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 A bo or kon, is a long staff, usually made of tapered hard wood, for example white oak, bamboo and in some cases for training purposes, rotan. Sometimes it is made of metal or plated with metal for extra strength; also, a full-size bo is sometimes called a rokushakubo. This name derives from the Japanese words roku, meaning "six"; shaku; a Japanese measurement equivalent to 30.3 centimeters (0.994 ft); and bo. Thus, rokushakubo refers to a staff about 6-shaku (1.82 m; 5.96 feet) long. The bo is typically 3 cm (1.2 inch) thick , sometimes gradually tapering from the middle to 2 cm (0.8 inch)at both ends. This thickness allows the user to make a tight fist around it in order to block and counter an attack. The most common shape, maru-bo, is a round staff, while kaku-bo (four-sided staff), rokkaku-bo (six-sided staff), hakkaku-bo (eight-sided staff) also exist. Other types of bo range from heavy to light, from rigid to highly flexible, and from simple pieces of wood picked up from the side of the road to ornately decorated works of art. The Japanese martial art of wielding the bo is bojutsu. The basis of bo technique is te, or hand, techniques derived from Quanfa and other martial arts that reached Okinawa via trade and Chinese monks. Thrusting, swinging, and striking techniques often resemble empty-hand movements, following the philosophy that the bo is merely an "extension of one's limbs". As in Okinawa-te, attacks are often avoided by agile footwork and returning strikes made at the enemy's weak points. At NAAMA: All weapons are taught in 3 ranks. At the beginning rank the students are taught the warm-ups, care, and introductory level techniques for the weapon. Intermediate students are shown the techniques that have a higher level of difficulty as well as longer, more complex forms and exercises. The advanced rank encourages the student to further explore the uses of the weapon in real-world situations and exposes the most difficult techniques and exercises that NAAMA offers. Available Ranks:
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| Created By: shawnpence@att.net Modified On: Dec. 29,2009 Copyright 2009 NAAMA. All rights reserved. | ||||||||