Scenes from our Bo-staff Class

Our Bo-staff class takes place on Thursdays from 7pm to 8pm and on Saturdays from 1pm to 2pm. We have students of all belt ranks from beginners to black belts participating.

A Bo-staff is generally a 6' long piece of wood (vertically-challenged students will use a 5ft bo-staff) that can be spun, thrust out, used for blocks, used for strikes and much more. It's quite amazing how much it becomes part of you when you gain proficiency in it.

Bo-staff class starts first with warmups. Below, the boy is spinning his bo-staff in a figure 8 from side to side. Notice the motion blurs.

Spins aren't the only warm-ups we do, of course. Students will also practice center, front and side blocks as well. Below, Sensei Ryan is testing how well the student can hold her bo-staff against his hit.

Like everything else in karate, with experience, comes speed. Another drill the senseis will have the students do is slowly and methodically spin their bo-staff over their heads from one side to another. This helps teach control.

Hand position and front stances are very important for good bo-staff style. Below, notice how the girl's hands are held in opposite of one another. This lends strength to the block.

Size matters not, nor does age! Some of our youngest students show the most enthusiasm in their weapons training, as you can see below.

Drills completed, it's time for katas and practice. Below, Sensei Mat II is showing how to hold one's bo-staff over the head, in preparation for dealing with strikes.

Speaking of strikes, below is an example of a typical over-the-head strike. Notice the hands positions on both the sensei and the student.

Strength is always a good thing to build! If you're holding a bo-staff with the determination of a jellyfish, your staff will be knocked down every time. Here, Sensei Kasey is testing out the resolve of the students with their grips.

Some students require one-on-one attention for specific techniques. Below, Sensei Mat II is showing the student the proper way to hold the bo-staff in preparation for the pool-cue strike.

A pool cue strike? Glad you wondered! Here it is below - the students bring their bo-staff up and out while dropping into a stable front stance.

Like karate, the bo-staff also utilizes several key critical stances. Below, you can see Sensei Mat II show the class how to fall back into a cat stance, and ....

From that stance, lash out with a front kick. It's astonishingly effective.

Finally, students who are extremely proficient with the bo-staff might be asked to join our Karate Bo Staff Demonstration team. The student below was just about to start one of the popular bo-staff katas in front of the audience at our Hazlet Community Day performance.

The art of the Bo-staff is quite fun and a blast to practice. Remember, all of our weapons instructional classes are included in our tuition! You can learn more about what we offer at our Schedule page.

Please continue to enjoy your visit!

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