The 3 Martial Art Weapons Every Martial Artist Should Know About

Martial art weapons have been around since man has had a need to defend himself.  The history of martial art weapons is an interesting one and has included a multitude of armaments.  Some of these weapons were everyday tools and some were not so common and maybe even bizarre.  Three of the most popular martial art weapons today include the bo (staff), sai, and nunchaku.

1.        The Bo (Staff).  The bo is an ancient martial art weapon and has been a part of nearly e https://nhacaiuytin.group/every culture in every country.  It probably made its first appearance in Asia and gradually developed into a sophisticated martial art weapon by Buddhist monks and commoners.  The staff evolved into the bo when it become part of the Okinawan martial art weapons system known as Kobudo.

Most bos were a rokushaku bo, meaning they measured approximately six feet in length.  The advantages of the bo lie in its ability to be used as a long distance martial art weapon and its ability to be multi-dimensional.  Every part of the weapon can be used to block or strike and is not limited to any one method of attack or defense.  Its versatile arsenal of techniques includes parrying, re-direction, entrapments, and even sweeping sand into an opponent’s eyes.

The bo is considered to be an “extension of one’s limbs” and is used in similar ways to open hand methods.  For example, when thrusting the wrist is twisted much like punching.  To generate power, the back hand moves away from the body while the front hand merely guides.  This is usually coupled with evasive footwork to put oneself in a strategic position.  This martial art weapon is one of the most popular and well known in use today.

2.       The Sai.  The origins of the sai can be traced back to several Asian countries.  Among these countries are India, Thailand, China, Vietnam, and others before the inception of the sai into Okinawan Kobudo in the early 17th century.  Interestingly enough, the sai represents an important Hindu-Buddhist symbol and may have been developed by this cultural group.  While we may never know with certainty the true origins of this historic martial art weapon, we do know it was an effective instrument of self-protection against many different threats.