planet]

The Bo staff ought to be your height. a tapered bo staff is lighter and will be a little more flexible, but is not as hardy. If you intend bo to bo contact, I would use a non-tapered.

Peace to you.

[JohnASE]

It depends. If someone is instructing you, I'd say go with what they like. Different people have different preferences, and your instructor can advise you on which will go best with your training.

Here are some options off the top of my head.

MATERIAL-Some of the materials available are white oak, red oak, ash, rattan, aluminum, graphite, and waxwood. I would guess red oak is the most commonly used. It's pretty tough for the price. I don't know if it's really oak, but it's label says 'Red Oak." It's fairly heavy but not so much in thinner diameters. White oak is very durable and very heavy. We used to sell great white oak bos but had problems with our source, so we discontinued them. Ash is durable for such a light weight wood, but it typically costs more than red oak but not as much as white. Rattan is very light, fairly tough, and can be pretty flexible, but it shreds eventually. Rattan with the skin is more durable than skinless, but usually not as straight. I don't know much about aluminum, graphite or waxwood.

SHAPE & LENGTH-Straight is a bit heavier than tapered, and this difference is magnified because the weight of a tapered bo is much less at the ends where you really feel it when you spin the bo. Both straight and tapered are available in different thicknesses but this varies according to material. Red oak seems to have the most variety. I've seen it from about 3/4" or 7/8" to about 1 1/8" or 1 1/4" in both straight and tapered. Some tournaments have minimum weight requirements and some require straight bos. The length should be about your height or a little longer, but most bos are only sized in 1' increments (4', 5', 6'), so finding the right size can be tough if it's not custom made. Some are available in 6" increments (4', 4.5', 5', 5.5', 6'). Most people just make do with what they can get. I'm not too familiar with wu shu, but they seem to use longer bos. I've seen waxwood bos available at about 7' or so.

To finally answer your post, in your case, I'd recommend a 6' bo. For doing forms with something heavy, I'd recommend a thick, red oak, straight bo. White oak is great if you can find it and afford it! For something light weight and durable, rattan with the skin might work for you, especially if you're whacking things with it. Nothing will last long if your targets are posts, but it might not be too bad if you're hitting heavy bags, although I don't think any bo will put up with hard hits on anything for very long, especially not light bos like you asked for.

Got into a little more detail than I"d planned. Hope this helps!

[rogue2257]

Generally when working with a bo, the weapon should be approximately as tall as the user. You're closer to 6' than to 5' so I'd tell you to try a 6', unless it ends up feeling unwieldy to you.

You'll find that some places that sell staffs also sell "speed" or "tournament" style bos that are typically very light. While they move quick and look pretty in kata, they should never be used for any sort of kumite or bo on bo drills. They're just too light.

You can get bos for relatively cheap from awma.com, its a great online martial arts supply store.

[cathal]

Wow, a lot of great information.

For me when I started out I used a 6' straight bo made from white oak. It weighed more than the typical tournament or demonstration bo so it was better for training.

.

[BDPulver]

I use 4 different types. A straight one for bo kumite, tapered for practicing, a slightly skinnier, lighter tapered for tournament and demos and a modified bo where i cut a foot off each end for practicing in my apartment or using as a demo as a cane, broomstick, so forth.

Mainly its up to the instructor/school as well on what types, but just like a few mentioned, it should be close to your height as much as possible.