Kobudo 101: Bo, or why weapons are difficult

Posted on Feb 13, 2010 in Martial Arts | 2 comments

Northwest Martial Arts, the dojo in Bothell where I train, now offers a kobudo, or Okinawan weapons training, class the second Friday of each month. It’s taught by Scott Schweitzer Sensei, who really knows his way around these martial arts weapons. Last night was the first of these classes and I was excited to try my hand at them.

Following traditional Matayoshi-style kobudo, we began with bo training. The bo is a six-foot wooden staff about one and a half inches in diameter; sometimes they’re tapered to about an inch at both ends. It’s sometimes called rokushakubo, which is Japanese for six (roku) and shaku, a Japanese unit of measurement that is, strangely enough, .99 of a foot. It’s a very common weapon in many cultures because it is (essentially) just a long stick. It’s probably for this ubiquity that it’s the first weapon taught in kobudo. You’re probably familiar with the bo if you’re a fan of Donatello of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (and c’mon, you must be, right?).

Though I’ve trained in karate, traditional goju-ryu karate, and aikido for over two years, I have very limited experience with weapons. Weapons possess that “cool factor” in martial arts movies and culture. Anybody can punch or kick. But wielding a sword, nunchaku (nun-chucks), or more esoteric weapons like the Meteor Hammer that was used to deadly effect by Gogo Yubari in Kill Bill, now that takes some skill, right? I certainly disagree that “anyone can punch or kick” (or at least do so well) but yes: weapons are cool. That’s part of why I want to learn them. But oh boy, they aren’t easy!

Adding a weapon to what your body can do on its own enhances both attacking power and reach, yet it also magnifies your imperfections. So while your punch might look okay (even if it really isn’t), a bo strike that isn’t good has little power and also fails to impress the eye. But being inexperienced with it doesn’t eliminate a weapon’s danger. If you accidentally punch someone while training, you may bruise them, possibly draw blood, or at worst break a nose. Accidentally striking someone with a bo (or bokken, tonfa, sai or any other weapon) will at least hurt them and could potentially be fatal—regardless of whether the weapon has a real blade or sharp point. The ante is upped when training with weapons; you must be even more diligent about knowing your surroundings, whether they be people or just a wall (or a mirror!).

Last night’s class taught me something besides how cool the bo is. It reminded me what it’s like to be a rank beginner. In my other training, I have a certain level of “domain knowledge”: I know a lot of Japanese terminology; my body has (some) muscle memory for punches, strikes, falls, and stances; and I generally have a sense of knowing what to do in class (even though everything needs so much improvement!). But after last night, I have a renewed respect for what it’s like for new martial artists. It’s difficult and a bit intimidating! Despite my training, the techniques we practiced with the bo used different muscles so I became tired and sore very quickly. Learning the simplest maneuver—switching hand positions on the bo—felt foreign and I did so slowly; even more so for the strikes and blocks we practiced. I was nervous swinging this six-foot long staff, worried I’d hit my black-belt partner in the fingers or put a hole in the wall behind me. In short, it was truly humbling. And this was just an introduction to the first weapon… Okinawan kobudo has over a dozen!

Like all martial arts, kobudo is a long path to travel. I’ve taken my first steps and I look forward to my next opportunity. Because even Napoleon Dynamite understands it’s important to have skills with a bo staff so gangs will want you to join them.

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