SPAM ALERT. There is someone posing as me in the comments saying you have won something and to telegraph them. Please report them as spam if you see it. Thank you all for the comments and support!
Eastern martial arts don't incorporate philosophy. They promote religion. And they jam more religion into it than martial arts. This is why when coming up against a purely practical martial culture the eastern cultures crumble at first contact. Watch a bung poo chow warrior go up against a boxer. Or check out why MMA styles ditched all the zen woo crap.
At age 62, I'm getting ready to retire and am looking for a hobby. After binge watching your staff videos, I believe that the Way of the Staff will provide the physical, intellectual and dare I say spiritual, qualities that I am looking for. Thanks for posting, and may God bless you.
While rotation and extension are certainly the means of generating maximum angular velocity, and therefore power in a stroke, it's also important to remember that in a combat, the element of distance is also important. This is a concept perhaps best illustrated by the philosophies developed by Bruce Lee, and is a large part of the reason why he developed those philosophies. A big swing might be four times as fast as a small swing, but if the big swing has five times as far to travel, the small swing will hit first. In combat, speed is often more important a factor that anything else, because if you hit first, not only can your disrupt an opponent's attack, you can often prevent them from attacking, at all. For the same reason, sword fighting in movies bears little resemblance to actual sword fighting, because in movies, the goal is drama, and big swings make for exciting visuals, whilst in an actual fight, the goals are lethality and survival, and those big swings tend to leave one relatively open to attack and unable to defend.
Not related so much to sticks/staffs, but my dad used to teach Karate. Occasionally they'd get people with kickboxing training come to their sparring sessions and try show off their spinning kicks. Turns out that's a bad idea, because you end up with your back turned for long enough to get hit in the back.
@@joeofloath practising backflip will make you a better fighter but is a bad idea to drop as a street brawl tactic. Might be required, though, and it pays to land it.
@@LupinYX Lee wasn't and isn't considered a great master in China. Watch his early TV acting appearances where he spouts new age pablum. Lee did train Wing Chun unlike the other martial actors who trained Chinese Opera, but he wasn't special in their martial world. Lee is an American phenomenon.
@@LupinYX Bruce Lee was a con man. He could work his abs and spew nonsense about real combat. He NEVER had a martial art combat background. He fought twice in his life, maybe. It's probably all bunk. How do you test Jeet Kune Do if you never tested it in real combat? Just crap. The real pioneer of combat was Jigoro Kano, and Maeda, and Mufuni. In Bruce Lee's understanding, these are just classical nonsense teachers, but they dominate combat. Also, if Lee fought a Muay Thai master, he would be crushed. If he fought Saenchai, he would be begging for his life. Lupin, you are blind, little brother.
Thanks for slinging without the obligatory and unnecessary twirls around the head. Also, I learned to sling from a guy who grew up "primitively", hunting with a sling. He showed how to hold the sling in the off hand with the thumb, at length, like aiming a rifle. The tension at the start helps and the initial movement away from the small game makes it think something is moving away from it, not spooking it, until the rock suddenly comes back around.
Fantastic! great video and we are happy to be a part of it! Really cool to see some of those principles in motion when Tom is freely moving with the stick himself.
As someone who also likes walking in the woods, swinging sticks and philosophizing about life: I found this both entertaining and informative. Awesome work, great instruction from both your guests!!!
I'm super glad that you're finding people to work with that really lets you lean into the science - I can tell that you're extremely passionate about learning and teaching and I'm _totally here for it_
Excellent video. I can see how the gallowglass moved now as frontline heavy infantry through hundreds of years of Irish wars. In old books it describes how Galloglass would show off in front of their employers by " flourishing" their 6 foot axes or their 2 handed swords. This methodology was apparently handled done father to son, uncle to nephew in the gallowglass clans, but being mostly illiterate it was never written down by them. I think you guys solve this problem here for me. Many thanks. From Ireland.
Thank you for this video, I think the idea of measuring speed is very good. I also train various fighting systems that involve the stick and usually have to make do with English sources. But in this case I can recommend a German book. "Der Stock", (The Stick) by Prof. Dr. Claus Matthek. At first it looks like a children's book because of its layout, but it is actually a scientific study of the stick as an aid (walking stick, mountain stick) and as a weapon. He is a professor of damage science and materials science, so he knows pretty well how best to research breaking something. In the past he got robbed and this is one of the reasons he wrote this book. He searched for a handy weapon and chose the stick. When he found out that it had hardly been scientifically studied, he decided to do it himself with the help of other scientists and martial artists. His book is about momentum, mass, recoil, how to straighten a stick etc. He also looks at what energy from hits goes back into the hitter's hand and how to avoid that. This is also a very important aspect of hitting with a stick. I like your videos, maybe I can give you something back with this recommendation. Unfortunately, I have to say that there is no English version of the book. Probably because it is not allowed to be distributed in the USA.
