jo kata and bokken kata

Hi there. I'm new one and i want to find the kata's from jo and bokken. can anyone of you help me please?

Hey there... I've tried to find this myself and can offer the following advice...

All styles of Aikido use different katas. They may share the same name, or be the same for the first 15 moves and then be different for the next 15. When trying to find the katas for my style I failed miserably. But, in case someone on here knows the kata for the style that you train with, you should post your style so someone can assist you better.

You'd hate to spend all that time learning a kata that doesn't apply!

aikido is my style

Nope, Aikido is your art. Your style is something else entirely.

Different Aikido styles may include:
Yoseikan - Aikikai - Iwama-ryu - Shin-shin Toitsu - Tomiki-ryu - Yoshinkan - etc...

All are different styles of Aikido... and each has (typically) a different interpretation of the jo and bokken katas. If you're new to Aikido (welcome!) the style that your dojo practices is usually listed on their web site or at least in your student handbook.

I agree that you should look into what style of Aikido you practice first. However, if by your answer you mean that you're open to all styles, then okay.

There are illustrations of Jo kata in the book 'Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere' by Turnbell and Ratti. There are also a few DVD's on the subject.

If you're really interested in the Jo, I might consider looking in Jodo in your area. This is an art the focus' on the Jo and the sword exclusivly and that blends pretty well with Aikido.

--Chris

Well that's a good point that I hadn't thought of. In that vein, I've found a ton of jo katas on YouTube. Just do a search for "jo kata" and you'll get a ton of answers - just none that fit my style. So sad

I understand so aikikai is my style!!!
ok?

Well then I'm no help at all then! (I'm not Aikikai) But, to keep from being too much of a jerk, here's a good search result from YouTube for jo katas.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jo+kata&search=Search

I would imagine that the Morihiro Saito katas are pretty close to current Aikikai katas, but I'll have to appeal to a higher authority to be sure. I think wristtwister is Aikikai, as I'm sure others are too. Perhaps they'll be kind enough to chime in...

I'll chime in, but I'm kind of a "mixed drink"... more jujutsu than anything else.. but I do love the work...

Like you said, there are a number of kata out there, but really only one that seems to be pretty standard in all the schools and seminars I've visited. Almost any Aikido school can teach it to you in a few classes. I don't have it on video and wouldn't attempt to try to talk you through it, but I will give you some advice.

First of all, don't "twirl" the jo like a baton... it's a weapon. It's meant to be used to strike and punch. It is a method to extend ki, and your technique should be the same with or without the jo (or bokken).

Second, work the weapon on your body centerline or aligned with your hip, depending on the technique... thrusts should be done like shooting hard with a pool que.

Third, every strike has a specific target. Don't just swing the jo in the air, but at imaginary target areas of an opponent. A small or medium sized tree makes a good "hitting opponent" target to use as a makiwara.

My last instruction would be to keep your elbows in their natural position as much as possible, and use the natural flow of the weapon to guide the ki extension as much as possible. While having a kata is good, simply having good "sword technique" with it will make it workable as well, and you can follow whichever kata lead you want as a standard.

Remember true martial arts are based on intent, so be deadly serious when using or facing a weapon. It will make all the difference in how well you use it, and what it brings to the table from its use.

JMHO

Just to throw a spanner in the works.... I'll just say this... weapons kata is a waste of time. You'd be better off doing sets of cuts or thrusts and paired work. IMHO, kata is only useful as a transitory phase from solo to paired work.

Everything wristtwister said is spot on and far more important than kata.

I have a 6' tall 4" wide bamboo pole stuck in the ground, and that is all I do.... hit it. If you're going to hit a tree, be nice to it... wrap some padding around it.

I once saw a vid of the old man hitting a bogu rigged up to a pole. Use your imagination....