Bojutsu

Stick and staff arts of Japan's classical warrior traditions: some introductory comments (Page 1)

Bojutsu can be thought of broadly as deriving from either warrior long-arms combat, or from Edo-period police arresting methods. One theory towards battlefield origins of staff combat suggests warriors engaging with spear (yari), halberd (naginata) or similar long-arms (collectively referred to as nagamono) might have had the blade of the weapon cut off during combat against a sword-wielding opponent (kenshi).

In such a situation, the combatants spirit was strong and acheived their goal, continuing to down their opponent with the shaft (tsuka) of their polearm, using it as a staff (bo). This accounts for the use of the staff as a battlefield or warrior weapon, and is supported by the lore of systems such as and Muhen Yougan Ryu, Yagyu Shingan Ryu, Tendo Ryu and the Kukishin Ryu.

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