For me as a martial artist performing Escrima next to some other non-wappon-styles since many years, this video was absolutely a great gain. Thank you!
I used to practice martial arts a lot! Practicing with my bo staff has always been very relaxing and almost therapeutic. Though ive taken a fairly large break from practicing, your channel has gotten me back into it. I really appreciate your content and i look forward to each new upload:)
I hike a lot with a sturdy staff (and a .357 magnum.. but then I live in Texas) and I like these videos on how to use my staff to defend myself in the woods. Very interesting!! And since I'm retired I have time to practice what you preach! Fortunately I spent 40 years in the martial arts and that kind of helps!
Also from Texas…now live in the Northeast. I have a .357 gifted by hubby, which I’d be very hesitant to use…once that bullet leaves the barrel you can’t stop it. I’d hate for it to go through the wall and hit a neighbor. Prefer the staff and my Arnis sticks. Only carried a gun once in my life when a friend whose police partner broke her wrist was hiding in my home. He made the mistake of driving by my place of work…then self employed…and bragging he was going to hurt me…grave tactical error on his part. Once I told the department gossip never saw him again. I’ve spent much of my life trying to understand the human need to dominate and feel superior to others. It’s a taught behavior…often by violence against the child who becomes an abuser his or herself. Living in a country obsessed with violence doesn’t help. I’ve thought long and hard about how to deal with this…to ignore self protection seems silly but I try to find a balance between that and becoming part of the problem.
Great video! I have made several staffs over the years and played with different woods, weights, and lengths. Great thing about a staff is as a 65 year old man with a limp, I can go anywhere in public with my staff.
Absolutely loved this!! The simplification and explanation of the concepts was beautifully done! Really enjoyed seeing this collaboration as well, Victoria and Ben are a wicked team! :)
in all seriousness this has to be the best explained system of movements and the motivations behind them. Hats off to you mate, this is a video to be proud out 👍
This is fantastic. I think the unspoken and virtuous theme is the balance and understanding of what you are trying to accomplish at any given time. Rather than maximizing momentum, you are optimizing your force and application appropriate to different scenarios.
I studied Philippino stick fighting for some fifteen years. I first started studying tai chi. The body dynamics from tai chi really helped me with the stick and knife arts. Mostly i just "played" with the sticks, but in a tai chi way. If that makes sense? Everything was a combination of circles,momentum and body dynamics. So good to see this video. Seems i was taught well. (R. I. P) Pat Davies. Aberdeen mixed martial arts group. Late1970s. Before all that mma stuff we see today. Thanks. Grant.
Awesome video! As a practitioner of Okinawan Kobudo, I love seeing the interpretations from a Western point of view. The Bo (staff) we use tends to be longer (as a rule of thumb, as long as the height of the user or 5cm longer) and the techniques are slightly different. But the base concepts, because biomechanics and physics are universal, are the same. Specifically, the concepts of the soft-tense change, the generation of power from the base (since we practise barefooted, we are taught to grasp the ground with our toes) and the snapping from the hips (the way a towel snaps) are core of Kobudo and Karate.
@Manof Singlebook Yes, the jo (around 130cm) for jodo is shorter than the bo (around 180cm) we use in kobudo. I believe they can both be defined as "staff" in western words but they are not the same, although there are transferable techniques.. It is like the difference among katana or tachi or similar in a way to army sword, long sword or bastard sword. And for ambidexterity, indeed. We practice Karate in tandem with Kobudo and there are transferable mechanisms.
Another great video, Tom. As you were talking about your three principles, I visualized what to me was a good symbolic representation of all three: the classic trebuchet: the triangular base for support, the arching swing of the arm, generating enormous power at the end of the throw.
I'm 68 . Swinging staffs and steel pipes is part of an every day workout .No back problems , builds muscle and is extremely relaxing after a workout. ATB in 2023.
I am a fire spinner and Nomad from the USA. I have been surprising people with a martial staff and martial spear inspired flow, and this video just unlocked new abilities in my skill tree so to speak LOL. Looks like youtube auto unsubscribed me, so you get a resubscribe. I have always loved your philosophical break downs of various old world topics and staff stuff.
Dumb mind??? Weirdo?? You are none of these things.. You are a handsome personable man.. with a beautiful beard.. and your voice is delightful.. You are considerate., kind.. respectful.. honest.. with a grand sense of humour.. No one would think you either dumb or weird.. And sure.. you can swing a stick.. perfectly! Please be kinder and more gentle with that beautiful guy you see in the mirror each morning.. he deserves it!! By the way.. we are Scottish too.. and we dearly love your channel.. and all that you do.. and it hurts to hear you berate yourself.. even though we understand you are doing it just to entertain.. Sure we are too sensitive perhaps.. even so.. you work hard making these wonderful videos.. we just want for you to know they.. and you… are much appreciated.. So.. we offer this to you with great respect.. because we do very much respect you.. so.. be nicer to yourself! Always respect yourself and what you do.. because you have earned praise for your work.. and you deserve it.. you are thought highly of.. just so you know, dear lad! Slan mo charaid William and Jen 💜💙🌱🌹🙏
I trained in Filipino martial arts which is weapons based and follow a lot of the principles that you described here. Triangular footwork, following through on swings etc.
