What is the difference between the yon shaku bo (see here (http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Ring/5577/bojitsu.htm)) and the jo?

Hey arnisador,

Actually, it's the very same thing.

Shaku was/is a unit of measurement....roughly a foot in length.

Hanbo - Sanshakubo
Jo - Yonshakubo
Bo - Rokushakubo

It's basically saying, "A pole 4 shaku in length"

Hope that helps some,

Jay

Dammit, Jay...you beat me to it. :) Curse my POS MicroSuck IntelliEye mouse for crapping out on me last night!

Cthulhu

Is there no difference in width then? Since different names were used I wondered if they differed in thickness and usage.

I have a Jo and two Bo's. My Jo is quite a bit thicker and is the same thickness it's entire length. The Bo's are tapered toward the ends, and the widest part in the center of the Bo is quite a bit thinner than the Jo. I use the Bo for competition, as it is lighter and I can really get a spin on it. I use the Jo when I want to punish myself. It leaves some dandy bruises! LOL :D

lol good way to train for speed and power with the bo is to use a steel rod instead... works wonders... as far as the question about the difference between the jo and the yan shaku bo... seems the are similar only one is a specified length and the other varies in length... probably no difference in thickness though

Originally posted by tunetigress

I have a Jo and two Bo's. My Jo is quite a bit thicker and is the same thickness it's entire length. The Bo's are tapered toward the ends, and the widest part in the center of the Bo is quite a bit thinner than the Jo.

I wonder if this is true for the yon shaku bo as well--that it tapers and is thinner than a typical jo. This is the kind of thing I was wondering about.

I also assume that the yon shaku bo is used in a bo-like manner while the jo in jodo is used in a sword-like manner. (The aiki-jo is not necessarily wielded in a sword-like manner.) Does anyone know if this is correct? Do yon shaku bo techniques differ appreciably from roku shaku bo techniques?

The thickness depends more on the art being studied and not so much what type of bo is being used or the name it's being called.

The tapering for competition....well, it's just that - for competition. It gives the effect of faster spinning.

I've studied Shinto Muso ryu and Kukishin ryu both...and their usage are quite different. Shinto Muso ryu uses a jo much like a four foot sword, "with 365 hi...instead of just one" that also has two business ends.

Kukishin ryu uses the jo as a mid-way between hanbo and rokushakubo, with much striking and grappling both.

Thanks; I guess it really is as simple as two names for one weapon. I had expected to find a difference!

:asian:

I was under the impression that the Shaku was a unit of measure.

As for the height of the "Staff Brothers:" Bo was about 6 foot tall, Jo was about 4 foot and Hanbo [half Bo] was approximately 3 foot.

:asian:

Actually...those are more modern measurements. Traditionally, weapons were geared towards the person wielding them. If we were to have staff lengths they way they were intended, rokushakubo (remember, Nihonjin were/are tiny folks compaired to westerners) would be roughly a foot taller then the person holding it. I'm six feet tall...traditionally speaking the bo would be 7 feet.

Hanbo when holding in Munen Muso no Kamae (like a walking cane almost), the tip of the bo should be about 3-4 inches beyond the natural grip.

Jo...well...depending on the group you're speaking to...would either come to the bottom of the sternum or to the heart level.

:asian:

The Bo staff would have been approximately 6 foot since it was originally slung across a person's shoulders and buckets would be suspended from both sides. Further, its length would also permit a commoner to face off against an Ashigari [foot soldier] turned bandit [not Ronin since this would have been one that was formerly a Samurai] armed with a Yari or Naginata. As for the length of the Jo or Hanbo, these would have followed had the same dimensions as previously noted. I forget the conversion of Shaku to SAE measurement, but the length of a Katana would have been relative to the height of the individual.

However, during the Sengoku Jidai [Age of the Country at War] swords known as No Dachi [forged during the Old Sword Period] measured over 5 foot in length, and a Bo or Jo would have served well to protect someone from these weapons. The No Daichi was commonly known as a moor sword and used by a warrior on foot against a Samurai mounted on horseback. When slung across the back they were known as Seoi Tachi. A good example of this type of sword can be seen in the Kurosawa movie: Seven Samurai wherein Mifune joins the band carrying one of these swords.

:asian:

Originally posted by old_sempai

:asian:

I was under the impression that the Shaku was a unit of measure.


I read recently, but do not have the source at hand, that it was very close to 12.5 inches. This would make a rokushakubo 6.5 feet.

That's a bit much, honestly. It's more along the lines of 12 1/5th.

The differences, keep in mind are to the person. Rokushakubo *differences* to the people that wielded them were approximately 1 foot.

Originally posted by arnisador



I read recently, but do not have the source at hand, that it was very close to 12.5 inches. This would make a rokushakubo 6.5 feet.

I'm not sure, but I thought that a shaku was a personal length... the length of the first part of you finger(the bottom part if you call it that).

When finding atemi areas on the body they could be found by measuring number of that persons shaku's....

But I'm not 100% sure..

/Yari

Originally posted by Yari

When finding atemi areas on the body they could be found by measuring number of that persons shaku's....


Actually those measurements are called Tsun in Chinese and I believe Sun in Japanese, and it is approximately the width of your thumb from one side of the thumb joint to the other closest to your nail.
They are not the same length as a shaku.

Is the shaku still used as a unit? I assumed it was archaic.

At 12.2 inches it really is about a foot. Thanks Jay.