Hello:

Have a weapon puzzle/issue I cannot quite figure out.

Using a jo, hanbo, a stick, a bo of some kind.
When a movement seems identical to that of a sword being drawn from the hip (ie a sweep from hip going forward on a horizontal plane) with the front tip the stick leading the entire motion throughout. (starts in front, stays in front, and ends in front)

If the weapon were a katana, a sword instead, the weapon would be "alive", have a razor sharp edge and be very dangerous throughout the entire motion. What happens when the weapon is indeed a stick NOT a sword re: the middle, the body of that stick? The forward point can poke, rake, dig the swing can make the rear tip quite ~unpleasant~... if it were pulled to the opposite hip

For folks who do jo, short bo work, what IYO, IYE should be happening with the "main body" of the stick... in this kind of action? It has no ~edge~... would it be "dead", pose little offensive danger in that kind of draw-sweep action?



Jeff

In many cases, not all, they are interchangeable.

When striking with the jo, the contact with the target should be made with the edge of the tip. Sorry, my jo terminology is non existent. At the very least, the last 1-2 inches where the force is.

Hello Jamjtx:

The action I was speaking of was planear-horizontal and the body of the bo (hanbo) has a very definitive slicing quality to it. My question is with the ~middle~ 24" of the stick... I would never deny the poke, drag, rip quality of the ends of any bo... jo... hanbo.

What does that kind of sliding motion, that slicing quality demonstrate... its orignal sword nature? Something else???

Jeff

Is there video somewhere that we can compare to get a better idea what you're describing?
I assume this is part of a form? I may be off base here but, have you considered that the motion does not have to be a strike or cut? There are examples in other bo/jo kata where these more "passive" movements are used as locks, escapes, deflections, parrys, disarms, or just to create an opening for another movement. Would it be useful to alter the speed of the movement or would this make any difference?
Hard to say without at least seeing it.

I think I know what you are talking about Ronin, I have seen a jo staff form before and alot of the movements do look very similar to how you would wield a sword. But from what I saw, it appeared that in the strike you are describing it is being done just as it would be done if it were with a sword or katana lets say--the striking point is really just the top 2 inches or so. So to try and answer your question, the middle part of the staff I would see as equivalent to the middle part of a katana (which I believe is not as sharp as the top, but somewhat sharper than the dull part near the hilt), I hope that this helps.

You would not intentionally cut with the middle part of the blade of a katana. So I doubt this jo motion imitates that.

I'm wondering if perhaps this motion is meant to be a lock of some kind.

Having video would help, if at all possible.