Meikyo with a stick

We had a tremendous response to the last video featuring Shotokan Kata Sochin with & without a Bo, so here is another ‘informal' exercise of Shotokan Kata Meikyo with and without a Bo or Jo. This time with SKM Editor John Cheetham and SKM Secretary & Administrator Clare Worth, filmed recently in our own dojo..

Many Shotokan Kata lend themselves to practise with the Bo or Jo. It’s a method of using the body action principles of the Kata with a stick in your hand. It’s simply a dojo training Kata – to the count. It’s nothing to do with formal Okinawan Bo work, we have no formal Bo training whatsoever. We are not experts, we just enjoy this training method with a variety of different Shotokan Kata.

I asked my friend and long-time student, SKM’s Graphic Designer and Webmaster, Graeme Armitage.... “What do you personally get from practising the Bo version of the various Kata?” He said… “It helps put my focus into the body movements and not my arms. For many of us the arms are like the conductor, they lead the Kata. The Bo takes away the ability of the arms to lead, which has the added benefit of relaxing the arms and shoulders where all this tension is. Ultimately using the bo allows you to feel how you should be doing the kata without the bo.”

That’s an interesting analysis and the key words for me are.. “relaxing the arms and shoulders where all this tension is’’... Ask any Pro Boxer, they'll offer the same advice. Good Health, Good Training.

SKM Editor.