Most people that feel their first real hickory bo or jo staff didn't know what they had been missing buying a mass produced product, commonly a white oak staff. So why are hickory staffs not more common? First, why are most staffs white oak? (Which I do not use anymore. But for more information on White Oak you may read one of my FAQ pages https://www.scrapwoodmartialarts.com/pages/buying-guide-for-choosing-martial-arts-wood) But in a manufacturing setting, first white oak is often very straight grained. In a batch of wood, maybe 80% is good to use for staffs. (Although I have still seen staffs from huge manufacturers of karate equipment with sections of wavy grain that isn't even close to anything acceptable that I could pass, so...
I wanted to do a more thorough explanation of what goes into the making of our bo staffs. One needs to listen to what the wood wants to be, and then it needs to be made into the appropriate item. At no point is this process is automated, in a way that you shut your brain off and just go. Every step requires careful attention, and decisions.
I wanted to tell a little story of what I feel and what I think of when I make staffs today. When I was a young brown belt testing for black belt, during my black belt test, in which I was the only testing student that year, the Sensai sprung bo kobudo applications for a kata which I had purposely not been trained in these applications. I had to pick moves in the kata, and show what the moves were doing with a partner. I was of course exhausted out of my mind by this point. And the board wanted to see how I would do, doing something new. And my Sensai pointed to one of the black belts who...
What size bo staff is best for me? This is a very common question, and it is very easy to answer. We will give you this answer in more. However to really understand WHY there is a proper size we will need a few concepts about the way a staff moves from the human body. First off, just know I am a seasoned black belt, who has been making staffs for around 8 years now, and I have a degree in physics, and taught physics at all levels for 10 years. So that is who is anwering this question, and I doubt that many others would have the qualifications to answer it in the way I am about to. So...
People often ask what the best wood for Bo Staffs is. But the 'best' can have many meanings depending on what you want to use your staff before. If you will be carrying your staff in the wilderness for hiking for instance, weight might be a detriment, but you still want strength. If you are going to be using it for the most intense contact in karate, you want that weight, and you also want maneuverability. If you want to look super cool like Little John from Robinhood, you want heavy and thick, ;) So what IS the best wood for bo staffs? (Or jo staffs) The answer really to me, is only dependent...
