Customer Reviews

Jo: Art of the Japanese Short Staff (Weapons Series)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Dave Lowry clearly explains the basics of Jo technique with a fairly complex Kata at the end that unifies most of the moves taught. Care should be taken to notice how the hands shift from position to position, as many times they 'flip' over during the movement (something the author doesn't often specify).

Dave Lowry is a world class bugeisha (practitioner of traditional Japanese martial arts) and a fabulous writer. His knowledge is readily conveyed in this comprehensive tome. Subjects include rationale for training with the jo (short staff, evolution of jojutsu in traditional martial arts, equipment and preparations for training, kihon (fundamentals such as stances, grips, postures, and etiquette), uchi kata (striking methods), renwaku waza (combination techniques), tandoku renshu (31-count formal solo practice), and renshu bunkai (tandoku renshu applications with an opponent). If you want an outstanding supplement to hands-on jo staff instruction, this is the book to choose. The illustrations are very good and convey subtleties that the text does not so pay close attention to them.

Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction

I am extrememly glad that I brought this book not long after returning to the martial arts after many years away. It allowed me to improve my kata and stance work at a much faster rate than I had thought possible. Practicing in front of a large mirror at my local gym also helped.
One has to remember that you really do need a good Sensei to look at and correct imperfections in your technique but this book goes a long way to moving the process along.

This is a very well written manual of jo exercises. The descriptions are easy to understand; and in a couple of places the author also shows the wrong way to do the lesson, so that the reader doesn't do that. The quality of the photos is much better than some other manuals
This book focuses on the techniques, so all though the book tells a little bit of history, history is not the main issue. That might affect your decision to buy the book, either positively or negatively.

My only complaint is directed at this class of book, and not really this book alone. I would like to see some of these books published with a spiral binding, like a technical manual, so that it can lay flat on a table. If I could read the advice while I'm trying to practice the lesson (while I have a jo in my hands, and I'm standing in chudan kumae) I would be happier.

Mr Lowry does a very good job at conveying a great deal of Aikido's Aiki-jo. One does need to know a little about the basics of aiki-jo for some of this to make sense, however this book is a great text for the practioner who can't always get to an established instructor. I have found it to be quite helpful when I reach a stumbling block and I can't remember exactly how to do a specific move.

Written shortly after Dave Lowry's second book, "Bokken", "Jo" follows closely in style with detailed explanations and good explanatory sequence photographs. Of all the training tools one might add to one's repetoire, Jo has got to be the best for a variety of reason. The Jo is balanced and relatively easy to get a feel for. Another big plus from an experienced traveller (me)--the Jo can double as a walking stick, and it isn't difficult to bring with you for training just about anywhere you go.

I enjoy reading Lowry's books, he is knowledgeable and earnest, two traits I can appreciate in anyone, but especially seek in a teacher. In this work he explains the purpose, advises the studious reader not to assume too much, and offers sage advice along with instruction. Lowry compares and contrasts the ancient and modern Bugeisha (man or warrior ways) and offers us consideration on the motives of each:

"...the single distinction between the classical bugeisha and his counterpart may be measured in terms of spirit. For the bugeisha, training was not a matter of spending a few hours a week polishing his craft. He entered into it as a lifelong pursuit. He maintained a steadily receptive frame of mind, constabtly instilling within himself an atitude of alertness, incessantly assessing and evaluating situations and reacting accordingly. For him the physical confrontations of the dojo also imparted lessons in personal comportment that could be, and were, applied to daily life. The strategy of the classical martial arts was therefore mirrored in his manners and in the way he conducted himself in society". (page 18)

Lowry also offers a brief history of Jojutsu and its evolutin to Jodo before commencing an excellent series of instructional photo sequences. If you're reading this you probably have some martial arts experience and already understand--but just in case, I should point out that it is very difficult for an individual with absolutely NO prior weapons experience to pick up the nuances of weapons training from a book. If you live in a place or under conditions that make finding an instructor or training partner virtually impossible, I'd recommend getting a dvd or watching some clips to get an idea of HOW to move and beginning correspondence with a legitimate instructor who will have your best interests at heart. Sincere practice can be tough mentally and physically, especially in the beginning--so focus your attention, don't give up, and appreciate everything that is right with the world.

This is an excellent book by an excellent author. It is a pity though that Lowry's attention to quality did not extend to the printing of the book. The pictures look like photocopies and the paper is all too thin. The cover gets bent out of shape far too easily.
This book deserves better binding.

This book may be a little dated in style, but not in content. It is intended as in introduction to Jo work and shouldn't be expected to deliver more than this. It shows basic techniques, as well as a decent kata to practise. I tend to feel this is a good accompliment to actual training with a qualified instructor. I like Dave Lowry's writing style and his integrity to martial arts and recommend other books by him, especially his collected essays.

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I have read and reviewed several of the author's books in the past and I have enormous respect for his martial art skills. This book deals with the history, basic stances, grips and a complex kata using the Jo. Though I am familiar using the Jo, which can vary from 4 to 5 feet long, I prefer the Hanbo, which is about 3 feet long. Personally, I think the Hanbo is a more practical weapon in this modern age because the techniques can also relate directly to canes, walking sticks and police batons. Nevertheless, the author is an excellent writer as well as being a life time student of Budo arts. The basic techniques are not that difficult to learn, but the kata could be a challenge to learn from a book. However, using this book in combination with hands-on instruction from a martial artist who is an expert with the Jo will produce excellent results.

In conclusion, this is a book for anyone who is interested in Jo-jutsu. Rating: 4 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Use of the Cane and Walking Stick for Self-Defense).

I'd practiced some jo work in my Aikido class before, and I bought this hoping to learn a bit about classical jodo to supplement that. However, pretty much the first thing this book says after a brief introduction to the history of the jo is that despite the subtitle "The Art of the Japanese Short Staff", it doesn't actually cover jodo at all, but the jo techniques found in Aikido, which actually derive from the yari (spear). It covers the basic strikes in moderate detail, and lays out the sequence of the 31-step jo kata: there's very little here I didn't already know, and I'm hardly an expert on the jo.

It's not poorly organized. If you have no familiarity with aiki jo technique, it may not be a bad introduction. I just wish the description had been honest about what it was actually about, because it was basically useless to me.