Martial Arts, More than Just Punches, Kicks, and Submissions

According to Wikipedia the Bo has been used in Asia since the begining of recorded history. The first Bo was made of stone and called ishibo. They were hard to make and very heavy. The bo was used for self-defense by monks or commoners, the staff was an integral part of the Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū, one of the martial arts’ oldest surviving styles. The staff evolved into the bō with the foundation of kobudo, a martial art using weapons, which emerged in Okinawa in the early 17th century.

The Bo staff is my favorite weapon to use for my creative forms. There are so many different combinations that you can put together. It is a great way for me to express myself. I have also used knives in my creative forms, but they are not as fun to work with.

When I first wanted to learn weapons forms, I started out with knives. My parents went out and found me a great pair. I think I did my knife form at two tournaments before I decided I wanted to try the Bo staff. My parents would not go out and buy me a Bo, so I found an old wooden broomstick. I would go outside and spin that crooked wooden stick for hours. My Pawpaw & NeNe bought me my first Bo staff, I guess they wanted to see if I could spin a real Bo better than that old broom stick. I am glad they had faith in me, because it pushed me to go out and do it.

There are many other weapons that I want to give a try. I would love to learn how to use the three piece bo staff. Maybe this summer I will try my luck with it. I am almost positive pictures of me with knots on my head will be posted as I attempt to learn how to use the three piece Bo.