Fantastic video. Definitely learned some stuff I want to try in my next sparring session. Two of the reasons for the different speeds in your swings(you were so close to these, but didn't quite touch them) The hand positions each person took were different, changing center of rotation and center of mass. Also, the size of the combatants play a role in the amount of mass and power that can be generated.
Many many years ao While I was in the service of Country, Spent a great deal of time attracted to the Korean Army, and the Korean platoon sgt. I was attached to used to have me go out and practice on bails of reeds and filled duffle bags on ropes with a mahogany staff that I made myself per His instructions. He told me it was strengthen my body and mind by doing each step correctly. I believe that is what you are doing there , but with less movement because he would tell me to many moves will get you hurt and he proved it time and again by whacking me (sometime non to gentle ) the soldier credo was get itdone quickly and move on! The triangle , large circle and three smaller circles interlocking is a universal approach to what I used to practice on the training field. WELL DONE INDEED MY FRIEND!
Awesome. Love it. Works exactly on the spirituality that I am doing right now as well. That drawing is awesome. When you said flow, I could just see the triskelion in the drawing with the positions of my hands.
I'm not sure about how to swing a stick perfectly, but I do have some tips for creating some very strong and durable sticks based on my experiments with composites. Take a long bamboo pole around a 1.5 to 2.5" in diameter (preferably when still fresh, because it is easier to knock out the inner culm barriers), knock out the inner culm barriers, sand off the first layer of silica rich material with like a 60 to 80 grit material. Heat it above 160" F to inactivate enzymes and microbes. Let it dry fully. Get a high strength, lamination type epoxy (typically sold for making boats, race car parts, aerospace parts, etc) and use the epoxy to bond a couple to few layers of S-glass fiberglass cloth to it. Once that is cured, then get some expanding spray foam and spray the inside. Once that is cured, seal the ends with some of the above epoxy (this is because that kind of foam is usually open celled and can absorb and hold onto moisture and thus can breed mold etc, so unless you are using a more expensive closed cell foam spray, you need to seal it off from moisture). This stick will be extremely strong, durable, long lasting, and tough, at a lower weight than a correspondingly as strong stick. The foam core will reduce the vibration, so that it will be less fatiguing. It will also make it stiffer and more durable long term. Get it long and thick enough, and put a lance spear head on it, and you might even have a slim chance against a grizzly (long, strong spears used to used to hunt bears). P.S., do not use carbon fiber cloth. Carbon fiber and bamboo's expansion-contraction properties are not compatible. If you use carbon fiber, you can (and probably will) end up splitting the bamboo. The bicycle company Calfee, learned this the hard way.
That was awesome Tom! You guys generated some outstanding speed. I love multifunctional items. That staff, or any good staff for that matter, can be utilized in so many different ways!!! Keep up the great content brother and I hope you and your family had a great Christmas and hope you have a very fruitful new year!!!
Great video. I used to love doing aikido (then taiji and qigong etc). One of my favourite parts of aikido was the stick work - jo and bokken. Great for flow, balance, awareness, connection and awareness - as well as being great fun.
Outstanding video! I learned a lot and I have always been interested in European martial arts. I also like the that European MA are usually based on a set of principals grounded in science.
Been looking for a vid like this for a while. Now that I'm retired from teaching, I'm collecting various 'katas' for walking-cane, short-sticks and staff, so I can use them as both cardio and flexibility workouts, plus the self-defense aspect. I'm using wood pieces from a local home-supply chain here in Thailand that are sold as hoe and rake handles. It's VERY hard and dense wood, a bit heavy but that's better than too weak. Short-sticks - I cut to 19" long x 1x1.25" dia. (25" with one end tapered when new). Cane 37" with T-handle (44" new), Staff 6ft. OK, I'm off to check out a few of your other vids. ☮
Agreed, we do love to swing things about. I must say it's something I've not thought a great deal about until I watched this video. I like to swing my 6ft spear about. Hi from Northworthy!
I commented earlier about how surprised and excited I was to see your latest video ..'Oh WOW'! and I got yr name wrong (sorry, my dyslexia rearing its ugly head!) so I deleted my comment not long after posting it. Thank you FANDABI DOZI (not Fandozi Dabi 😄) for all your very fun and refreshing video content; I'm so satisfied watching your videos, no re-gurgitated CRAP ( 'whats TRENDING on social media' ). Keep up the brilliant work young man 👍 YOU are a BREATH OF FRESH AIR in a digital world OVERFLOWING WITH ABSOLUTE S.H.I.T.E.!
