Japanese Jo or walking stick for self defense

[@charlieharris6871]

Matt you are one of the nicest, honest, and most generous guys on KZbin, all this free tuition, no bullxxxt you tell it like it is, keep it legal and only for self defence but make it count when we are threatened. I have leaned to be quite proficient with my double sticks watching and following you and now I am learning the staff from the best teacher YOU !!! I am following you on your 100,000 spins tutorial challenge and hope to be half as proficient as you some day, thank you so much 😊

[@pasquinilli]

Thank you Charlie! You’ll probably end up being better than me, there’s no reason why you won’t. I always feel like if somebody else can do it I can do it. I want you to feel the same way! Thanks again and keep training let me know how your hundred day challenge goes.

[@barriereid9244]

Great jo refresher course sensei. Domo arigato gozaimasu.

[@billyandrew]

Very formal. Kidding, but true. 😂

[@billyandrew]

Hi, Matt! I was doing what you call warm up exercises from about six years old with a mop or broomstick, just for the sheer fun of it. Balancing, vertically, on the palm, hoisting it and catching it on the back of my hand, balancing it on one fingertip, transferring it in a run from fingertip to fingertip, hand to hand, etc. Good for showing off before or during mock staff battles, as boys do. It either psyched them out or irritated them...both the same thing, really. Sorry, Matt, you set off a happy chain of childhood memories. Anyway, enough of that nonsense. I'm now an old barsteward, not quite in my dotage, but near enough, so reasoned, living in the UK, folk might think an old fella a tad eccentric, hobbling about with a longer than usual stick to assist him in his travels, but would think nothing more than that, not envisiong it as a potential weapon for defence or attack. So I've been scouring YT, looking for suitable tutelage on the subject and having watched more than a fair share have to say the first four minutes of this vid have been more instructional than the rest put together. Concise, clearly explained instructions, reinforced by the reasoning behind them from warm up onwards. You've just earned a well deserved subscription. Thank you for uploading!

[@armandtablan8224]

Like the strike position.

[@pasquinilli]

Thank you Armand

[@adamwhiteson6866]

Very useful. I carry a 40" walking stick for SD. A bit shorter than a traditional Jo. It's an ideal civilian SD weapon and it doesn't take much skill to be effective with it against untrained opponents.

[@pasquinilli]

Yes! Excellent points. Is your walking stick smooth? Wood or metal or something else?

[@adamwhiteson6866]

​@@pasquinilli I've been using cut down, hardwood shovel and broom handles from Home Depot. Hickory or Ash. About 1lb 4oz seems to be a good balance between speed and impact. I like a coarse unfinished texture - good gripping but slides smoothly. I balance the weight at the center. Sticks that are weighted like a club need a different set of moves, IMO. Much longer than 40" and it's a bit of a problem socially. Starting to look like Moses. Also, for indoors and hiking among the trees I prefer something short and agile. Initially I was skeptical about this weapon's effectiveness but I soon realized how devastating it can be and, unlike a gun, it can also be used at much lower levels of violence. I was also surprised to find how effective it is at close range. Along with butt strikes and pokes, it can be used as a pry bar for nasty hooking, raking and biting actions that assailant will not be expecting. It puzzle me why this weapon is mostly overlooked in the West. It was once widespread here as it is in Asia. We haven't stopped using walking sticks. Guns and knives are severely limited, yet the stick is still ignored. People don't even realize you are holding a weapon. Traffic alwaysstops for me at crosswalks. LOL!

[@pasquinilli]

adam whiteson excellent insight! I love the description of your self made staff. Those types of weapons are the best! You make great points. Thank you for sharing!

