Bo spinning techniques

[SBN Doug]

I know what you mean regarding the forearm strengthening. I personally I like to obtain this through practicing techniques with a heavy oak bo that work while your engaged with an opponent rather then practicing techniques that don’t, but in the end you end up with strengthened arms, one way or the other.

 

True

One could argue that the repetitive rhythm of the spin sets you up for being timed by your opponent, but this is really a preference thing.

 

True again, but you aren't supposed to keep spinning in the same pattern. That's why we have 15 different basic spinning techniqes, that we have to practice in both directions.

 

Never the less, We seem to be on the same page, just slightly different font.

[searcher]

I am in agreement with KSN Doug. I have been competing in open weapons for a few years and the spinning that I use in my open for has helped me gain immense control over my bo in regards to my traditional kata. If there is still any question as to the effectiveness of spinning ask a wushu expert for a demonstration.

[Sauzin]

I am in agreement with KSN Doug. I have been competing in open weapons for a few years and the spinning that I use in my open for has helped me gain immense control over my bo in regards to my traditional kata. If there is still any question as to the effectiveness of spinning ask a wushu expert for a demonstration.

The subject of whether or not they add control is an interesting one. I would say that spinning will add control to further spins, flips, twirls, and even juggling of the stick. But I would argue that it is inaccurate to say that practicing a spin is going to give you a better side strike, increase your ability to do a precision disarm, or give you better control over the moving up and down the length of the bo. Practicing a spin will give you stronger forearms, but not any stronger then if you practiced the same amount of kata, or two person sparring. It will give you a better feel for the centrifugal force involved in spins, but as I discussed earlier, real bo conflict involves few if any spins while engaged. So to summarize, yes practicing spins will give you better spins but it will not improve combative techniques any were near as well as simply practicing them.

 

I compare it like this. I have a close friend who is a professional juggler. He twirls and he tosses things with perfect precision. He is exceptionally skilled at knocking 3 sticks around and twirling them. Now if I placed him against an equally skilled escrima stick practitioner who practices strikes with the same sticks, the escrima guy would kick his a$$. Sure maybe my friend has great control while twirling the sticks around, but that doesn’t help him as his head is getting batted in. I’m sure my juggling friend also has great fore arms, but that doesn’t help him without knowing how to strike. How many escrima guys do you see twirling and juggling their sticks? Not many, certainly not the dangerous ones. That’s because they’re busy practicing things that work in combat.

[SBN Doug]

Practicing a spin will give you stronger forearms, but not any stronger then if you practiced the same amount of kata, or two person sparring. It will give you a better feel for the centrifugal force involved in spins, but as I discussed earlier, real bo conflict involves few if any spins while engaged. So to summarize, yes practicing spins will give you better spins but it will not improve combative techniques any were near as well as simply practicing them.

 

I hope no one mistook my opinion that spinning is a necessary training tool for I thought that's all that is required.

 

We start off with learning the 15 basic spinning techniques, which teaches us how to move the bong around our bodies. Next, we learn the moving techniques, which teach us to move our bodies around the bong. 3rd, we learn the hung, which obviously brings both those skills togeather. And finally, we learn the pre-arranged sparring drills, which now places an apponent in front of us, trying to hit us and avoiding our strikes.

 

There is no mandatory training in free sparring with the staff, but some of us in the upper ranks, that have very good control, like to spar once in a while to get the feel of a "real" attack.