I'm going to disagree with the very last conclusion at 21:55. While you will be able to get more speed at the last moment by relaxing, you are not going to get the most power in a strike that way. When you relax, you are no longer pushing/channeling your bodymass through the stick. What power you gain in speed you will more than lose by not putting your bodymass behind it. I saw this in action on another channel where they were testing this same sort of thing against a dummy, so there was an object against which to measure the actual energy being transferred into the target. Keeping your mass behind the swing makes is much more powerful. That's why the "baseball swing" is so powerful. All your weight is behind it.
That sound brings back good memories of training…never really thought about the force in the momentum of the swing, though it makes perfect sense. I don’t think a lot of folks realize how much foot position and hip movement goes into a good strike. Very impressive. I’ve always been more of a visual learner myself. Really wanted to go on to the sword but became severely disabled at 50 after surviving bacterial meningitis. (Late comer to karate and Arnis.)
Found your Videos, looking through martial Arts bo training, I must say great Find. I am so happy more people are bringing awareness to western Martial Arts!!! As a Martial Artist and teacher I like to incorporate many forms and styles into my training and teaching regiment to give myself and students a wide range of options to choose from. I have a reason for this, which would take to long to explain here.. Again Great Video and keep up the amazing Journey of self Mastery & Discovery!!!
Ed Parker, the founder of American Kenpo, said there are three ways to generate power: linear, rotational and gravity. Consider the lunge, which as well as linear extension, also drops the body lower.
This was an interesting and thoughtful video. The thing I think that might have been included is aim or targeting. If one is unable to hit the target speed and power are irrelevant; a lighter blow or thrust that hits a precise target is a good compromise. The thrust is also simple and direct and capable of being delivered in a variety of ways. As an Aikidoka I agree completely with the need to put body mass into both offensive and defensive movements. It is also important to understand the difference between a symmetrical contest where similar or identical weapons are used and where this is not the case. One must also not allow the staff to become a limiting factor that prevents the free use of other techniques and the body's natural weapons. In a real situation the aim has to be to bring a swift conclusion while preserving energy and avoiding being injured.
I like sticks. Only complaint about the videos, is the time in between. Another great presentation glad to see you are still doing the things. Cheers ;)
Tom are you creating your own survival martial Arts patch? 😉👍 that was a really cool video man. In my past I was a long time martial Arts practitioner of many different styles and this video motivated me to want to start training again. The hard part is finding the time to do it. Im also a leather worker and I hope to build projects for people that will enjoy using them in bushcraft scenarios and in Renaissance/LARP environments. Thanks for the video man. Keep up the awesome videos. I love learning about my celtic heritage.
SPAM ALERT. There is someone posing as me in the comments saying you have won something and to telegraph them. Please report them as spam if you see it.
Thank you all for the comments and support!
It is more than a spam, it's scamming.
Eastern martial arts don't incorporate philosophy. They promote religion. And they jam more religion into it than martial arts. This is why when coming up against a purely practical martial culture the eastern cultures crumble at first contact. Watch a bung poo chow warrior go up against a boxer. Or check out why MMA styles ditched all the zen woo crap.
what's your primary fighting staff style?
You are a powerhouse! Love the videos.
You have made it if you have scammers!! Just found your channel amazing research and presentation.
At age 62, I'm getting ready to retire and am looking for a hobby. After binge watching your staff videos, I believe that the Way of the Staff will provide the physical, intellectual and dare I say spiritual, qualities that I am looking for. Thanks for posting, and may God bless you.
While rotation and extension are certainly the means of generating maximum angular velocity, and therefore power in a stroke, it's also important to remember that in a combat, the element of distance is also important. This is a concept perhaps best illustrated by the philosophies developed by Bruce Lee, and is a large part of the reason why he developed those philosophies. A big swing might be four times as fast as a small swing, but if the big swing has five times as far to travel, the small swing will hit first. In combat, speed is often more important a factor that anything else, because if you hit first, not only can your disrupt an opponent's attack, you can often prevent them from attacking, at all. For the same reason, sword fighting in movies bears little resemblance to actual sword fighting, because in movies, the goal is drama, and big swings make for exciting visuals, whilst in an actual fight, the goals are lethality and survival, and those big swings tend to leave one relatively open to attack and unable to defend.
Not related so much to sticks/staffs, but my dad used to teach Karate. Occasionally they'd get people with kickboxing training come to their sparring sessions and try show off their spinning kicks. Turns out that's a bad idea, because you end up with your back turned for long enough to get hit in the back.
@@paddor :D ... please don't tell me that you really think that Bruce Lee was only an actor.... Maybe try quick google search before commenting ;)
@@joeofloath practising backflip will make you a better fighter but is a bad idea to drop as a street brawl tactic. Might be required, though, and it pays to land it.
@@LupinYX Lee wasn't and isn't considered a great master in China. Watch his early TV acting appearances where he spouts new age pablum. Lee did train Wing Chun unlike the other martial actors who trained Chinese Opera, but he wasn't special in their martial world. Lee is an American phenomenon.