[@billyandrew]

@@adamwhiteson6866 I look like moses anyway, although without the flowing locks. Hopefully, I'll never be required to use the stick for defense or attack, but am not shy and would happily *part* any would-be-assailant's ego and intention from the eventual outcome without compunction. I'm old, but I'm not dead yet. 😂

[@davidhinds9816]

Briilliant thank you so much for this video it helps me immensily I used to run long distance and sprint I also used to be a powerlifter I have also been a doorman for about 16 years and so I have used many of the more martial arts practical moves on the job that worked for me in taking people down to the ground or and placing them in hand / wrist /arm / leg / and headlocks. I have also been trained in the art of disarming a person with a pistol or a rifle with a stick or a knife. I have worked around peoples houses as a security operative I have also done retail security and I have also been a security dog handler I was a security dog handler for about two years plus. However I am 65 years old now though I am still very strong and energetic I do not lift anywhere as near the kind of powerlifting weights that I used to lift but on average I am still lifting more weight than most of the young people in my gym except for the really well developed ones I am kinda happy with this in someways because it gives me a certain eliment of surprise as I do nor look so big and I am older so most kids usually write me off as being somebody that they all could very easily subdue beat up humiliate and or perhaps rob. I have more recently come through a period of 23 years of homelessness and not eating or sleeping the best that I could during the last few months of my homelessness I somehow hurt my knee and have damaged it and I am not sure if it will heal again properly. However both homelessness and my Army Cadet training which I did when I was much younger and my bushcraft lessons have all tort me how to improvise and I am still learning now. After injuring my knee I found a stick from a tree while out walking in a woods where I once lived for one and a half years with my cat in a tent (who was a good rat catcher) before people set fire to our tent twice once with me in it sleeping in my sleeping bag that time using very quick thinking I managed to put the fire out using my drinking and showering water but eventually they did manage to burn my tent down one very cold frosty snow bound night when I was not there that night there was a gale force wind it rained there were then hailstones and then it snowed and I came back home to my tent in the woids after having gone out foraging for food and drink etc to find that my tent had been burnt down and my Cat was nowhere to be found. Anyway now I am a mixed race person and after injuring my knee and hobbling around London U.K. I found that a lot of young kids in their teens, 20's 30's and 40's were looking at me as if they now wanted to attack me rob me beat me up and try to humiliate me and my knee fid not alpear to be getting any better it still hurt like crazy after I had been walking for any length of time and so I decided right then to find myself a walking stick firstly to take the pressure of my weight and all my walking off of my knee to help it heal and secondly to help me defend myself should I be attacked by multipul attackers and so to this end I developed my own system of martial arts moves which are closely based upon the short staff the samurai sword and philipino martial arts fighting sticks and now I am able to incorpporate your system to enhance that of my own techniques to strenghthen my martial arts system I thank you so much for this sharing your a vety good teacher may God bless you.

[@junichiroyamashita]

How are you doing now?

[@billyandrew]

You still there, David?

[@mickerdoodle51]

Thank you Brother.

[@robertrodriguez4858]

Can you add a video on what to do if your attacker gets a hold of your staff. And can you add weights to both end of your staff for more striking power? Or will that get you into trouble if you hit your attacker?

[@pasquinilli]

Yes. I will make that video for you.

[@garystern4441]

This is an excellent choice for a self defense tool because it provides the user with the ability to engage at distance and it is unassuming. I spent many years competing in kendo (nito ryu), epee and over the last five years PTK. All weapon combat is about distance and timing with speed and power being third and fourth. I find that target selection, given my advanced age (72) is critical. Since that the self defense goal is "survival", crisp strikes to the hand/wrist, knee or even 1" penetration to the face or solar plexus is more than enough. Lastly, I would suggest that since the jo is about the same length and weight of a katana, I would use it just about the same way. The human body hard targets do not react well to a hardwood strike.

[@pasquinilli]

Excellent perspective! Your sword training will surely give you exceptional targeting skill at any age too. Thank you for sharing!

[@billyandrew]

Valuable input from my perspective, particularly with regard to a strike to an assailant's hand or wrist, should they be armed, followed by a strike to the knee, maybe even foot, to thoroughly incapacitate them, ensuring pursuit, should you choose to exit the vicinity, is highly unlikely.

[@garystern4441]

@@billyandrew In PTK we practice a lot of large powerful strikes, with an emphasis on accuracy, speed and timing, but I always question the need for all the power. How much energy does it really take to severely injure a human to a bony area. And even a half hearted thrust to the face is going to ruin someone's day. Lastly, since you are not limited to one strike, even a stunning blow opens the way to a host of follow up attacks. So, my motto is "he who lands the 1st strike is most likely to survive the day".

