if someone takes the time to study how to weild a weapon without an "instructor", just because they havn't adopted pre-established set of techniques, who is to say if they are wrong or not?Just a different way of using it.

Here we go....I am probably going to get a lot of folks here upset with me but you might apreciate some of what I have to say.
First - I didn't get much info on what you know about Martial arts.
If you have some years of experience with a style then you should know some of the basics of power and form.
Hopefully you have had some instruction with the Bo or whatever weapon you are working with. I don't know how much that video explains.

Myself.....I did learn a few forms with the Bo, Jo and wooden sword in class, BUT we only worked on it for a total of about 20 hours in the 5 years with that instructor.
From there ( and I am the type of person that never forgets the basics ) I worked at home.
I taught what I knew to a friend that came over 2 times a week and we would spend 3 hours at a time with nothing but weapons. We worked out togather for 20 some years and there were times when we would dominate whole years to weapons.
I also worked the weapons against trees, heavy bag, rebound bags and moveing objects.
Turns out that when I worked with otherr opponents I was untouchable. My best techniques are with these tools.

When tested in classes after some years of this I wound up teaching new students when the class was big enough for the Sensai to break it into groups, Or I did demos. I am very proud of my accomplishments.

Note - this took thousands of hours and several broken weapons plus knocks to my own head and fingers but I did it mostly on my own.
These days I am walking with a cane due to needing hip replacement. So I am converting my techniques to the cane. I build all of my own tools and the cane is made of laminated iron wood. It is heavy and strong enough to break any of my bos or jos and a good upper body workout.

So - My take is - If you are truely dedicated anything is possable BUT do seek instruction. Sometimes I would get one tidbit from an instructor and I would work that small addition for months before going on to something new.

lesson one: 'Bo staff' is a redundant term. it's like saying 'katana sword'.

Your bo staff will never beat my nunchaku bridle. Or was that nunchaku rice flail? Dangit, I keep forgetting.

Oooh Maaan !
I hope our wording doesn't count for much.

Sometimes me walking on my tongue is all that happens when I am trying to explain something.

Lets not be so picky and stick to the - Bo staff stick thingie - topic Pleeease.

Interesting

Because there are proper ways to use weapons and wrong ways to use weapons.

Some are constructed around methods and techniques that have been used in actual combat vs people trying very hard to kill the user.

Tested over many years by many people all over the world.

And some methods are the simply "invented" out of thin air.

So if I have to pick between a classical art with a proven history of success in fighting with weapons--kali, escrima, koryu arts---pick your poisen.
Or something somebody kinda just "invented"
I'm going with the former.

Its "possible" that someone has hit upon a totally new and inovative method--"possible" but not bloody likly.

But quite likely to be bloody.

As CXT said "There are proper ways to use weapons and wrong ways"
Again - My take on this is - It is important to learn whatever one can from an experienced instructor BUT in some cases ( atleast what I have seen ) there is actually little or no hard contact. Most of what was taught was open air and insights into the meaning of the moves. Also ( in Aikido ) there was the internal and spacial instruction that manouvering the Jo or manouvering your body around the Jo which needed to be realised before much improvement would come from your practice.
That statement most likely did not make sense to most people unless they have incorperated it into their art. If anyone wants more explination I would be glad to expand on the topic BUT my point is comming in the next paragraph.

To learn about your weapon ( Bo, Jo, sword or what ever ) one needs to find out what happens with contact. Obviously this can not be practiced on a person.
One needs to spend more time on their own than in class to really learn their weapon. So with the basics understood, one needs to go and work out the intricacies.
For example - a swinging strike ( like swinging a tennis racket ) will break almost any type of wood implament, if your striking area is in the wrong place. If you strike a target with the center of the shaft it will break, if you strike closer to your gripping hand it will have moveing force but not much velocity, if the contact point is 3/4 to 7/8 toward the tip it will have maximum power, if it hits at its tip it will vibrate through your hand so much you may loose control or your grip.
These details can only be learned with practice and experimentation.

So - what I am getting at is....even though one needs some instruction, one needs to work with all of what they learn on their own.

By the way......WHERE DID DrZoidberg GO ?
Have you got anything else to add or ask about your topic ?

JoelM

Very "punny"