@@LupinYX Bruce Lee was a con man. He could work his abs and spew nonsense about real combat. He NEVER had a martial art combat background. He fought twice in his life, maybe. It's probably all bunk. How do you test Jeet Kune Do if you never tested it in real combat? Just crap. The real pioneer of combat was Jigoro Kano, and Maeda, and Mufuni. In Bruce Lee's understanding, these are just classical nonsense teachers, but they dominate combat. Also, if Lee fought a Muay Thai master, he would be crushed. If he fought Saenchai, he would be begging for his life. Lupin, you are blind, little brother.
Thanks for slinging without the obligatory and unnecessary twirls around the head. Also, I learned to sling from a guy who grew up "primitively", hunting with a sling. He showed how to hold the sling in the off hand with the thumb, at length, like aiming a rifle. The tension at the start helps and the initial movement away from the small game makes it think something is moving away from it, not spooking it, until the rock suddenly comes back around.
Fantastic! great video and we are happy to be a part of it! Really cool to see some of those principles in motion when Tom is freely moving with the stick himself.
As someone who also likes walking in the woods, swinging sticks and philosophizing about life: I found this both entertaining and informative. Awesome work, great instruction from both your guests!!!
I'm super glad that you're finding people to work with that really lets you lean into the science - I can tell that you're extremely passionate about learning and teaching and I'm _totally here for it_
@te.legrammefandabidozi Piss off ...
Using a "good" stick as a weapon. You are speaking my love language
Excellent video. I can see how the gallowglass moved now as frontline heavy infantry through hundreds of years of Irish wars. In old books it describes how Galloglass would show off in front of their employers by " flourishing" their 6 foot axes or their 2 handed swords. This methodology was apparently handled done father to son, uncle to nephew in the gallowglass clans, but being mostly illiterate it was never written down by them. I think you guys solve this problem here for me. Many thanks. From Ireland.
Thank you for this video, I think the idea of measuring speed is very good.
I also train various fighting systems that involve the stick and usually have to make do with English sources.
But in this case I can recommend a German book.
"Der Stock", (The Stick) by Prof. Dr. Claus Matthek.
At first it looks like a children's book because of its layout, but it is actually a scientific study of the stick as an aid (walking stick, mountain stick) and as a weapon.
He is a professor of damage science and materials science, so he knows pretty well how best to research breaking something. In the past he got robbed and this is one of the reasons he wrote this book. He searched for a handy weapon and chose the stick. When he found out that it had hardly been scientifically studied, he decided to do it himself with the help of other scientists and martial artists.
His book is about momentum, mass, recoil, how to straighten a stick etc.
He also looks at what energy from hits goes back into the hitter's hand and how to avoid that. This is also a very important aspect of hitting with a stick.
I like your videos, maybe I can give you something back with this recommendation. Unfortunately, I have to say that there is no English version of the book. Probably because it is not allowed to be distributed in the USA.
Thank you, very nice to find resources like this
Danke für den Tipp 🤗
For me as a martial artist performing Escrima next to some other non-wappon-styles since many years, this video was absolutely a great gain. Thank you!
I used to practice martial arts a lot! Practicing with my bo staff has always been very relaxing and almost therapeutic. Though ive taken a fairly large break from practicing, your channel has gotten me back into it. I really appreciate your content and i look forward to each new upload:)
Ruckus Longhorn here, from Star, NC. I've just now discovered this channel and love it! Thank you!
Tom I started training in the staff this past spring. Your vids are the best on the web for staff appreciation. Love it man! 😀
I hike a lot with a sturdy staff (and a .357 magnum.. but then I live in Texas) and I like these videos on how to use my staff to defend myself in the woods. Very interesting!! And since I'm retired I have time to practice what you preach! Fortunately I spent 40 years in the martial arts and that kind of helps!
Also from Texas…now live in the Northeast. I have a .357 gifted by hubby, which I’d be very hesitant to use…once that bullet leaves the barrel you can’t stop it. I’d hate for it to go through the wall and hit a neighbor. Prefer the staff and my Arnis sticks. Only carried a gun once in my life when a friend whose police partner broke her wrist was hiding in my home. He made the mistake of driving by my place of work…then self employed…and bragging he was going to hurt me…grave tactical error on his part. Once I told the department gossip never saw him again. I’ve spent much of my life trying to understand the human need to dominate and feel superior to others. It’s a taught behavior…often by violence against the child who becomes an abuser his or herself. Living in a country obsessed with violence doesn’t help. I’ve thought long and hard about how to deal with this…to ignore self protection seems silly but I try to find a balance between that and becoming part of the problem.
I’m your clone from Florida. 40 years, etc 🙏👍
Great video! I have made several staffs over the years and played with different woods, weights, and lengths.
Great thing about a staff is as a 65 year old man with a limp, I can go anywhere in public with my staff.