[@johnmitchelljr]

Thank you for sharing a great video. Very valuable.

[@pasquinilli]

Thanks John!

[@n0ot977]

Oh wow, i unconditionally already knew how to do some of these😂

[@pasquinilli]

¡! N0ot !¡ awesome!! Keep training!

[@davidrobinson5999]

A GREAT AND INFORMATIVE DEMO !!!

[@pasquinilli]

Thank you David!

[@stephen8433]

Good video.

[@pasquinilli]

Thank you Stephen!

[@shawnallen8162]

I love these videos. Great quality production with multiple angles and audio. Came across these Jo Staff tutorials and have spent days working on these steps presented in the playlist. Any plans on a Kata video?

[@pasquinilli]

Yes! Thank you. I have done a few kata videos. I will do another for you soon!

[@bickie603]

I like this

[@GrantGauthier]

Great tutorial!

[@pasquinilli]

Thanks Grant! How is your training going?

[@msw0011]

Hello there Matt. Excellent presentation. Jo training is great for mind n body coordination. Thank u.

[@pasquinilli]

Thanks! I very much agree! Where do you live?

[@steveharvester2780]

Ordered a 4 foot hickory cane with cherry pommel. Haven’t hit anybody in 50 years. Warrior mindset? Home target to accustom myself to breaking a rib, knee, or clavicle?

[@pasquinilli]

I would go for a target. What were you thinking? A bag is good or even a tennis ball hanging from a tree branch or the ceiling will let you improve accuracy.

[@billyandrew]

Note to self: _Tennis ball tied from branch._

[@VTPSTTU]

Thanks for the video!

[@whhackett3]

Where can I buy a Jo? I have multiple walking sticks including some made of solid aluminum but they tend to frighten some folks. A Jo looks less foreboding than my all metal walking sticks.

[@pasquinilli]

I have seen a few really good looking ones on Etsy. But I made one with a dowel from Lowe’s, a sanding block, and a little mineral oil. All for less than ten bucks! It works well too!

[@whhackett3]

@@pasquinilli Thank you Sensei, I actually found one on Etsy. I have hydrocephalus and resulting balance issues so had to give up my time on the ground in the dojo (Aikido). I've trained under Shihan Francis Takahashi for over 30 years but never got around to weapons. The hydro means I need to sometimes put lots of weight on to it.

[@billyandrew]

@@pasquinilli And there's an unasked question from myself resolved already. A ramin or oak dowel sounds right up my street. I'm guessing, if I were to sheath one end, say in brass, in order for it to pass off as a long walking staff and counter wear and tear, I'd be better well served to adorn the other end in something of similar weight to address the problem of balance?

[@billyandrew]

@@whhackett3 Commiserations. My problems stem from emphysema and rheumatoid arthritis, both ensuring the option to run away isn't open to me.

[@steveharvester2780]

Ok, I have an 80 lb punching bag and a 4 ft cane. Please show us a combination we can practice, e.g: thrust; swing low, swing high?

[@pasquinilli]

Yes I will try to make that today!

[@steveharvester2780]

Matt Pasquinilli how do I find it? What do I type into the search bar?

[@billyandrew]

@@steveharvester2780 Combinations, such as stick+defence+combinations Maybe stick+martial+combination+moves. Fiddle and swap words about, basically, obviously looking at videos below the ones you tap on. Good luck!

[@San_Dude]

Nice. 👍

[@pasquinilli]

thank you!

[@spijkerpoes]

Great tips and workout. I use to do some fencing so the changing of hand feels awkward.. So, what to do if the badguy gets a hold of the jo or bo staff i sometimes wonder... Thanks

[@pasquinilli]

spijkerpoes elbows and knees! Close the distance and strike hard. Aim for something that’s going to break! Hahaha. Great question!

[@spijkerpoes]

@@pasquinilli ah! ok?!

