Went to a Bo (Staff) Clinic

[Lynne]

Master R taught a Bo Clinic at his Ithaca school on Monday. The Ithaca school is a small dojang compared to the one in Endicott.

It was a beautiful day, 72 degrees and sunny, and we had the clinic outside in the parking lot. We'd have never fit in the dojang anyway.

This was my first time working with a Staff. We first learned how to hold the staff at attention, then how to hold it inside and outside of the dojang. From there, we progressed to forward figure 8's and backward figure 8's. We then learned how to do blocks which were very similar to Hadon Makee. Next, we learned the first quarter of a form (someone said it's the third staff form). Wow, that must be one long form. Finally, we worked on twirling the staff around our body.

I have tendonitis in my left wrist (from doing hundreds of pushups and then fingertip pushsups) but I was able to work with the staff as long as I wore my splint.

Anyway, it was a lot of fun.

 

[agemechanic03]

Sounds fun, I won't get to see any of this while here in Korea. Hopefully I can find a good school in Germany!!!

 

[Tames D]

One of my favorite weapons.

 

[JT_the_Ninja]

So you learned twirls before basic blocks? That's the opposite of the way we learn it at my school.

For us, students start with bong hyung cho dan around red belt level (it's part of the test for cho dan), which is a very basic, and very short, form using basic strikes. In fact, they've recently decided to take out all the flips and figure 8s from the first three bong hyung, since some have trouble with those. I personally disagree with this philosophy, since the figure 8 has practical applications quite apart from its being an aesthetic complement, but that's the way it's gotta be, in class and at tests. Will I still flip-n-dip at tournaments? You bet.

 

[terryl965]

Sounds like you had a great time.

 

[Lynne]

Sounds fun, I won't get to see any of this while here in Korea. Hopefully I can find a good school in Germany!!!

You don't work with staves? Do you work with any other weapons like escrima sticks or nunchuks (spelling)?

Are weapons considered distinctly Chinese or something like that?

 

[Lynne]

Agemechanic,

So you're going to Germany? Sounds like fun! I was thinking that if most of the commands are in Korean you should have no problem understanding your instructors, then I rememberd it took me weeks to be able understand my instructors...and they are all American.

 

[Lynne]

One of my favorite weapons.

I can't wait until I'm a red belt and get to work with the staff more. I hope we have another clinic.

I wish I could have gone to Grandmaster Byrne's summer camp as there was a Bo workshop.

 

[Lynne]

So you learned twirls before basic blocks? That's the opposite of the way we learn it at my school.

For us, students start with bong hyung cho dan around red belt level (it's part of the test for cho dan), which is a very basic, and very short, form using basic strikes. In fact, they've recently decided to take out all the flips and figure 8s from the first three bong hyung, since some have trouble with those. I personally disagree with this philosophy, since the figure 8 has practical applications quite apart from its being an aesthetic complement, but that's the way it's gotta be, in class and at tests. Will I still flip-n-dip at tournaments? You bet.

Yes, we learned the twirls first. I don't know how it's actually taught in class though.

Your school is removing the flips and figure 8's because people are having trouble with them? You've got to be kidding! White belts and yellow belts were picking up the tehcniques during the clinic. Are the staff forms traditional/old? I would think that would be reason enough to leave those components in.

I don't know what the practical application of figure 8's would be but when I think of the ancient farmer using a garden hoe or a rake for self-defense, I can imagine that a person could take on several assailant at once. Strike an assailant with the tip, flip it and strike another assailant? If you were surrounded, you could knock the fool out of a lot of people.

 

[Lynne]

Sounds like you had a great time.

I was disappointed when it was over. Everyone should get to do it.

 

[stickarts]

Sounds like an awesome day!
I like the bo very much.
Good for you!!!

 

[bydand]

One of my favorite weapons! I love working with a Bo Staff.

 

[JT_the_Ninja]

Your school is removing the flips and figure 8's because people are having trouble with them? You've got to be kidding! White belts and yellow belts were picking up the tehcniques during the clinic. Are the staff forms traditional/old? I would think that would be reason enough to leave those components in.

They may very well be ye olde traditional hyung, but I doubt it, since I've yet to see a non-ITF TSD school which does our bong forms. The higher ones are likely more traditional, but the first two are just basics.

I don't know what the practical application of figure 8's would be but when I think of the ancient farmer using a garden hoe or a rake for self-defense, I can imagine that a person could take on several assailant at once. Strike an assailant with the tip, flip it and strike another assailant? If you were surrounded, you could knock the fool out of a lot of people.

You got it. The one thing you missed is what the bong does on the dip, and the one thing they kept in the forms to keep them decent: sweeping. Whether it's tripping your opponent or just smacking them off your ankle (think palche deh, if you've seen it), when you dip the stick down, it doesn't just look fancy. The actual applications may be disguised somewhat by the twirling, but they're still there.

 

[agemechanic03]

You don't work with staves? Do you work with any other weapons like escrima sticks or nunchuks (spelling)?

Are weapons considered distinctly Chinese or something like that?

That's a big ROGER!! We are only here for a year. He teaches us all of the hyungs with the exceptions of the weapon hyungs. Not here long enough to learn them. It's hard enough for some people in the class to learn 13 hyungs in a year. Yes your read correctly,13. As of right now, I will have 14 down when I leave in May if not more. YIKES!!!

 

[Lynne]

That's a big ROGER!! We are only here for a year. He teaches us all of the hyungs with the exceptions of the weapon hyungs. Not here long enough to learn them. It's hard enough for some people in the class to learn 13 hyungs in a year. Yes your read correctly,13. As of right now, I will have 14 down when I leave in May if not more. YIKES!!!

Wow...yeah, you wouldn't have time to learn weapon hyungs.

One hyung a month? That's a big mental overload. I like hyung. I don't understand why some people think they're boring. I guess that keeps you on your toes!

 

[agemechanic03]

There are a few that I thought were a lil boring, until I started looking beyond the blocks and punches and looking more at that Apps behind each movement. It is very interesting that there can be 2+ apps behind one move as UpNorth and myself have been going back and forth on the thread that I started the other day about Chil Sung Ee Ro.

 

[agemechanic03]

Wow...yeah, you wouldn't have time to learn weapon hyungs.

One hyung a month? That's a big mental overload. I like hyung. I don't understand why some people think they're boring. I guess that keeps you on your toes!

Haha...it's more in a month so far for me....I won't go there since that will prolly piss a few people off in here.

 

[Lynne]

Haha...it's more in a month so far for me....I won't go there since that will prolly piss a few people off in here.

You've go the mental capability to do it, good for you.

Hyungs may be your "thing." Some people are very talented at doing them. Hard work helps, too, huh?