Bo Staff Exercise Forms

The bo staff, a traditional Okinawan weapon, serves as not only a weapon, but an aid to exercising. The staff requires dexterity and awareness to use effectively as a weapon, even with its simplicity in design. You can attack and defend easily with the staff. Kata, or forms, teach you how to flow from one stance or strike to the next, and defend against an oncoming attack.

  1. Assets of the Bo

    • The bo staff measures approximately 6 feet long, but can vary with your height. This length affords it greater range than most melee weapons such as swords, sticks or knives. Your hands should grip the bo at equal distances along its length, separating it into three equal parts. Some staff techniques, such as Shaolin kung fu, advocate a grip closer to the end, and you can incorporate this into your training. For basic techniques, stick with the equal grip.

      You can strike, parry or thrust with the bo. You parry with the center portion of the bo and strike with the two ends. To add power to your strikes, pull the end nearest you toward you at the same time as you push with the striking end. When you attack, do so with the opposite side from the one you previously used. This adds speed to your techniques.

    Different Movements

    • Each movement in a bo kata has a purpose. When you angle the bo downward, for example, it deflects strikes to your knee or groin, two common targets of attack. An upward angle blocks attacks to your chest, face or head. A small, hooking motion parries thrusts. When you practice bo forms, strike successively to both sides. From lateral strikes, you can use a thrust. If you are fighting someone else who uses a bo, his weapon won't be in position to parry a quick thrust.

    Changing Grip

    • Occasionally, you will have to change the grip on your bo from overhand to underhand, or vice versa. Grip the bo underhand on the striking side, and overhand on the other side. When you change your grip, change your underhand grip first, but don't remove your hand from the bo. Instead, relax your hand so the bo forms an almost parallel line with your fingers. Then, roll your hand around the bo to the other side and move your thumb back into place. Change your grip when you feel it would make your stance more natural, without having to twist your wrists.

      Doing this can damage your tendons and ligaments. Gripping the bo underhand on the attacking side works most of the time. However, one particular exception to this rule shows in a simple combination: a downward thrust to the foot following an upward strike.