Absolutely loved this!! The simplification and explanation of the concepts was beautifully done! Really enjoyed seeing this collaboration as well, Victoria and Ben are a wicked team! :)
Man I love Scotland, highlander culture, survival bushcraft, and martial arts and esp staff fighting so just wanna say I love your channel hahaha
Thanks!
in all seriousness this has to be the best explained system of movements and the motivations behind them. Hats off to you mate, this is a video to be proud out 👍
Your pioneering subject on stick evolution weapon/ tool is outstanding! Thank you.
This is fantastic. I think the unspoken and virtuous theme is the balance and understanding of what you are trying to accomplish at any given time. Rather than maximizing momentum, you are optimizing your force and application appropriate to different scenarios.
I studied Philippino stick fighting for some fifteen years.
I first started studying tai chi. The body dynamics from tai chi really helped me with the stick and knife arts.
Mostly i just "played" with the sticks, but in a tai chi way.
If that makes sense?
Everything was a combination of circles,momentum and body dynamics. So good to see this video.
Seems i was taught well.
(R. I. P) Pat Davies.
Aberdeen mixed martial arts group.
Late1970s. Before all that mma stuff we see today.
Thanks.
Grant.
Awesome video! As a practitioner of Okinawan Kobudo, I love seeing the interpretations from a Western point of view.
The Bo (staff) we use tends to be longer (as a rule of thumb, as long as the height of the user or 5cm longer) and the techniques are slightly different. But the base concepts, because biomechanics and physics are universal, are the same.
Specifically, the concepts of the soft-tense change, the generation of power from the base (since we practise barefooted, we are taught to grasp the ground with our toes) and the snapping from the hips (the way a towel snaps) are core of Kobudo and Karate.
@Manof Singlebook
Yes, the jo (around 130cm) for jodo is shorter than the bo (around 180cm) we use in kobudo. I believe they can both be defined as "staff" in western words but they are not the same, although there are transferable techniques..
It is like the difference among katana or tachi or similar in a way to army sword, long sword or bastard sword.
And for ambidexterity, indeed. We practice Karate in tandem with Kobudo and there are transferable mechanisms.
Another great video, Tom. As you were talking about your three principles, I visualized what to me was a good symbolic representation of all three: the classic trebuchet: the triangular base for support, the arching swing of the arm, generating enormous power at the end of the throw.
At my age (69), staff or stick self defense fascinates me. Thanks, I'll be back! 👍
Happy New Year! 🎉
I'm 68 . Swinging staffs and steel pipes is part of an every day workout .No back problems , builds muscle and is extremely relaxing after a workout. ATB in 2023.
Thank you for another extremely interesting video Fandabi Dozi and all the best for 2023.
I am a fire spinner and Nomad from the USA. I have been surprising people with a martial staff and martial spear inspired flow, and this video just unlocked new abilities in my skill tree so to speak LOL. Looks like youtube auto unsubscribed me, so you get a resubscribe. I have always loved your philosophical break downs of various old world topics and staff stuff.
incedible video Tom! You are learning me and my nephew how to swing a stick and we're loving it.
You're videos are always interesting, and i don't think you are weird
Dumb mind??? Weirdo?? You are none of these things..
You are a handsome personable man.. with a beautiful beard.. and your voice is delightful..
You are considerate., kind.. respectful.. honest.. with a grand sense of humour..
No one would think you either dumb or weird..
And sure.. you can swing a stick.. perfectly!
Please be kinder and more gentle with that beautiful guy you see in the mirror each morning.. he deserves it!!
By the way.. we are Scottish too.. and we dearly love your channel.. and all that you do.. and it hurts to hear you berate yourself.. even though we understand you are doing it just to entertain..
Sure we are too sensitive perhaps.. even so.. you work hard making these wonderful videos.. we just want for you to know they.. and you… are much appreciated..
So.. we offer this to you with great respect.. because we do very much respect you.. so.. be nicer to yourself! Always respect yourself and what you do.. because you have earned praise for your work.. and you deserve it.. you are thought highly of.. just so you know, dear lad!
Slan mo charaid
William and Jen
💜💙🌱🌹🙏
I trained in Filipino martial arts which is weapons based and follow a lot of the principles that you described here. Triangular footwork, following through on swings etc.
Fantastic video. Definitely learned some stuff I want to try in my next sparring session. Two of the reasons for the different speeds in your swings(you were so close to these, but didn't quite touch them) The hand positions each person took were different, changing center of rotation and center of mass. Also, the size of the combatants play a role in the amount of mass and power that can be generated.
Many many years ao While I was in the service of Country, Spent a great deal of time attracted to the Korean Army, and the Korean platoon sgt. I was attached to used to have me go out and practice on bails of reeds and filled duffle bags on ropes with a mahogany staff that I made myself per His instructions. He told me it was strengthen my body and mind by doing each step correctly. I believe that is what you are doing there , but with less movement because he would tell me to many moves will get you hurt and he proved it time and again by whacking me (sometime non to gentle ) the soldier credo was get itdone quickly and move on! The triangle , large circle and three smaller circles interlocking is a universal approach to what I used to practice on the training field. WELL DONE INDEED MY FRIEND!
