Quote:
Mary Malmros wrote:
They've got different roots. The bo's origins are Okinawan (ryukyu kobujutsu), the jo styles are Japanese and originated with Muso Gonnosuke. In other words, one is Japanese and one is not.
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Mary, the bo is a prominent part of a number of purely Japanese traditions. Several schools of naginata have bo in their curriculum, as do other koryu, including Yagyu Shingan Ryu and Hontai Yoshin Ryu.
Gonnsuke was a practicioner of Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu, and legend has it he fought Mushashi in a practice match using his bo, only to be defeated. After meditating on this in the mountains, he cut the bo down to the size of a jo and went back to have a rematch and to found Shinto Muso Ryu.
So, while the Okinawan systems definitly do have unique and distinctive bo work, the purely Japanese systems do as well.
Respectfully,
--John A Butz