Bo (Jang Bong)

Bo (boh) Jap. "staff", "stave", or "stick"

A wooden staff five to six feet long (in practice, "one fist width" taller than the student). It is one of the five weapons systematized by the early Okinawan developers of te (hand), and may have originated with the poles used by farmers to balance heavy loads across the shoulders.

BoJutSu (boh-jut’su) Jap. "art of the staff"
An armed system of combat centering around the use of a long wooden staff called a Bo. The staff is employed with a two-handed gripping action and form is its main training method. Techniques include striking, thrusting, blocking, parrying, deflecting, sweeping, and holding. By quick changes in the grip, the length of the weapon can be varied for long-range or close-quarter combat.

The art of using the staff was developed from Japanese spear and lance techniques. The common weapon learned in most schools of martial arts in feudal Japan, it became popular in Okinawa, where edged and metal weapons were outlawed by the ruling Shimazu clan. The Bo is a staff of very hard wood about six feet long., approximately one inch in diameter, often tapered at both ends.

It was originally used as a walking staff and a tool to carry very heavy loads. It can be used to strike, block, and trap an opponent. The bo, or stick is probably one of the first weapons that mankind used to defend or hunt. It could easily be found, was not to difficult to handle, and could be used for multiple purposes. In Okinawa, the bo probably originated from a farm tool called tenbin. It is a stick held across the shoulders, on which fish or water buckets could be hung. It could also be originated from walking sticks monks used to ease hiking and eventually defend themselves. The techniques executed with the bo, were probably developed very early in history, and were probably refined after the Heian Era (around 1127 AD).
ANATOMY AND TYPES OF BO

STANDARD STRAIGHT BO (STAFF) 6′ long, 1 1/4" wide; red or white oak, ash. Length may vary from 4′-8′. This type of bo is heavy, slow to move, but very powerful. It is quite effective for smashing or crushing. It was useful for carrying heavy loads or aided in travels across difficult terrain. In combat an especially large bo, sometimes made of metal, was used and had blades or studs added to the surface to assist in the lethal capabilities of the weapon.

STANDARD TAPERED BO 6′ long, 1 1/4" wide and tapers to 3/4" at ends; oak, ash, hard maple. This type of bo is light in weight and very well balanced due to its design. The center is the weapon’s fulcrum and allows for quick action. It has reduced rigidity because of its tapered ends. Blocks and strikes can be executed with whiplike movement. T he smaller ends were excellent for penetrating armor or flesh in a combat situation.

VARIATIONS OF BO Some weapons were as long as 9′ in length to maximize the advantage a bo offered the warrior–extraordinary reach.

BAMBOO staffs were sometimes used because of their sharp, ripping qualities.

YARI (bo with a spear) became popular because they combined the reach of a bo with the stabbing ability of a sword.

NAGINATA, although not directly related to the traditional bo, combines the potential for blocking and striking with powerful ripping capabilities of a larger blade.

JO sticks were shorter walking sticks with greater inside fighting variations than the long bo.

ESCRIMA fighting sticks are specifically designed as weapons for striking, blocking, and locking at close range (although still possessing the extension qualities of the bo).

Nunchaku

Nunchaku
(nun-cha’ koo) Jap. "wooden flail"
An Okinawan rice thresher made (also rumored to have been a bridle for a horse) of two unequal lengths of hardwood, hinged together by a cord originally made of hair, either human or horse. During the Japanese occupation of the Ryukyu Islands, the nunchaku developed as one of the five systemized weapons of Okinawa that were used in conjunction with empty-hand fighting arts. The modern nunchaku varies, but is usually around 12" to 14". It is made with both sticks the same length. Lighter woods and even plastic have replaced the heavy red oak, and nylon cords or swivel-mounted chains are used in place of hair. Modern nunchaku, especially those made in the U.S., often have fancy handgrips and employ such innovations as ball-bearing swivels.

The nunchaku can be swung with tremendous velocity in a wide variety of patterns and can thus deliver devastating blows. It can also be used to block or parry an attack or as a thrusting weapon; and the cord can be used to choke or catch on opponent’s wrist and apply severe pressure to immobilize and bring about a submission.

Basic Movements to study

* Simple Up
* Inward figure 8 (Block)
* Outward figure 8 (Strike)
* Side Swing
* Arm Switch

* Around the Neck
* Side Swing with around the neck combo
* Front Strike
* Around the Neck (part 2)
* Double Strikes
* Double, Single, Overhead Strikes

Basic Defense against a Nunchaku attack:

Here are some simple things to do in a street environment to defend against such a weapon.

1. Run away. This is always your first choice. It is always better to avoid the fight if possible. I am not sorry if I offended your macho image.

2. Use a weapon as well. Your opponent has already introduced a weapon into this fight. There is no room for complaint if you counter this action with a weapon of your own.

Long tool. This is certainly your first choice here. Grab a distance weapon like a broom, shovel, pool cue or mop. Pole or strike your opponent and let them realize that while you are in range, they are not. When the realize this, you will be a long ways to having this even over.

Throw something. A rock or a bottle to the chest or head will work wonders. Big things such as a thrown chair. There just is not good way to catch or block a thrown chair. Even sand in the eyes can work great.

Disarm your opponent. Grabbing a stick, baseball bat or cane can increase your chances of a good defense. Aim for the rope or chain of the nunchakus. If you hook that and pull it, it will be very likely you will strip the weapon away from the attacker. Keep your wits about you. Even while the nunchakus may be moving at tremendous speed, the chain or rope that makes up the center of the weapon remains relatively very still.

Use a shield or target. Grab something to take the blows from the weapon without causing you significant harm. The easiest can be just putting your shoes on your hands. Or maybe grab a bag or suitcase.

Use a soft tool. Think of a rolled up towel which makes a rat tail like the ones we all played with as children. Snap that into the chain or rope of a nunchaku being used and you can snag them. Maybe even use your belt. Such items can also be used to block when pulled tight and then used as a whip when relaxed. Throwing your coat into the weapon will retard their use for a while.

3. Hit your opponent before he swings. Hitting first is always a good tactic but even after the opponent makes one swing and misses, it will be a moment before they can regain control of the weapon and strike again. You can certainly strike during that moment.

4. Move in close after an attack. Nunchaku by their nature beg for a certain amount of range to the target. If you close the range you diminish their ability to be used to their full potential.

5. Use your empty hands to stop them. This is of course a last ditch effort. By striking into the rope or chain you can stop the weapon but you will likely take a blow from the weapon.

Sai

Sai (sigh) Jap.

A pronged truncheon about fifteen to twenty inches long, used as a defensive instrument against various weapons, specifically the sword and staff, as well as empty-hand attacks. It is believed to have originated from the pitchfork or a farming tool used for planting, and is one of the five systematized weapons developed by the early karate practitioners of Okinawa.

Often two or three sai were carried, one in each hand and a third thrust into the waistband in reserve. The sai has a long history found in India, China, Malaysia, and Indonesia.