Lovely to see Saito Sensei make an appearance. Enjoyed this, very entertaining and thought provoking.
Great video, i played around with thai short sticks years ago. This inspires me to pick up a big stick. best wishes for the year ahead.
BLESSINGS from the Fisher Family on the West Coast of Canada 🔥
Please make a series on stick/ staff . Making and training. Happy New Year!
Happy new year too! I have a series on the channel titled "the way of the stick" that includes many videos from making to fighting
Awesome. Love it. Works exactly on the spirituality that I am doing right now as well. That drawing is awesome. When you said flow, I could just see the triskelion in the drawing with the positions of my hands.
Your approach to sharing knowledge is beautiful.
I'm not sure about how to swing a stick perfectly, but I do have some tips for creating some very strong and durable sticks based on my experiments with composites. Take a long bamboo pole around a 1.5 to 2.5" in diameter (preferably when still fresh, because it is easier to knock out the inner culm barriers), knock out the inner culm barriers, sand off the first layer of silica rich material with like a 60 to 80 grit material. Heat it above 160" F to inactivate enzymes and microbes. Let it dry fully. Get a high strength, lamination type epoxy (typically sold for making boats, race car parts, aerospace parts, etc) and use the epoxy to bond a couple to few layers of S-glass fiberglass cloth to it.
Once that is cured, then get some expanding spray foam and spray the inside. Once that is cured, seal the ends with some of the above epoxy (this is because that kind of foam is usually open celled and can absorb and hold onto moisture and thus can breed mold etc, so unless you are using a more expensive closed cell foam spray, you need to seal it off from moisture).
This stick will be extremely strong, durable, long lasting, and tough, at a lower weight than a correspondingly as strong stick. The foam core will reduce the vibration, so that it will be less fatiguing. It will also make it stiffer and more durable long term. Get it long and thick enough, and put a lance spear head on it, and you might even have a slim chance against a grizzly (long, strong spears used to used to hunt bears).
P.S., do not use carbon fiber cloth. Carbon fiber and bamboo's expansion-contraction properties are not compatible. If you use carbon fiber, you can (and probably will) end up splitting the bamboo. The bicycle company Calfee, learned this the hard way.
That was awesome Tom! You guys generated some outstanding speed. I love multifunctional items. That staff, or any good staff for that matter, can be utilized in so many different ways!!! Keep up the great content brother and I hope you and your family had a great Christmas and hope you have a very fruitful new year!!!
This is So Comprehensive & Inspiring! thank you
I can't wait to get outside & swing a stick with all this knowledge now.
Loved to see you trhee having fun sharing your way of using the stick !
Thank you !
👏
Congratulations on your channel. It is an honour to meet a real martial artist. At your disposal.
Excellent! Clean, simple, effective. Thanks.
I definitely want to borrow that symbol you have made in assistance in explaining as I believe that illustrates it quite beautifully.
This is a great video. I'm watch from Brazil. I want to learn the art of steak. Thank you for help me. Happy new year!!
AWESOME VIDEO!! THANK YOU SIR!! GREAT WORK!!!
Great video.
I used to love doing aikido (then taiji and qigong etc). One of my favourite parts of aikido was the stick work - jo and bokken. Great for flow, balance, awareness, connection and awareness - as well as being great fun.
Best stick related video on YT!
I would like to thank UA-cam for recommending this♥️😍let the binge watching begin
Wonderful class. Thank you the Triangle!
This Irish Kendo-ka appreciates your ideas and approach.
there’s just _something_ really special about hearing japanese in a scottish accent for me
Some real data & analysis - including the human element. Well done - I'm subscribing.
A Highlander and a Pirate walk into a garden...
Outstanding video! I learned a lot and I have always been interested in European martial arts. I also like the that European MA are usually based on a set of principals grounded in science.
Lovin the heavy Taoist vibes from your MA vids, mate.
Great Video, ate, happy that I was to some assistance 👍🏼
I've literally felt this. Id rather be on this path to feeding this balance. This self. this forver.
Absolutely incredible. Thank you
I live for this stuff, amazing content!
Very cool! That would make a cool pendant too!
Brilliant stuff thanks
First comment baby, love your vids man.
Love the simplicity breakdown.
Been looking for a vid like this for a while. Now that I'm retired from teaching, I'm collecting various 'katas' for walking-cane, short-sticks and staff, so I can use them as both cardio and flexibility workouts, plus the self-defense aspect. I'm using wood pieces from a local home-supply chain here in Thailand that are sold as hoe and rake handles. It's VERY hard and dense wood, a bit heavy but that's better than too weak. Short-sticks - I cut to 19" long x 1x1.25" dia. (25" with one end tapered when new). Cane 37" with T-handle (44" new), Staff 6ft. OK, I'm off to check out a few of your other vids. ☮
Agreed, we do love to swing things about. I must say it's something I've not thought a great deal about until I watched this video. I like to swing my 6ft spear about. Hi from Northworthy!
