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Martial Staff

2008

Google Map: Staff Traditions

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To suggest additions, corrections, etc., please contact (see left sidebar).

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2007

Silambam

Silambam is a southern Indian staff tradition, said to be many thousands of years old.

Karnataka State Silambam Association
Wikipedia:silambam
International Silambam and Kuthuvarisai Federation
Another history
The are few videos currently available online; one's on youtube, the other's at silambam.com

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2006

Okinawa

Okinawa, historically, has had what for culture is a double blessing. It has benefited from contact and participation with two great societies, Japan and China, and at the same time its separation from the Japanese mainland has allowed it to develop distinct cultural traits. On top of all this, bladed weapons were long outlawed, and multiple-use items such as the staff, oar, farm implements, and of course the body, became the focus of highly developed martial styles. [This commonly told 'outlawing of weapons' tidbit is put into question by Sensei Toshihiro Oshiro in this article.]

There is a wealth of information on the web regarding Okinawan martial arts, which are among the best known and most practiced. Here are some starter links:

Simple bo description.

History of Okinawan Karate, with short documentary. And you can scroll down for a video demonstration of Gyosho no kon.

Yamanni Ryu: Bo-Jutsu of Okinawa. An Interview with Sensei Toshihiro Oshiro, with interesting details about the history of the staff in Okinawa.

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Seishinkan Bujutsu

Seishinkan Bojutsu draws on traditional Japanese forms and applies them in a modern, practical method. This includes training in multiple length staffs to prepare the student for application 'on the fly' (grabbing the nearest stick). This site also has a nicely worded staff history and an essay on contemporary uses of weapons.

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Hontai Yoshin Ryu Bojutsu

Stephen Fabian has a nice introductory article on the staff in Hontai Yoshin Ryu.

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Staff Arts of Africa

They are numerous, and I hope to some day do them justice with more extensive notes. For now, some starter links:

Af, Car, and Dula Meketa

Nice picture showing kids who are learning Nguni stick fighting in South Africa.

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Yamanni Ryu

Yamanni Chinen-Ryu kobujutsu is an Okinawan martial art that focusses on the bo -- it may, in fact, be the only asian school that makes the staff the focal point. It has an extensive group of excercises and forms, and, for the experienced student, applications.

Yamanni Ryu was brought to the U.S. by Shihan Toshihiro Oshiro in the 1980s. Here is an interview with him about the school.

There is also a discussion cached on e-budo.

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Tahteeb

Both a traditional Egyptian staff form, and a dance. [More here.]

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Koryu

Koryu.com has an extensive collection of resources and links regarding Japanese classical martial traditions. Daniel Lee has a short but informative article on the staff, which includes two nice reproductions from teaching manuals. Meik Skoss has an informal essay on the bo and jo, which outlines some basics and has descriptions of a few of the schools.

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Taiaha

Tu Taua, the traditional Maori war arts, include an extensive weapons system called Mau Rakau. Mau Rakau training involves the use of the Taiaha (a spear/staff) and it is taught to boys in traditional settings.

Most Americans (and probably much of the rest of the world) got their first taste of this tradition from the movie Whale Rider. (And I think the 'boys only' tradition is still being sorted out.)

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European Quarterstaff

The European martial arts were almost lost, with the notable exception of fencing. There have been occasional fads, but they have never taken hold of the collective imagination the way Eastern martial arts have. Nevertheless, there is a growing interest in the task of resurrecting the traditions, which armed-combat.com (with numerous links and a good introductory essay) describes as 'living archaeology.'

The groups that are doing the work often focus, understandably, on the sword, but there are a few who embrace the staff. For the forseeable future, however, European popular association with the staff will remain Little John in the Robin Hood legend.

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Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu

Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu was founded by Masaaki Hatsumi. It consists of nine schools, as taught to Soke Hatsumi by Toshitsugu Takamatsu. While it focuses on many weapons, both traditional and obscure, it has an extensive staff repertoire. There are not kata (forms) per se, but rather short and medium length movements which are meant to apply directly to combat situations. Soke Hatsumi has books and videos specifically about the staff.

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