Bo Staff

A bo is a long staff, usually made of wood or bamboo, but sometimes it is made of metal or plated with metal for extra strength; also, a full-size bo is sometimes called a rokushakubo. This name derives from the Japanese words roku meaning "six"; shaku); a Japanese measurement equivalent to 30.3 centimeters, or just under 1 foot; and bo. Thus, rokushakubo refers to a staff about 6 shaku (181.8 cm, about 6 ft.) long. Other types of bo range from heavy to light, from rigid to highly flexible, and from simply a piece of wood picked up off the side of the road to ornately decorated works of art.

The martial art of wielding the bo is bojutsu. The basic purpose of the bo is increasing the force delivered in a strike, through leverage, and to benefit the wielder from the extra distance this weapon affords. The user's relatively slight motion, effected at the point of handling the bo, results in a faster, more forceful motion by the tip of the bo against the object or subject of the blow; thus enabling long-range crushing and sweeping strikes. The bo may also be thrust at an opponent, allowing one to hit from a distance. It also is used for joint-locks, thrustings of the bo that immobilize a target joint, which are used to non-fatally subdue an opponent. The bo is a weapon mainly used for self-defense, and can be used to execute several blocks and parries. Martial arts techniques, such as kicks and blocks, can also be combined with weapon techniques when practicing this martial art to enhance its effectiveness.

In styles such as Yamani-ryū or Kenshin-ryū, many of the strikes are the same as those used for yari (spear) or naginata. There are stick fighting techniques native to just about every country on every continent. The word "bo" is merely the Japanese word for wooden staff weapons.

Our bo here at Swords of Might are top quality and are used all over the world in martial arts forms as well as competitions.