The BO - in Japan
is not the Core or Primary weapon in STMA or any of our Source schools
Some do propose that the BO is the core weapon in Kukushinden and teach it that way - this will be explained
As we know, the BO and the JO, and to some extent the HANBO, come from the broken spear
Just as we do not go into battle Unarmed, nor do we go into battle with a stick weapon - we go with a blade primarily a SWORD
Whether Samurai in Japan, Greek. Roman, Trojan warriors, or Knights in Europe including right across to England, warriors would put on armour and go into battle with swords drawn
usually they would ride horses - and Horsemanship is an Art in all cultures, riding, using the sword and the bow on horseback - then later the use of guns
Think of the Lone Ranger riding his horse Silver while firing his gun
after this you get modern vehicles and weapons
(from firing a hand gun from a car, to tanks, to flying vehicles like fighter planes and attack helicopters)
So if we look at the BO in our NINJA system, again specifically Kukushin, we learn the BO first, it's Gata and applications
- from there we learn the Gata for the YARI spear, the NAGINATA halberd, and the BISENTO
- attach a knife, double edged, to the Bo and you have a Yari
- attach a kodachi blade to a Bo and you have a Naginata
- attach a heavier machete type blade to the Bo and you have a Bisento
( the NAGIMAKI, a Jo with a Katana blade was probably never a battle weapon, most likely invited in peacetime as a variation - and not a weapon included in our NINJA Tradition )
Going the "other way" we shorten the Bo
- the Jo of course
with the Katana, which would be the battle weapon along with the Spear, we can see the reference, and we practice BO against the Katana
Once the spear breaks, the opponent, with his Sword, expects an easy victory, as you are left with "just" a broken stick - hence the need to separately develop a system for the BO and then the JO
not forgetting the BROKEN END will be pointy and sharp and still a stabbing Spear weapon
the HANBO, while a half Bo, and/or a JO with about a SHAKU cut off, is a close range weapon
it relates to the Sword in length and also the TAIJUTSU
When we look at the Kukishin DAKENTAIJUTSU we see how it relates to the Hanbo
When we look at our KALI we see how the Hanbo is the same length as the Largo Mano and the LARGO stick
With the SERRADA stick we go through the three ranges
Largo
Serrada Medio
Hubud Corto
From the Serrada stick we move out to the Largo stick, still used with one hand
The HANBO and the NINJATO, used with two hands are the next range
The KATANA comes next
Finally we get back out to BO - YARI - NAGINATA - BISENTO long range
After this is the PROJECTILE range
Shuriken - and throwing knives
Crossbow
Longbow
then Modern weapons - handgun, rifle, then the longer ranges
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BO - in Okinawa
as it comes down from China
In China there are versions of the SPEAR and some have the tassles to distract and confuse the opponent's sight
(interestingly this was not taken over to Japan, though this would seem to be an obvious NINJA tactic )
There are also heavier blades on the poles in some Kung Fu systems, more like the Bart Charm Do
With WING CHUN we have the simple KWANE pole
another interesting point is there is no Spear in WC, Yari like or otherwise, nor did the put the BCD blade onto the Pole
nor is there an "intermediate" longer Sword, like the Tai Chi sword, nor anything like a Katana, longer double handed sword
again, nobody knows why this is
We do not source Chinese Pole or Spear in STMA other than the WING CHUN KWANE
So on OKINAWA the Weapons relate to KARATE, as written above
The BO is first and Core weapon here
Okinawa is referred to by it's original name RYUKU
so we have RYUKU Kobudo and then RYUKYU KEMPO which become KARATE
each of the three port town has its own Kempo - refined into a TE system
SHURI
NAHA
TOMARI
We use the BO as the first weapon
there is no GATA in the Japanese way, there is KUMI
KUMI BO is Bo v Bo
we the add the next four weapons
TONFA
NUNCHAKU
KAMA
SAI
and we develop the KUMI for these weapons against the Bo
specific KUMI eg Nuncha v Nuncha are added later and many are just exercises
We can also us the KUMI against the Bokken eg Tonfa or Nunch against Bokken
In Karate the Unarmed drills are KUMITE as in KUMI-TE
as it comes down from China
In China there are versions of the SPEAR and some have the tassles to distract and confuse the opponent's sight
(interestingly this was not taken over to Japan, though this would seem to be an obvious NINJA tactic )
There are also heavier blades on the poles in some Kung Fu systems, more like the Bart Charm Do
With WING CHUN we have the simple KWANE pole
another interesting point is there is no Spear in WC, Yari like or otherwise, nor did the put the BCD blade onto the Pole
nor is there an "intermediate" longer Sword, like the Tai Chi sword, nor anything like a Katana, longer double handed sword
again, nobody knows why this is
We do not source Chinese Pole or Spear in STMA other than the WING CHUN KWANE
So on OKINAWA the Weapons relate to KARATE, as written above
The BO is first and Core weapon here
Okinawa is referred to by it's original name RYUKU
so we have RYUKU Kobudo and then RYUKYU KEMPO which become KARATE
each of the three port town has its own Kempo - refined into a TE system
SHURI
NAHA
TOMARI
We use the BO as the first weapon
there is no GATA in the Japanese way, there is KUMI
KUMI BO is Bo v Bo
we the add the next four weapons
TONFA
NUNCHAKU
KAMA
SAI
and we develop the KUMI for these weapons against the Bo
specific KUMI eg Nuncha v Nuncha are added later and many are just exercises
We can also us the KUMI against the Bokken eg Tonfa or Nunch against Bokken
In Karate the Unarmed drills are KUMITE as in KUMI-TE
