Aiki Bo?

Okay, I may be looking for something that doesn't exist. But if it does exist, I figure someone here knows about it. I'm looking for a bo kata that is a little less "killer" than the Okinawan kata I learned all those years ago.

Are there bo kata that practice throws, rather than crushing injuries? Atemi, rather that skullcrushers? Misalignment with the intent, rather than brute resistance?

I've got a fair bit of experience with swords and spears, and while I've found that someone who is intent on cutting you in half is a great candidate for introduction to the ground via some redirection and a guiding stick on the back of his neck, I've yet to see any formal kata which is based on this idea.

I just want a few bo kata to practice for exercise with my great new bo.

Thanks.

Hi Darren,

If I understand correctly, the late Michio Hikitsuchi sensei supposedly received a "scroll of transmission" from the founder of aikido for aiki bojutsu. I have been taught the first two bo kata (bo ikkyo, bo nikyo) from Linda Holiday sensei a while back, although I can't say I could reproduce it today with much success. Others like Clint George sensei and Tom Read sensei (who has a website at www.aikibojutsu.com on his system) also teach bo kata and such in their aikido.

Saotome sensei also has paired weapons work with bo in his patrol kata which I have also done as well. Interesting stuff, especially when compared with the movements of the jo...

Hope that helps,

-- Jun

Hikitsuchi sensei's tapes (Heart of Aikido I believe) have one or two bo katas on them.

I'd recomend you invest in a good book on kendo kata. Likewise most aikido dojo have some classes on BO and Jo kata. Like wise there is a great book out there on JO kata in japanese with english subtitles written by yomeno kotaro & hiroi tsunetsugi.
if you learn the aiki weapons kata you will see that it is exactly what you are talking about. I would also add that proficancy with a JO can be more devistating than sword or other weapon systems simply because it is so flexable. The only time the "sword saint" Musashi was ever beaten it was by a man with a simple jo stick.....of course, he beat many men (to death) using a Bo as opposed to a sword.