If you think about the many weapons that have been created over the years, some will always stay classic. Bo staffs are definitely one of these weapons which have not lost their space. In martial arts, you cannot start off as a student unless you begin to learn the technique with a bo staff. It is a long and thin bamboo stick that is used in learning to attack and defending techniques. The sheer purpose of the staff is to teach you stability, balance, reflexes, and build your upper body muscles. When you look at the simplicity of the staff, it's hard to imagine it can be so pivotal but it is.
When you begin to train for martial arts and street fighting, a bo staff can teach you important moves. In old Kung Fu movies, the bo staff is often the most commonly featured tool. The reason is that many people regard it as the main tool that gets them into the agility for martial arts. This simple staff is flexible and quick as a whip as well as pretty sturdy. You can block a sword, gun, or even someone charging at you with your bare hands with it. PA Knives boasts a good collection of martial arts training weapons, including bo staffs. Let’s look at some of the ways that bo staffs are important for use in fighting and training.
Can You Use A Bo Staff For Self Defense?
If you look at the history of the bo staff, it was primarily made for self-defense. In ancient Okinawa, Japan, the military-ruled in tyranny, banning weapons of all kinds for farmer civilians. To protect themselves from samurais, they had to fashion weapons from their daily tools of use. The staff that they used for hiking, shepherding, and carrying water were made of bamboo sticks. These staffs were sturdy, readily available, and undetectable as weapons. These civilians taught themselves how to use them properly as self defense weapons against swords and other weapons.
Nowadays, you won't see the bo staff as a major self defense weapon, but it is still used in training. It is a tool that helps you channel your strength and focus into fighting someone off. The real purpose is still to learn how to block and attack and hit back to save yourself. The good thing is that many people who train with it can transfer those skills to other weapons or simple sticks. Once you get the hang of the attack and defense techniques, almost anything can be used as a bo staff.
The Multiple Bo Staff Techniques In Use
There are actually many ways that ancient martial arts masters utilized bo staffs. They started off with balancing and swinging these staffs to develop balance and reflexes. After that, there are some ways that these staffs are used as attacking and defense weapons.
The Helicopter
Even though this is not the real name of the move, it is normally known as this. You use the staff as a helicopter wing and swing it in circles above your head. It creates this protective shield that was adapted from old techniques of bo staff defense. Samurais would use swords and other things to attack civilians on the head. This circular move protects your head from any kind of blow or attack.
The Infinity Swing
Again, not the real name of the move, but the second most common one, the infinity swing protects your face and upper body. You bring the staff in front of your body with one arm and begin to spin it in an eight-shaped circle. It combines the strength of your arm and chest muscles and creates a shield to protect you from stabbing, pushing, and even bullets.
Front and Back Thrust
Often if you are in a stand-off with someone with a weapon, you aim for the most vulnerable spots. In a fight, if you use a bo staff, you can use front and back thrust methods to do that. The front thrust is when you station your feet apart, one in front and one in back, and use the length of the staff to push into your opponent's chest and neck. In a back thrust, you can also repeat the same motion in reverse and hit someone approaching you from behind.
The Sweeping Strike
When you are confronting someone who is coming at you or has overpowered you, you need something destabilizing. The sweeping strike allows you to actually sweep the bo staff low and attack the opponent’s feet and disrupt their balance. Even if someone is coming at you full speed, you will avoid their attack as well as literally throw them off their game.
Types Of Bo Staff Widely Sold
For aspiring martial artists in the country, finding the right kind of starter weapons can be hard. But there are some that are more popular because they work great or look good. The first one that is mostly preferred is the rattan bo staff, which is incredibly flexible. Made from rattan bamboo, it is bendy and lasts long for someone in training. It is cheap and easy to replace and is often the first training weapon you get.
The second one which martial arts buffs like is the black bo staff. It is sleek, often polished, and maybe also inscribed. This is the kind of bo staff that will appeal to a martial arts weapon collector for show. But someone who has advanced in their training will also need this sturdy and hefty stick.
The Best Martial Arts Weapons To Get Online
If you are having trouble finding martial arts weapons for training or collection, do not despair. We at PAKnives cater to all kinds of weapon lovers, especially martial arts lovers who respect the ancient craft. The best staff weapon you can get as a beginner will cost you less than 5 dollars. If you want to amp up your technique and skill, a tapered, polished one will do too. Look up our selection of bo staffs to find the one you like for your training or liking at excellent prices.
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