Tàijíquán Bo Staff –– Strike! Strike!

For a dedicated martial artist a Bo Staff means business. It is not a toy. It is for sure a weapon. The Bo has multiple uses (besides the one for self defense) such as cultivating a deeper nèigōng and nèijìn. The short version of a very long story of those two: They represent internal powers (physical and mental and to the different degrees of their characteristics) in martial arts. Firstly we cultivate our nèigōng, and then our nèijìn. Both –– like the mastering of our Bo –– require years of practice, indeed a lifetime. In other words, there is no such thing as becoming Bruce Lee in a weekend. There is no playing around with a Bo. It needs to be treated with respect. It is not meant for us to become bullies of any kind. It is not intented for us to threaten people. The practitioner must keep front and center the Martial Morality at all times. • Humility • Respect • Righteousness • Trust • Loyalty • Will • Endurance.
• Perseverance • Patience • Courage

The Bo like a Tàijíquán Bang can be used for stretches, handleling exercises and/or routines. At first we need to place our focus in using it for stretches. This allows us to start feeling comfortable with the use of it. We then can proceed into handleling exercises (i. e. sliding, up-and-down, coiling, chopping, four corners repel neutralizing ... etc). The last stage of Bo training pertains to routines. Bo routines make perfect sense when we have mastered those routines firstly in the barehand form. This is to say that in barehand we know the martial art application behind each stance and posture. We understand footwork. We have a great sense of proportion and space around the mid-section of our body for movement, direction, force and speed. We can distinctively feel and identify the distribution of qi through our meridians (channels forming a network in the body in TCM).
From a very young age, I learned in Spain how to make some basic wooden weapons (back then that was what some country folks did in the absence of TV and for multiple reasons like hunting, self defense training or plain entertainment). In my case, I was fully devoted into using them for everything I could like self defense training. It all has stayed with me through a lifetime of Internal Martial Arts training. I have created my own Tàijíquán bangs from solid wood, bamboo and rattan. I am the creator of the Tàijíquán Sand Bang, and I too like to make my own Bo Staffs. The process of making my own stuff gives me great pleasure and adds to the respect I have for each of those weapons.

I am a firm believer that Martial Art students should be very familiar with the making of their own gear. It adds an extra layer to their practice such as serious commitment. They are going to look at their Bo Staff with greater appreciation, and that amazing feeling no store can ever give to us. Of course, I have pleanty of Bo staffs store bought, nothing wrong with that. So you may want to mix it up (some bought, and some homemade by you). In the end, you are more likeky to love all of them because they are extensions of you. They represent your time and effort in getting down pat all that you need to know about your Internal Martial Arts journey.
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