stances used with a bo

[Cougar_v203]

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Topic look at it.

[gojuman]

You can use any stance with a Bo. what is your question?

[YODA]

I don't use a "Bo" but I do use a staff - I favour mobility over "stance" - just as I do without a weapon.

[Reiki]

yes what is the question??

[Cougar_v203]

just wondering what stances could you use if your using a bo, staff, whatever.

[OLDLilBunnyRabbit]

Just about anything that doesn't make you fall over or unable to use the staff.

[gojuman]

Originally posted by YODA
I don't use a "Bo" but I do use a staff - I favour mobility over "stance" - just as I do without a weapon.

Mobilty is really only the space between stances.

[Reiki]

in our bo work we use many of the normal "stances" found in many systems

ie
hangetsu dachi [half stance] this is one of the most common used
shiko dachi [squat]
neko ashi dachi [cat]
kiba dachi [horse]
zenkutsu dachi [dragon]
plus normal kamae, musubu dachi etc etc

and many others ... plus transitions between
- and a lot of one legged ones! :)

does this answer your question?

[YODA]

Originally posted by gojuman
Mobilty is really only the space between stances.

And if there are no stances - it's all mobility :D

[Cudgel]

but you cant always be in motion
So you need a comfortable postion to stand in that also allows you to defend youself in some way.

I dont use bos but I do use polearms. too bad Im not at my on computer I could post a link to site with pollaxe stances

[shonuff]

Depends on what you are standing on, who you are fighting, what type of weapon your opponent(s) has(have), the area you are in, your distance from the opponent. So many things to think about.

If are in a confined space the bo may not be the best weapon but if you have to use it you can get in a stance that allows you thrust the stick with great efficiency.

[Andrew Green]

Offensive ones, defensive ones, and bunch of things in the middle :D

Stance is important, but I prefer the term posturing. I can posture myself to keep you away, or draw you in. To attack certain angles, to defend certain angles. But that has little to do with exact foot positioning or japanese words :D

Posturing and mobility are two of the most important things you can know how to use, and often the most neglected...

[Syd]

You can sit on the toilet holding a Bo/Staff and still apply some techniques.

[LowBlowJoe]

Can Sombody post a pic with a bo or send me a site with one?

[Andrew Green]

It is a big stick, thats all.

Generally 6 ft

[LowBlowJoe]

Ohhhhhh i see i was confusing it with like a Bow & Arrow
Silly me

[Reiki]

the bo is a lovely weapon to work with but probably impractical in a street situation.

A jo or shorter stick would be more easily carried ie improvise an umbrella and use it like a jo..

:D

[Disciple]

Many weapons are an extension of one''s own self. this is especially true about the Bo, long staff, Bong, whatever you want to name it. You can employ any stance that you use with your hands. the only one that is more limited with the bo than your hands is the horse stance. It is harder to throw high punches in a horse stance, and low punches, or sweeps, with the bo staff in a horse stance, those two techniques are best emplyed from afighting stance, or back legged stance.

[shonuff]

The Bo is a realistic weapon. You can't use a stick that is taller than you as a jo, really. This is when Bo techniques become useful.

Bo techniques = any stick your height or taller.

[Cougar_v203]

I got a metal one ;) does that worK?

[Cudgel]

would some one actually fight in horse stance it feels too unblanced and unstable.

ANd there is more to a stance than how you stand isnt there. I have a book tha has chapters on sword stances and the foot work is all identical.
A lot of sword work can carry over to staff work especially if you study a style of swordmanship that uses a sword with two hands. well at least I think so.

[Syd]

Thats a good point Cudgel me ole china. When I practice Yang Style Taijiquan I often perform identical movements in the Broadsword and Short Staff forms. The weapon forms are movements which are merely extentions of the empty handed forms.

[Cudgel]

Yeah the basic techniques of fighting stay the same only the particulars change. THe trick is know what can and cannot transfer over. Ive used modifications of my greatsword technique with larger polearms so I guess I could my greatsword with staff.
and a shrot staff is a lot like a sword only not sharp.


<turns ramble mode off>

[Reiki]

Yes I've noticed [and also been told many times] that a lot of our stances and moves both open handed and with bo etc translate over into the sword work, particularly all the arnis work we do..

What sort of work do you others do with the bo?

We have a number of great kata and of course defensive moves.

Most of my work to date has been with these but I'm interested to hear what others are doing!

[Cudgel]

well stick work will transfer over but you need to have some experiance cutting with a sword as a sword behaves differently when it strikes than a stick.
You have to be aware of the edge alignment so the sword willl cut where as with astick you can just hit the person.

Adn you have to have follow through ie you can just hit your traget with the sword you have hit through it.

But oince youve done some cutting it should be possibel to transfer stuff over really easy.


OK for a slightly more on topic post

Does any one else do wrap shots with sticks?

ANd the stick work I do mostly is with shinai tryin to learn to fight with sword.

[Reiki]

Cool! My next aim is to get into sword work.

btw we use the knuckle alignment with our arnis sticks to remind ourselves that this is where the blade would be...

by wrap shots do you mean snake disarms or figure 8 strokes or what??

:)

I'm doing a mean redondo these days... ditto with single and double sinawali

and I'm improving the banda banda daily! :)

Nothing like a bo though!

I did a rough count and my latest bo kata has over 120 moves in it.

When put together with the other ones its too big to even ponder, the numbers make my head hurt!

[Cudgel]

a wrap shot is somethign I learned from the SCA it involves using hte side of the stick that is closest to you. Its done at close range to hit usally inthe head.
You throw normal blow but rotate you wrist so the stick wraps around the head or wahatever and snaps in with some nasty force.. It can be used to get around sheils nad other weapons..




I sauck at desrcribing moves.

[kobudo_tob]

I did a rough count and my latest bo kata has over 120 moves in it.

Which bo kata is this? I love my bo katas.

[Reiki]

we just call it Bo kata number 4... :)

its basically shishi no kon no dai [hope I have the right name]

the others are Sakagawa, Shimabuku and Miasata and they all join together to become Bo kata number 5 for Nidan level.

[kobudo_tob]

Thanks Reiki, just showing an interest :)