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Long-range weapons (bo,
yari, naginata) can flail and slash at
blinding speed. In a few short moments, one
can experience the reality of combative,
long-range weapon sparring. Up until now,
all long-range weapon practice was mostly
done through pre-arranged forms and
controlled drills. One wrong move and a
nasty lump on the head, bashed finger or
worse could result in days or weeks of lost
training.
Yari
The yari was the foot soldier's long-range
weapon of choice. It was easy to learn,
simple to manipulate, and economical to
construct. In Japan, spears were mostly made
from two to three meters of bamboo; one end
was whittled as sharp as a hypodermic
needle, to easily penetrate an object.
The spear offers a very fast
and accurate game of chess, which in the
right hands can hold one or more opponents
at bay with lighting-fast linear thrusts.
The yari has 20 inches of striking area with
52 inches of handle.
Scoring Points
The head, throat and chest/stomach are the
three general target areas. They are called
mein-tsuki, tsuki and do-tsuki. For a point
to be scored, the combatant must attack
these three areas. The strike must be a stab
or thrust. A strike to arms, legs and other
lesser parts of the body will not receive a
point.
Naginata
(halberd/bladed spear)
Whether on the battlefield or guarding the
castle and its emperor, the samurai employed
a long-range bladed weapon known as a
naginata. It averaged two to three meters in
length. In battle, the naginata proved to be
one of the most feared weapons, since it
could stab, thrust and cut from any angle.
Thrusting and cutting at
full speed using the naginata drains one’s
power and quickly leads to fatigue. One must
kiai (give a shout of encouragement) much
louder when wielding a long-range weapon.
The naginata has 26 inches of striking area
with 46 inches of handle.
Scoring Points
The target areas of the body are head,
throat, torso, legs and arms. Cutting,
thrusting, slashing and stabbing techniques
receive points. All completed mein, kote,
do, ashi and tsuki strikes are legal. The
strike must be clean and swift, not allowing
the opponent to make a counterattack.
Bo Staff
Jo Staff
The
bo and jo were considered ancient weapons in
many Japanese farming communities. In many
instances the bo or jo were the only
long-range weapons the farmer had for
protection. To the samurai warrior the bo
(staff) was a spear with the tip broken off.
A
well-versed warrior could wield the staff
either as a short-, medium- or long-range
weapon, depending on the situation and
placement of hands. Many choose to spar and
practice using various lengths. As a long-
or medium-range weapon, the staff offers the
combatant the most versatile fighting
applications to gain a winning point.
Discover what length works for you.
Scoring
Points
The target areas of the body are head,
torso, legs and arms. Striking and thrusting
techniques receive points. All completed
mein, kote, do, ashi and tsuki strikes are
legal. The strike must be clean and swift,
not allowing the opponent to make a
counterattack.
4-Foot
Jo and 5-Foot Jo (staves) are used in
chanbara.
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