[@adamwhiteson6866]

Like Matt says: Once he grabs something, his hands are committed and you strike freely. Just a note: You can exploit the fact that he has to reach for your staff at arms length. If you bring your torso upto it and use it to lever the staff around you can make him cross his hands.

[@pasquinilli]

adam whiteson great point!

[@adamwhiteson6866]

Hmm. I'd like to see someone cut a 1" hardwood staff in half with a knife strike. This is actually to the stick's advantage. The fact that the blade will bite into the wood can be used to snag and momentarily control the opponent's blade. IMO this technique is used in the duel scene in Twilight Samurai.

[@pasquinilli]

adam whiteson I need to watch that movie! I think you are right and that scenario only changes as the blade gets longer and heavier, like a machete or heavier sword.

[@adamwhiteson6866]

​@@pasquinilli I'd love to hear your take on that scene.

[@pasquinilli]

adam whiteson do you k ow if that scene is on KZbin? I couldn’t find it yet.

[@adamwhiteson6866]

@@pasquinilli kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqfbpHune7WdbK8 His method is to stay right in close where the sword is awkward. I believe, in slow mo, there are several places where he presses his stick against the blade edge and "catches" the sword this way. In any case, it's a favorite scene of mine. If you watch from the start, the fight begins with "What's with that stick?" :)

[@pasquinilli]

adam whiteson yes I just found that too! Fantastic scene! I think that it would be very difficult to cut a staff or bokken as thick as the one he carries. Plus he is a superior swordsman. I do believe you can be “that much better” and than another swordsman as to be able to win with just the wooden sword. Excellent scene! Thanks for sharing that! Is that a favorite of yours?

[@sidolufs1307]

Thanks for posting, nice training techniques. Us older guys need good hand-strengthening exercises, years of wear and tear catches up with us. Um, while I have your attention, stop hitting the bags before your 50th birthday, not all of us have the genetic endowment to take the punishment and hands just hurt all the time in the social security years. Haha, old age is one big rehab project.

[@massimolucarini6699]

How is long the stick?

[@pasquinilli]

50 inches or 127 cm

[@billyandrew]

@@pasquinilli Perfect short walking staff. 👍

[@rizalinasalazar5846]

🙏😍 ☮️💟🇵🇭🇺🇸🇨🇱

[@SilverShadow2LWB]

Not to be disrespectful, but this guy has probably had no formal training in Japan. The Jo is never meant to be used with a twirling motion that leaves the full control of the hand. Americans love the show of spinning or twirling. This twirling may be good for a marching band leader, but not for use of a Jo or Hanbo. A beginner should learn basic steps of control and leave any twirling for the experts. If you are going to teach the art, at least learn how to pronounce the words correctly.

[@pasquinilli]

Lol. Yes. No formal training in Japan or Okinawa! To make matters worse, I have blended Chinese and Korean styles in too. The spinning is fun, builds stamina and endurance, plus speed, balance, and power. It’s not intended to fight but for cross training and conditioning. Like a boxer jumping rope. And I am not Japanese nor do I speak Japanese, and my Korean is rusty! Keep training.

[@billyandrew]

With an equal wish not to show yourself disrespect, comparing the warm up, twirling exercises, which it was made clear that is what they were and not as a valid means of fighting, to a marching band is hardly respectful. Having no knowledge on the subject of stick fighting, other than watching countless vids on the subject, which barely qualifies even as theory, if that, I found it to be exactly what I was looking for with step by step visual and verbal instructions that were easy to understand, as opposed to the many other vids I've perused, wherein it's assumed the viewer has attained a certain standard or the instructor has an outsized ego and forgets they, too, were a learner in the past. Some don't even dain to furnish replies to questions or comments. This instructor, formal or otherwise, has afforded me the opportunity to consider taking stick fighting as a serious and possibly achievable means of self defence. Me, I take the breaks where I find them. Again, no disrespect intended, I would actually suggest you start posting your own vids on the subject. I would genuinely be interested, as I'm sure would others, some maybe even wishing to take it beyond the realm of self defence, so hope you take the idea seriously and in the spirit it is intended. Whatever you decide, I wish you good fortune!