Fantastic video buddy.......dam, now I want to swing a stick!!
When it comes to training with a staff , one must 'stick' with it to master the art ...
I don't get it
Ahh ha ha ha ...uh... hum
Oh dear…awfully wonderful!
I really loved this content, and how professional you guys make it :) Thank you! Have tons of great informations, and very entertaining aswell
Exactly what I was thinking about! Great video
I commented earlier about how surprised and excited I was to see your latest video ..'Oh WOW'! and I got yr name wrong (sorry, my dyslexia rearing its ugly head!) so I deleted my comment not long after posting it. Thank you FANDABI DOZI (not Fandozi Dabi 😄) for all your very fun and refreshing video content; I'm so satisfied watching your videos, no re-gurgitated CRAP ( 'whats TRENDING on social media' ). Keep up the brilliant work young man 👍 YOU are a BREATH OF FRESH AIR in a digital world OVERFLOWING WITH ABSOLUTE S.H.I.T.E.!
I'm going to disagree with the very last conclusion at 21:55. While you will be able to get more speed at the last moment by relaxing, you are not going to get the most power in a strike that way. When you relax, you are no longer pushing/channeling your bodymass through the stick. What power you gain in speed you will more than lose by not putting your bodymass behind it. I saw this in action on another channel where they were testing this same sort of thing against a dummy, so there was an object against which to measure the actual energy being transferred into the target. Keeping your mass behind the swing makes is much more powerful. That's why the "baseball swing" is so powerful. All your weight is behind it.
Blessings to you and yours happy New Year. Coming at you from the hills of Southern Oregon
This is fantastic content, thank you.
Excellent explanation and demonstration.
Wonderful video…really enjoyed it. Love the staff.
That sound brings back good memories of training…never really thought about the force in the momentum of the swing, though it makes perfect sense. I don’t think a lot of folks realize how much foot position and hip movement goes into a good strike. Very impressive. I’ve always been more of a visual learner myself. Really wanted to go on to the sword but became severely disabled at 50 after surviving bacterial meningitis. (Late comer to karate and Arnis.)
Found your Videos, looking through martial Arts bo training, I must say great Find. I am so happy more people are bringing awareness to western Martial Arts!!! As a Martial Artist and teacher I like to incorporate many forms and styles into my training and teaching regiment to give myself and students a wide range of options to choose from. I have a reason for this, which would take to long to explain here.. Again Great Video and keep up the amazing Journey of self Mastery & Discovery!!!
i love to make and use sticks.I am always looking out for new projects in the hedges and woods
Ed Parker, the founder of American Kenpo, said there are three ways to generate power: linear, rotational and gravity. Consider the lunge, which as well as linear extension, also drops the body lower.
Lots of good information. If you look at the Dog Brothers you will find they have also looked into many of these topics as well.
Imagine a staff made out of more durable modern material flying at 90+ mph. YIKES
Love your videos!
Love this channel just thought I’d say that
This was an interesting and thoughtful video. The thing I think that might have been included is aim or targeting. If one is unable to hit the target speed and power are irrelevant; a lighter blow or thrust that hits a precise target is a good compromise. The thrust is also simple and direct and capable of being delivered in a variety of ways. As an Aikidoka I agree completely with the need to put body mass into both offensive and defensive movements. It is also important to understand the difference between a symmetrical contest where similar or identical weapons are used and where this is not the case. One must also not allow the staff to become a limiting factor that prevents the free use of other techniques and the body's natural weapons.
In a real situation the aim has to be to bring a swift conclusion while preserving energy and avoiding being injured.
Amazing work ! As always !
Can you make more videos about dirk?!
Nice, HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Very interesting video! Well done! I watched it from the point of view of hitting a golf ball!
Love the art you doing thanks
Very informative and interesting video, Fandabi! Thank you so much and Happy New Year to you!
I like sticks.
Only complaint about the videos, is the time in between.
Another great presentation glad to see you are still doing the things. Cheers ;)
thanks for every thing you do i have learn alot
Teaching is a skill.
Capital Job!!!
Deus Vult 😎
Tom are you creating your own survival martial Arts patch? 😉👍 that was a really cool video man. In my past I was a long time martial Arts practitioner of many different styles and this video motivated me to want to start training again. The hard part is finding the time to do it. Im also a leather worker and I hope to build projects for people that will enjoy using them in bushcraft scenarios and in Renaissance/LARP environments. Thanks for the video man. Keep up the awesome videos. I love learning about my celtic heritage.
That was excellent the concept you call managing Bruce Lee called generalship
Great vid. I'm sure everyone already knows, but I highly recommend looking at Sir Richard Francis Burton's book and his views on sword wielding.
Great video, great channel!