Fun stuff...

[jsbowden]

I had sword class for the first time today. I enjoyed it a lot, but oh my, I can already feel the soreness coming on. Serious swordsmen must have had arms that could uproot trees. This should be a regular offering, and I'm looking forward to it. I've been taking Bo classes for the last couple months, and I like them too, but the staff just doesn't work you like the sword. The staff is a more practical weapon, as long mostly straight sticks aren't hard to come by, but there's just something about sword kata that works for me aestheticly.

Comments

[deltabob.livejournal.com]

One good exercise for bokken practice is striking a tire stand. The goal is to get a strong strike without bouncing the bokken on the tire. It's rather challenging, and it is great for learning control.

I've worked some with Bo staff, but I'm pretty short, so I prefer a Jo - same principles, but a smaller staff. There's a really nice 31 Jo kata that's practiced in Aikido that is pretty good for getting the basics and for meditative purposes. There's also a variation that is paired exercise where the moves of the kata are used and countered. It's pretty cool to watch it at full speed (I never got that good *grin*).